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Last week, I went on hike through the Swiss Alps with my son.
To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to it. “Be prepared” is one of my mottos, and this adventure required a lot of preparation. We had to choose a route, book huts, and even plan for bad weather that might keep us from reaching them. In short, I saw plenty of obstacles ahead.
And yet this adventure taught me a great deal about connection and happiness.
Spending a week with my son is special. Since he moved out two years ago to study, I hadn’t spent nearly as much time with him. The first days of the hike were hard. I struggled with the altitude and slept poorly in the dormitories. That left me feeling unwell and not always in the mood to talk to others.
Can happiness be engineered?
Later, once I was feeling better, my son and I had a good conversation about happiness and whether it can be engineered or forced. I’m convinced that you can create the right conditions for more happiness. For me, that means doing something spontaneous that you wouldn’t normally do. It takes a mindset that keeps you open to possibilities.
What struck us was that we kept running into the same people in the beautiful huts, most of them walking roughly the same Haute Route. Many were Belgian, American, and Swiss.
Mountains and walking do something to people: your field of vision literally widens, and it connects.
My vision for this life is a world in which people are unconditionally connected to one another in love. I got to experience that on this trip.
The hot tub with two strangers
One afternoon we arrived a little earlier than usual at a beautiful hut at the foot of a glacier. The hut sat at around 2,950 meters, and outside there was a dome where you could relax, and a hot tub nearby. In the dome we met two young people from Belgium, and we asked them to share the hot tub with us. After an (obligatory) ice-cold shower, we plunged into the warm water and looked out over the mountain peaks and the glacier. There were good conversations about life, careers, and other (hiking) adventures.
After dinner, I played a game of cards with my son while our new Belgian friends went off to write in the guestbook. Another young man from Belgium played the piano beautifully. We also spoke with people from Italy and Switzerland. I felt that particular kind of connection where people are genuinely interested in one another, asking open questions and listening in silence, without rushing to respond.
Then we saw what had been written in the guestbook. It had become a work of art, with a poem.
Roughly translated, it says:
Belgians and Dutchmen,
together, high above the low countries.
In the jacuzzi, among the peaks,
the borders have faded away…
what a beautiful way to meet.
And I felt a real connection that made me happy (and gave me goosebumps). Thank you, Joni, for the drawing, and Arnout, for this beautiful poem. I wish you both all the best.
What we found at the run-down chalet
The next morning we said goodbye to our new friends and, the last ones to leave, continued our hike through the impressive high mountains. After a tough, steep pass, we descended into a valley. As we approached the tree line, we passed a few ski lifts. Near a run-down chalet, we saw two people working. Part of me was hoping for a small café, because I was craving something to drink. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a café, but the two men waved us over and invited us to rest for a while. It was the pianist and his friend, whom we’d met at the hut the other night. They had left early and had their off-road vehicle parked in the valley, which they’d driven up the mountain to install their own oven by the chalet. It was a beautiful oven, and the two men were making raclette for passersby. We were given a portion with potatoes and, of course, a pickle. It was delicious, but the most special part was how enthusiastic Adrien and his friend were about the oven they’d built themselves. Soon other hikers we’d met earlier walked by and were also given a portion of raclette.
And there we all stood, on a mountain, enjoying the food, each other’s company, and the beautiful surroundings. What happiness. Had we forced this, or had we made it happen? Not consciously, for sure, but our adventure, the initiative to connect with one another, resulted in this moment of happiness. It’s a warm, loving feeling I like to return to (like now, for instance, as I write this alone). A side effect is that this happiness gives me a sense of calmness, so I can enjoy the moment with my full attention.
When did you really feel connected to others, and what did that do to you? Let me know in the comment box below. Other readers of this article and I look forward to reading from you!
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