Going somewhere is when I go to work. Or the shops, etc. Going to a destination with specific intent. Like you say, backpacking is not really about a destination, because you always end up back home. It’s filling in the time with some (Type 1??, hopefully) fun.
On a recent walk I saw a couple of sea eagles, so sat down on a cliff edge (about 200m high) to watch. I opened my cheese sandwich, while the eagle spiralled above me, then slowly spiralled down. He did a final talon dive, coming up with a fish. I got to have lunch with a sea eagle!!!!
Rest of the 2 night trip was enjoyable, a familiar track on the Tasman Peninsula, but being there at just the right moment to see something I’ve never seen before, was reason enough for a good walk. And motivation to go back.
Don’t worry about worrying, that’s why I fill my fuel tank, clean windows, check oil and tyre pressure in the car before setting out on a long drive to the trailhead. I can relax on the drive because I know I have enough fuel to get there, enough window washer for mud/rain etc. Same with the EPIRB, the first aid kit that rarely gets opened, the garbage bag and the toilet roll. Pack enough for optimal fun, and go for it. That day-old cheese sandwich tastes better if you can eat it with an eagle.
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