To be perfectly honest, when I was younger hiking was not something I enjoyed. It seemed unnecessarily tiring on my body and I would be panting by the time my group was at the top. Hiking was not an activity that I saw any value in as a young kid.
However, as I’ve gotten older, was diagnosed with asthma, and then, as the pandemic hit, I found myself doing something that perhaps many didn’t do as much of before: hiking around different neighborhoods. Going on many walks and hikes with my family changed how I saw hiking because it replaced bad memories that I associated with hiking with good memories that I cherish.
Now, I see hiking as something with many different layers to peel back. Hiking is like a tree’s rings that tell you how long it has been alive. Though it is undoubtedly that hiking has many layers that I’ve yet to see, here are three that have stood out to me the most over the last couple of years:
1. Hiking is a bonding activity
This may seem like an obvious part of hiking but with my early experiences of hiking, the concept of hiking as a bonding experience never occurred to me. I was too focused on the physical motions to appreciate what or who was around me. During the pandemic, I got to talk to my family more and take long walks with them around the neighborhood.
I walked around my neighborhood so many times that I’ve come to know it like the back of my hand. Yet, what I will remember most are the experiences and stories shared. A hike to me now is a chance to get to know someone without any distractions. Just you, the ones you love, and the great beauty of nature to guide you.
2. Hiking takes getting used to
Hiking can be a test of endurance and it takes time to get used to. Going on more hikes has allowed my body to get used to going longer distances and has made hiking easier and more fun. Even if getting in shape or building up endurance was not a big physical motivator, the views at the end of each hike have become something to look forward to for many, including myself.
3. Hiking Can change your outlook on life
Sometimes human minds tend to latch onto only the strongest emotions present in our immediate memories. My opinion of hiking was based on scattered memories centered around how my body felt. Getting older has not only made hiking more enjoyable but also has allowed me to recenter my focus during hiking.
Instead of focusing on the bit of strain that the body goes through, I’ve chosen to focus on the people and the nature around me. Doing this has contributed to my new more positive perspective on hiking. Hiking is not only something internal, but also external at the same time.
As the world starts to come out of the pandemic in some ways, many of us have changed in big ways, too. Some changes are smaller and more subtle. My new positive experience with hiking is something that is a small change, but a welcomed one nonetheless. And even though I’ve returned to familiar routines, I will continue to take hikes around my college campus because as outlooks change, it opens you up to creating valuable memories you might have otherwise missed out on.