I get caught up in the normal routine of life and forget to just stop every now and then. The one thing that can always snap me out of my auto-drive is going for a hike. It can be difficult to make the time for it, I always feel like I have some other responsibility that gets in the way. Thankfully I have a deep love for hiking that fights back against my hesitation.

When I get out on a trail I get lost in the beauty of nature. I take notice of the little things like the color of the moss growing on a tree, a little patch of fungi peeking out from under the leaves on the ground. I feel more connected to nature and suddenly I care more about a slug on a rock than anything else.

People love to boast about how hiking is great for you because of all these physical health benefits, but in all honesty, I don’t care about any of that. I think it is great that hiking has physical benefits, especially if it gets other people out there on a hike experiencing it all. I just don’t need them as an excuse to go hiking. All I want is to lose myself in the moment, among the trees with dirt under my feet. Nature is a big passion of mine. I am an open-minded person but I can’t understand someone who has no regard for nature.

A large part of my heart belongs to the natural world, the lapping water over rocks, the birds singing in the trees. When I can go for a hike I feel the comfort of being with a life-long friend. When the trees rustle with a gentle breeze, I can feel them welcoming me home.