Why we h i k e

When we decided to move out west a few years back I never knew I would discover a hobby that would end up making such a profound impact on my life. Hiking!

The world I have always had a passion to explore was always right there, but somehow, getting out on foot and experiencing it first hand gave me an entirely new perspective. I was hooked.

It's wonderful to have a passion for something, but when you can find a passion that can be shared with your best friend, it really is amazing. J and I found this shared passion in hiking. Our ideal weekend = one of us will find a hike with pretty things, he maps it out, I pack the string cheese. 

Rinse, wash, repeat.

Hiking is something that we can do together, grow closer with one another as we explore new areas and experience life’s many adventures to be had out in nature.

Hiking is not only a reason to get a cool pic (although, I will not lie, I love pictures), but more than that it is a way to 'detox' from the clutter of the world.  It is so refreshing to take a deep breath and have those moments of silence.  

There was a time when J and I had a fair amount of unknowns after our travels to Europe. We were “homeless” (so to speak), had just moved out of state, J had just dealt with an emergency surgery, and we were living off of a part-time Starbucks income.  Yes, we had made decisions to get to this point and no, we didn't regret any of our decisions but we still found ourselves in unknown territory.

J knew I needed my mini-retreat #MyTherapy haha! We went out on a beautiful trail in the desert. This night I remember so vividly because it was a moment of clarity for us.  It is a beautiful world indeed. 

We found out by surprise that we would soon be expecting a new little hiking pal. It was a SHOCK to say the least! Of course our reaction was to head to the trails again.  This was the first time we found "Cathedral" trail in Sedona (noted: one of my favorite trails to date.) 

Before Remy was born we frequently heard the advice: “Get your hiking / exploring / adventure in before kids, because you can’t do it once you have them!" Once we were pregnant we heard: "Do it before you have her!" Once we had a newborn: "Do it while she is still small because once they get bigger…"

Now we have a toddler, but… we still adventuring. Why let a mini-person control us bigger-persons? 

As a matter of fact, starting from a newborn she has always loved hiking.  Singing softly or sleeping, it really is a peaceful time for her as well. This makes me so happy! The fact that she loves something that is so dear to us is truly a blessing.

A few thoughts for hiking with a little one...  

*Start as young as possible.  

*Make sure the first few hikes you don't get them out every time they make a peep.  

*It helps to teach them to love the pack they are in.  Make sure they are comfortable and it fits them well.  

*Staying positive. If you aren't enjoying it, they won't either.  

*And you know the main one... stay protected from the sun and well-hydrated :-)

Hope you all have a blessed week!