Trekking

I think I've officially become what I once hated...

My father used to take us on these long, grueling hikes when we were kids. We would take two week long vacations, hardly stopping to catch our breath as we flew from state to state. Usually we'd stop only to hike around in some National Park. Dad would oooh and ahhh about the trees or something, and we would grumble about being tired and our feet hurting. Mom just kinda panted, I'm not really sure if she was enjoying herself anymore than we were.

However, recently I have begun to enjoy hiking. Enough so that I bought a year pass for our local National Park (Great Falls). I went hiking on Saturday and it was a glorious time. The trees have lost most of their leaves, but the grandeur of the pounding falls is still the same. I hiked alongside the river, scrambling over rocks (apparently also free climbing a 5.2 for all those rock climbing buffs) and accidently falling into a stream. The whole time I was feeling so free, so fresh and alive. I can't tell you that I've ever felt that way while shopping at the mall. And I only spent $20. That pass will probably give me a greater return than my latest pair of shoes ever will.

I do believe that shopping still is one of my favorite past times, but I have to give credit to my father for instilling in me a love for nature and the outdoors. It took you 23 years Dad, but your baby girl finally likes trekking : )