Over the last couple of years, I lived in Chicago and couldn’t go on hikes. The land there is flatter than a pancake. It’s a perfect place for long-distance biking but an extremely boring one for hiking.

I hiked the Loudon Heights trail at Harper’s Ferry and absolutely loved it. It was a bit tedious at first with no change in scenery - but that’s the whole point of hiking. It’s not about change, or being comfortable, or getting somewhere, but the journey itself. You walk for hours, letting your mind settle down and taking in the beauty of your surroundings. There’s a deep, ancient instinct that kicks in when you find yourself so close to nature. This feeling is hard to describe and equally hard to recollect.

When I hadn’t hiked for so long, I didn’t particularly miss it, but I was also slowly forgetting how much I liked it. It is a precious thing that I hope I don’t lose as I get busy with life.