Hiking helped save my sanity last year. For the brief time I lived at our house in Lake County, I hiked the trails up Mount Konocti to the different peaks. Something about making my way up the mountain helped pull me out of my emotional muck and provided a small sense of accomplishment when everything else seemed in shambles around me.
Exploring on foot is not new for me. I've loved just wandering for as long as I can remember. I'd skip the subway more often than not in New York even though it meant adding loads of time on to my commute. I find it soothing to lose myself and let my mind run free. Among my favorite things to do when I'm back home visiting is the Broadwayathon in which we exit at the 225th station in the Bronx and walk the entire length of Broadway down to Battery Park. It's also a delicious route because it cuts through a wide range of neighborhoods.
Up in Western New York, my favorite trail was in Chestnut Ridge heading to the Eternal Flame. Walking in the riverbed up to the natural flame behind a small waterfall is an other-worldy experience and never failed to take my breath away.
These days, I'm fortunate to be near many beautiful trails but my favorite is Harmony Headlands. I end up there at least once a week and I never get tired of it. It's only about 4 miles round trip so it's certainly not too strenuous. It's best to get there early because it can get clogged up with people who ignore the "no dogs allowed" signs.
The beauty of walking or hiking is that it requires nothing other than yourself and a pari of comfortable shoes. So many other exercises or sports require special equipment or venue-specific memberships but walking is just... simple. That simplicity is a blessing, particularly when you're trying to work through a whole lot of complications.
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