My Hiking Journey

I am a great hiker. But I was not able to do that when I was younger. It took years of me working really hard to get there. Sometimes, there were tears and screaming involved. It was hard for me, especially if there were people nearby. They made me nervous. I was able to control my anxiety by looking at my shoes or a tree, around essentially things that help me to ignore other people. 

I started to hike when I was six years old in our neighborhood. It was hard since there were people around often. It made me embarrassed because I was not able to walk a block at the age of six. I kept at it because I really wanted to hike with my family. I was determined to hike as much as I could. The process took months and months of daily practice. It took a lot of hard work from me and the people who supported me during the process. But I am so glad that we didn’t give up. 

It was really hard but then hard work paid off. I was able to go to many beautiful places, such as Bryce National Park, Antelope Canyon, and Zion National Park. I even hiked on a glacier in Alaska. It is such an empowering skill to have that enables me to visit many different places. For the first time in my life, I am free! I no longer need to be in a stroller or be trapped inside the cage of my uncooperative body. 

I know it is scary to start practicing a new skill. Parents might think that we don’t like the activity. They might give up when we protest. But I hope my story can help you understand why it is hard and work on coping strategies. The thing is, if you love something you will have the motivation to keep on the hard work, as long as you have the right support.