This was an article I wrote for my best friend Anna Kaiser's magazine, Linked. View her entire (incredible!) magazine here!
On my last day in England, I dangled my feet off a cliff of the Malvern Hills. I've never felt more small... or more alive. Surrounded by people that were strangers just weeks earlier, I felt completely at peace. In six weeks, we'd squeezed in a lifetime of experiences and friendships, all of which was magnetized at how small we were in comparison to the depth and beauty of the Hills.
Hiking has always been one of my favorite activities. I grew up in northern Idaho, spending all of my summers outside splashing in the lake or rolling around in the huckleberry fields on the mountains. My family would take hikes at least once a week, exploring the back woods and venturing further up into the uncharted mountains. When summer came around, it marked the beginning of mountain memories and adventures to be recounted throughout the year.
This summer, I didn't have that much of an opportunity to explore the outdoors. England rains. A lot. But, our last week in England was unusually sunny and when we decided to take a 7 mile hike in the Malvern Hills, I was ecstatic.
As soon as I stepped off the bus and breathed in the fresh air, I felt at home. It didn't matter that I was on a different continent: the peaceful feeling of appreciating the beauty of nature was the same.
We started up the hill and all of the memories from previous summers started to rush back. The burn in my legs, the sun on my back... it's all part of the experience that makes hiking a unique experience. To me, hiking isn't just walking up a hill: it's about experiencing something that's bigger than yourself. It's about appreciating the beauty around you, from the lone flower swaying in a field to the natural pattern of the rocks beneath your feet.
Hiking the Malvern Hills made me realize how incredible my life is. After climbing a rigorous stretch of mountains, we laid down in the grass at the very top of the peak. Looking down at the beautiful city below me really got me thinking about my life. A lot of the time, we can get caught up in ourselves. Personal problems, every day nuisanes and worries can consume my life, making it impossible for me to truly appreciate the beauty and opportunity that is in front of me. Being at the highest point of a mountain and seeing the entire landscape stretheched out before me truly put into perspective how big the world really is and how small my problems are.
The Malverns cleared my mind and brought me closer to the friends I had made during the trip. I've been given so many opportunities and, while I was laying in the grass, feeling the sun and wind brush over my face, I vowed to make the most of my experiences.