Reposted from Santa Fe New Mexican | By Aviva Nathan | May 2021
Growing up in Santa Fe meant I grew up hiking. It is my family’s default activity for Sundays with nothing else to do. When I was younger, I was a belligerent hiker; I could not understand the appeal of walking for walking’s sake. This, coupled with my acute fear of snakes, led me to take a hiatus from the outdoor activity for many years, but COVID-19 prompted my return. Unable to go to public places or see friends, my sister and I took daily hikes over the summer. We were grateful for the forward motion and change of scenery. While we walked the trails of our childhood, our conversations would follow a melancholy and meandering loop that began with “When this is all over …” and inevitably led to a deep, existential pitfall. But now that the world is reemerging and the vaccine has given us a foreseeable end to the pandemic, I continue to hike. From this past tumultuous year, hiking is one thing I wish to continue in the post-pandemic world.