Heal me Today

Dear readers,

There’s a good chance many of you already know this, but just in case you don’t — read carefully. People don’t say “nature heals” for no reason.

For me, one of the best forms of mental self-care is hiking.

Why? Because it’s simple, accessible, and honestly… almost free. The only real expense is getting to the location itself. You put on comfortable clothes and good shoes, pack some water and snacks into a backpack, and you can head out into the world. You can use GPS on your phone, or if you’re feeling adventurous, even a classic map and compass. And if you stay on marked hiking trails, moving through forests and mountains is usually easier than people think.

I’m not talking about dangerous mountain expeditions. I mean ordinary trips into nature — family hikes, walks through forests, routes with different levels of difficulty, places where you can simply breathe again.

This weekend we completed one of those hikes… although “family hike” may not be the most accurate description anymore.

It was a girls’ trip — me, my daughter, and my cousin. We recently signed up for a hiking challenge organized here in my country. The goal is to visit at least 10 out of 20 marked locations in one mountain range. Naturally, with all my enthusiasm, I immediately announced: challenge accepted.

And because we wanted to be “efficient,” we decided we should try to complete at least two checkpoints in one trip… ideally even three.

Well… that decision definitely humbled us. 😂

The first stop was a beautiful lookout tower on top of a hill. Everything was perfect. The views were stunning, the forest peaceful, and we felt amazing. From there we continued through the woods toward the second peak — and this is the moment where I should mention that we climbed over 700 meters in elevation. At that point we were all questioning our life choices a little bit… but we made it.

Then came the final climb.

Honestly, by then it felt like we were trapped on a roller coaster designed by someone who hates knees and lungs. Up, down, up, down again. Endless hills. Endless stairs. Endless suffering.

In the end, we completed over 18 kilometers. Maybe that doesn’t sound catastrophic to experienced hikers, but combined with the elevation… it was intense.

And the funniest part?

This entire route was recommended to us by ChatGPT.

Let’s just say that by the end of the hike we had a few words for him, because this was supposed to be a relaxed family trip. Apparently even artificial intelligence can occasionally miscalculate. 🙈

Today we are recovering peacefully at home. Our muscles are absolutely destroyed, but honestly? Our minds feel lighter, our souls calmer, and our mental batteries fully recharged — at least for the next few weeks.

So if life feels overwhelming lately, maybe don’t look for complicated solutions first.

Sometimes all you really need is fresh air, trees, movement, people you love… and a slightly questionable hiking plan.