Hiking: It's a Thing.

My first time ever 'hiking' was a few months ago here in Azerbaijan. I may have gone to college in New Hampshire, but hiking was just not one of those things that I was ever interested in doing. I associated hiking with tree huggers and those 'granola' people.

Having been on hikes several times now here in Zaqatala, I have begun to reevaluate my perception of hiking. A few things I've come to realize:

1) Hiking is just walking, but in nature. I walk all the time in the US. In New York there really is no other choice, you HAVE to walk from your apartment to the train station or the bus stop. And walking in the Heights and the Bronx does sometimes require mad skills and agility. How else do you avoid the broken glass shards and various other questionable trash remnants that are found on NYC streets?

2) It's a great workout. I'm mad lazy, and I've never been one to "workout" per se. However hiking is something I could definitely be into. You don't have to do it everyday, and when you do its still just walking. I do that anyway. And at the end of the hike you get to see something awesome, like a gorgeous view of the Greater Caucasus mountains.

3) Dominicans hike. It's called being a campesino. Which my pops, who is from Padre Las Casas, definitely is. Chequea:

Eso monte se parecen a lo de Zaqatala! So hiking is kiiiiinda in my blood I guess.

4) It's a great way to bond with people. I went on a hike that took 8 hours total up and down the mountain with my sitemates and two AZ8 PCT's who came up to Zaq for a site visit. I feel like I know them a lot better now than I did before the hike... something about the hardships involved in climbing a huge mountain that brings people closer together. That and pain. Best quote of the trip: "Pain is just weakness leaving the body."

My conclusion about hiking: it's kind of awesome, and its something that I may continue doing when I get back to the states.