I finally see why hiking is so popular

I’ve lived in Arizona for just over two years now, but I’ve just now caught the hiking bug.

Arizona is known for its mountainous terrain and red rocks, which make it perfect for hiking, but I haven’t taken advantage of the trails until recently. I’ve gone on an odd hike here and there, but only this year have discovered the joy and clarity the activity can provide.

Before, I saw all hikes as glorified nature walks. The hikes that I’d been on at that point hadn’t been all that challenging, and I didn’t understand why people loved it so much when it was basically just walking. I could go for a walk in my own neighborhood.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been hiking quite a lot. My boyfriend is still away at school and I’m single-momming it with our dog, Barney. Taking him for two walks around our neighborhood every day got a little boring, so I thought I’d switch it up and go for a short hike on a nearby mountain.

It rocked. It rocked so hard. It was refreshing to have a change of outdoor scenery, it was great exercise, and it had an excitement factor—I felt like I was exploring. Safe to say I was hooked.

I’ve been trying to take photos of him on each hike because he’s so darn beautiful! I’ve only taken a few thus far, but it’s going to become a tradition.

Since then, I’ve taken our Barn Boy on several hikes around the Valley of the Sun and I’ve even gone on a few solo treks. I even got the hiking app AllTrails—that’s how you know it’s official. The app lets users mark trails as completed and even create lists of trails to try. I’ve marked off a few so far, and I have many more on my to-hike list.

I think Barney loves them as much as I do. I love watching him run and smile outside. Though, he really likes to stop and sniff, which slows the team down. Plus, everyone thinks he’s so handsome that we have to stop and say hello to each passerby. Cuteness is a blessing and a curse.