Since moving back to States 6 years ago (I really, really can't believe it's been that long. And this week I really, really miss all that long underwear I used to have), I've tried to make a conscientious effort to learn one new thing each year.
This kind of started as a way to learn to knit since I was like the only person I knew who didn't know how and it seemed like a good way to redeem time spent watching TV. Of course, now I just doubly waste time by playing games on an idevice while listening to TV and occasionally rewinding because that bit seemed kind of important.
Some years have been more tangible than others - knitting, gardening. Some have been born of the fact that I didn't have any money for a new hobby -learn about food, get passionate about a cause. And last year was supposed to be learn where to hike in Georgia, but turned into learn a new job.
So yay, this year's LSN was already picked out which is really good because usually it's about September before I decide on something for the year. I'm using the book 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles of Atlanta as a guide, and my goal is 12 hikes during the course of the year.
This month a friend and I headed out to Indian Seats for an afternoon hike. The book has helpful charts that divide the hikes up by location, intensity, length, and other things. We were looking for a 3-5 mile hike that was moderate. We wanted something more than a walk in the park, but it had also been awhile since either of us had done much hiking.
I never really considered myself an outdoor person before moving to Georgia, but also I've always lived in Florida (where the beach is super conveniently located), a college campus (with green space and tracks), or a big city (where there's lots of time outside walking from one place to another even if it turns your snot black). Heck, I even went to summer camp where I lived in a screened-in cabin for 4-8 weeks every summer. So Atlanta is the first place I've lived where I had to really consciously think about where to go to be outside. It was also my first desk job and my first time with a car commute, so neither of those things were helping with spending time outside.
There's lots of places in and around Atlanta to take advantage of in terms of being outside, so I'm hoping this year (and hopefully longer) of exerting some effort in learning cool hiking places not too far away will pay off for years to come.
One thing that's different since the last time I did much hiking is smart phones. You can totally just take pictures of the guidebook before leaving the car, and have a compass on your phone, and be able to google or call if things get dire. So different!
And here are some pics from the first hike of the year -
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