Fifteen years since my last hike, and I only said yes because my friends wouldn’t let it go. I spent the first hour resenting every uphill step, pretending I wasn’t out of breath. I kept thinking about how much easier it would be to just say no, to stay home, to not risk looking weak or out of place. But somewhere past the tree line, the silence got louder. The view wasn’t a screensaver or a postcard—it was just there, indifferent to whether I made it or not. I stood on Abott Ridge, feeling small and stubbornly proud. Not transformed, not healed, just present. Sometimes that’s enough. #Travel #ReluctantAdventures #TravelHonesty