Walking for fun

It is a luxury to be able to hike. We willingly put a 15 pound bag on our back and climb up physically challenging mountains, for fun. We have nice backpacks that distribute the weight so that we don't hurt our upper or lower backs, shoes so that we don't hurt our ankles, etc - you get the point. On our 3:15 morning, as we are hiking up in the dark we passed 2 60ish year old women and a man coming down the mountain with their flashlights. I could guess that they were walking to town to work, buy food or supplies, or something along those lines. Either way, they were going to have to walk back up these 109 switchbacks. Unlike us, who ate breakfast two-thirds of the way up to watch the sunrise, this much walking is a part of their lives, not something they tell their friends and families that they accomplished.

In Canton Primera, a family that had just been deported from Kentucky could not understand what we were doing. Kathryn had told them she was doing this trip as her vacation. "You are walking on your vacation?" They asked multiple towns. If you look at it that way, it is a little bizarre.

When I got back to PIES and told them what I had done, Marta made a joke saying it was like the immigrants walking to the US. We then had a short conversation about how truly difficult and dangerous it is for people who do walk to the US. I was lucky to have food, water, shelter, etc... They walk for days and days, worried about getting caught, bearing through whatever weather might come, with children or pregnant.

So, I'm really lucky, blessed, privileged to be able to do treks like this, and continue to do treks like this.