Editor’s note: Throughout October, our #hikeOctober guest writers share what hiking means in their lives.

The sound of birds chirping, water flowing down the stream while my lungs take in the crisp mountain air as I put one foot in front of the other on the rugged trail fills my ears with its beauty.

Even though, the path before me is rugged and arduous, there is something serene about it all.

The sound of nature is a welcome relief from the noise and chaos of the busy city life that is often hours away. The serenity of the mountains offers me an escape from the daily life of being a Neuroscience Graduate Student because the calmness of the wilderness put my mind at ease knowing that I am able to clear my mind and let go of all the things that bothered me during the week.

It is here that I am able to escape to my own personal universe and it is perfectly acceptable to tell myself I have no responsibilities today as a student because I am here on the trail and not in the lab.

Although I enjoy the tranquility of a good hike, I hike, especially summit hike, because I thoroughly enjoy the challenge that is present within it.

Living with cerebral palsy, I LOVE to challenge and push myself beyond what I once thought was my outer boundaries. Being able to push myself beyond these boundaries is where I feel I grow the most as a person because it is through hiking that I am able to discover and learn more about what I am
capable of accomplishing.

The common lesson I learn from each of my summit hike is that if I can reach the summit of a mountain then all of the challenges that I face in my daily life are easy in comparison. This lesson, just like everything I learned in the lab as a scientist, taught me that the best teacher is nature and I feel privileged to be able to summit hike at every opportunity I am given.

– Timmy Le

Click here to learn more about #hikeOctober, an annual program to raise awareness of the challenges of mental illness, fund mental health research and conserve wilderness trails. #hikeOctober is free to join, open to hikers with all experience levels, and an easy way to have your walk in the woods, or around the block, make an impact!