Hiking: The Ultimate Gift That Keeps on Giving

Compliments of Salt, Pepper & Nutmeg 😍😍😍

Ghosts of Birthdays Past

Once upon a time (okay, basically forever until recently), whenever someone asked:

“What are you doing for your birthday?” - Nothing.

“What do you want for your birthday?” - Also nothing.

Not because I was staging some dramatic anti-aging protest (although I definitely wasn't thrilled about adding another candle to the fire hazard on my cake),  but because, honestly - I didn’t want to do anything and definitely didn’t need anything.

Well..… nothing that came in a cute little gift screaming “I thought of you last minute.”

To be fair to my friends - yes, those glitter-drenched unicorns I’m always referring to - they always pulled something together.

Every year, a surprise, a dinner, a cake. Something to make me feel special.

Yes, THOSE heathens.

So my birthdays were never completely uneventful, despite my best efforts to sink into the shadows of glorious indifference.

Fast Forward: The Hiking-Obsessed Era

But now. NOW.

Ask me what I want for my birthday. Seriously - go on, I dare you.

Ask me what I want for Christmas while you’re at it.

Because I have a list.

A beautifully deranged list: hiking gear upgrades, camping equipment that pretends to be comfortable, and trail plans longer than my grocery list.

Ask me where I’m going?

The answer is always the same: somewhere uphill, where the signal is so bad even stress can’t locate me.

The only issue?

People have stopped asking.

Because they know - oh, they know - that if they so much as hint at interest, I will unleash a full PowerPoint presentation.

Slides. Spreadsheets. Trail reviews. Gear specs. A budget breakdown.

And, of course, a meticulously curated document titled “Hag’s List: Nature Demands It.”

Why Hiking Is the Only Gift I Want

Who needs gifts wrapped in glitter when you can unwrap a sunrise from the edge of a cliff?

So yes - hiking is the gift I never knew I needed… and now it’s the only one I want.