Hey everyone! This is Emily. My dad has talked about me multiple times now and I feel so cool to be a part of his blog! Hiking is a common theme when Dad talks about me, and I think it fits perfectly. Dad and I are always talking about and planning our next adventure. As a matter of fact we are both looking forward to visiting Vermont during the summer. We will be driving up to New York and staying for a night to hike in that area, and then all the way up to Vermont to explore the towns and hike some incredible mountains.
Something that Dad doesn’t mention but should is how much planning goes into our adventures. He always finds the most amazing trails to hike, the coolest places to stay at, and finds food options that I am alright with eating. It’s a rare occasion when something goes wrong, but if it does he is really quick to find a way around the problem and come up with something. Dad also has helped me overcome a lot of obstacles when it comes to going out of my comfort zone. I am not afraid to admit but trying new things and going new places has always made me anxious. I was like this until we went on a trip to St. Kitts.
A beautiful place it was, with some of the most amazing views I’ve ever seen. One thing Dad and I talked about while planning the trip was that there was a volcano to hike! I was so excited, but as the days approached I was a bit nervous to do this hike as my body was having a hard time adjusting to the temperature with it being so hot and humid. When it got to the day of the hike, we got up early and packed lots of water as we headed off towards the volcano. We were met with a man with a machete, which was one of the most interesting encounters I’ve ever had with anyone. He helped us find the trailhead, and then we were off.
It was a straight up hill. The first uphill was switchbacks, and after doing about maybe 6 or 7 of them I started to panic. The heat was freaking me out, and I wanted to turn around. Dad told me to sit, and try to eat something and we just talked for about 10 to 15 minutes. My Dad even took the two full water bottles out of my bag and put them in his so I wouldn’t have the extra weight. At the time I was incredibly grateful for this, but looking back I can’t thank my Dad enough for this. I mean he carried what was probably 5 lbs worth of water up the entire volcano. After I was able to calm down and decided to keep going, we made a turn and saw a set of roots that we had to climb up, this was the turning point in my anxiety. I got past that first root system and from there on out I was ready to do anything! We got to the summit of the volcano and I was so proud of myself. What was even cooler to look at was the look on my Dad’s face and seeing how proud he was of me for making it up that mountain. Dad and I still talk about this moment anytime we are on a hike or if I’m doing something scary because from that moment on my fear and my anxiety has been more manageable. I am able to do even more cool things and visit new places.
Without my Dad supporting me on that trip, I don’t think I would have made the progress I have been making. I am so incredibly thankful for Dad and all that he does for us. He truly is the best Dad out there. I can’t wait to go on many more adventures with Dad, and hopefully one day, it will be me planning something for the two of us.
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