Good friends are essential for everyone. But it’s not always easy to find and maintain fruitful friendships in our fast-paced, screen-centric world.
Community is a huge part of why people are drawn to outdoor recreation. Whether it’s rock climbing with some pals, getting together for a jog with neighbors, or joining a local gardening group, being outside facilitates fresh air, good conversation, and a healthy break from our indoor-oriented lives.
A walk in the woods is great for solitude, but it’s also an easy, powerful way to make friends and build relationships. There is something fundamentally unifying about walking with another person on a common path. Especially in a time when we are constantly reminded about how divided our world is. When I hiked the Appalachian Trail last year, I had no idea that some of my best friends from the adventure would include a couple of Harvard-educated engineers, an R&B-loving Jewish hippie, and an off-grid writer who lives in a straw bale house. No matter how different our daily lives and backgrounds may be from one another, moving along the same trail is a unique shared experience.
Forward motion helps our minds become more engaged with the world around us. And when our immediate environment is rich with lush greenery, budding flowers, and interesting insects, we can’t help but be inspired to heighten our senses and connect with others. If you’d like to meet up with interesting people in nature, check out some of our group half day hiking tour offerings. These are great opportunities to get outside, learn something new, and make friends.
