Hiking is for everyone aka The Hike It Baby Post

Just a quick programming note: I know that we usually come to y’all on Mondays with our MMM and Wednesday with our topic for the week; but this week, we’re shaking it up a bit so that we can share this post before an event mentioned within (happening the 25th and 29th).  Enjoy. –Cynthia

I am a fearless hiker.  Expert, really.  I hike long treks with my child…. in heels… over potholes, even.  I mean about once a month I go all the way from the Macy’s to the Neiman Marcus and back.  Yes, walking.  Sometimes in a skirt even and often without stopping at the Starbucks in between.  Sometimes, I do the Tanger Outlet Mall loop. That’s intense. Perhaps, “expert hiker” is a bit of an exaggeration. Maybe I am consistently the only vote against outdoor activities in the babywearing group.  Maybe I only run when something that can eat me is chasing me.  Maybe, just maybe… I had never really gone hiking as an adult before I started writing this blog post. Cue the collective gasp from every person who lives in the greater Austin area.  Yeah, I know.

Originally, the plan was for me to do a SINGLE hike with Hike It Baby Austin so that I could write this post about our joint efforts and know what I was talking about.  Because writing about other people’s experience is frankly draining and disingenuous, so out hiking I went. I expected it to be really intense and borrowed a buckle carrier from our lending library in anticipation.  I even had Lori, our buckle carrier guru, fit it for me before the hike and then… I didn’t touch any of the settings. I was nervous.  This was NOT my comfort zone.

The hike I signed up to do was on a glorious Saturday morning and I was lucky enough to do it with Ginny and May two of the the Hike It Baby Austin area leads. Despite me wearing a new carrier, despite the fact that it was outside, despite my apprehensions, The Little Bit and I had a tremendous time. It was BEAUTIFUL!
And you know what… I have gone on subsequent hikes with the group, but I’ve worn my wraps. And I’ve grown more and more comfortable with hiking.  Hike It Baby has given me the exposure and confidence to be outside.  I always thought that was hiking was for people who are super fit or go camping every weekend.  That’s not me, but hiking is for me.  Hiking is for everyone.

Hiking is for toddlers who like water:

Toddlers who would rather not:

Babywearers:

Big Kid Wearers:

Daddies:

Families:

Superheros:

Super Selfie-takers:

And, OF COURSE, stroller hikers!

What I’m trying to say is that hiking is for YOU.  Still don’t think so?  Saturday July 25th, Hike It Baby is doing their Hike On project to encourage 1000 families across the country to hike. Check it out!  With their, “no hiker left behind,” policy, it is always a welcoming environment for first timers.  Also, we would love for you to join Babywearing International Greater Austin in our combined group hike and Babywearing 101 on July 29th in Dripping Springs.  Learn a little babywearing and get outside… and hike!  It really is for you.