Growing up in the city gave me a different perspective on nature and the great outdoors. I have always been a ‘city girl’. I grew up in Richmond, Virginia, and would often spend my winter and summer breaks in New York City. I never ventured far from the city atmosphere, but that all changed when I fell in love with a university in a little town called Farmville and made it my home for the next four years.

It was a shock for me to live in a small town, as there were few things to do for fun and many businesses were closed on Sundays. So I started looking around for fun things to do on the weekends. I heard from a lot of my peers about going hiking at a nearby park that cuts through Main Street. But I’ve always been a bit skeptical about hiking. I’d never been hiking before, nor did I think I had the appropriate attire to go hiking in, so I always turned down the offers. Over the summer many of my friends talked about going swimming at a nearby state park, but I was always too busy to go with them. I knew about the five parks surrounding Farmville, but I didn't see the appeal to go since hiking required me to go outside. I was afraid of the bugs that may lurk within those woods!

High Bridge Trail State Park runs through downtown Farmville.

In January of 2022, I made a promise to myself, which was to try new things and go out of my comfort zone. I joined the AmeriCorps program in hopes of holding myself accountable and try new things. I began my journey as an AmeriCorps volunteer at Twin Lakes State Park. I was nervous at first since I did not know what to expect. I bought my first ever pair of hiking boots and I promised myself to start hiking. Eventually, I gathered the courage to hike Twin Lakes State Park's trails, and by February, I became extremely familiar with them.

A couple hikes across the footbridge on Goodwin Lake Trail.

As the seasons began to change I saw how the trails became a bit more alive due to the reappearance of many birds, the fullness and greenery from the surrounding trees and the beauty of flowers beginning to bloom. After hiking these trails, I became more adventurous and wanted to hike other trails in surrounding parks.

I have made a list of the parks I've visited so far, and I cannot wait to add more to it, as Virginia has 42 parks to visit. The fact that there are so many interesting things to learn about the surrounding nature and about the history of a particular park make guided hikes more appealing to me, though I do enjoy hiking alone. As the weather became warmer, I noticed how much foot traffic the trails got. It was nice to know others were on the trail with me,  I don't mind other hikers. However, it felt like the trails were a bit too loud than in the off season in winter and late fall. The quiet, slow hikes in the winter and late fall give me a sense of peace and unity with nature. I love being able to sit down mid-hike and listen to the sounds around me and observing the beautiful scenery.

If you're a city-goer like me, who hasn't tried hiking yet and don't know where to start, I recommend taking a short hike. At Twin Lakes State Park we have Goodwin Lake Trail which is a 1-mile long loop around the lake with multiple benches along the way and beautiful scenery throughout.

Hiking may seem scary at first, but once you start you will never want to stop. Have fun hiking!