"chill hike" makes for fast friends at Anza Borrego State Park

submitted by letty c. guerra
edited by sarina e. guerra

Politics, plane crashes, and slew of social media posts of every kind—aaahhh! It can all be too much to handle and makes a person just want to run away and scream! This past weekend, I knew I had to find a respite for my soul. A moment to reset my spirit. And luckily, I found this much needed disconnect from this recent raucous reality all within a 60 minute drive from my home in the Imperial Valley.

Last Spring, after attending a few performances at the Borrego Springs Community Theater, I was pleasantly surprised to find the coolest “vibe” for people my age. I witnessed middle-aged, gray-haired citizens truly having simple, wholesome fun. It was like seeing kids at play, yet these were seasoned, full grown adults! Some were retired locals, some were snowbirds who came to enjoy the temperate weather while they escaped from the cold place they call home, but all of us were just humans who came to engage in friendship, frolic, and fun. Another gem I came across in Borrego Springs was the Anza Borrego Foundation. They host events within Anza Borrego State Park such as nature walks, hikes, botany lectures, photography classes and even 2-wheel and 4-wheel adventures! Which I recently found out I love. After registering for a few of their events, I was looking forward to what they called a…

Hmm… it sounded within my range of ability. I can be chill. Why not? I dusted off my old hiking shoes, pulled my binoculars out of the closet and packed my long-forgotten backpack with snacks and water and hit the desert road to Borrego Springs! The group met up at the Anza Borrego Foundation store and caravaned over to the hiking trail. Was this a little out of my comfort zone? Yes. Was I a little unsure about whether I could keep up with the group on the hike? Yes. Did I think about cancelling at the last minute? Yes. But I pushed all of that aside and went anyway.

👋🤠🐎 WHOA THERE, THIS ISN'T THE END!
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