.fb-like span { overflow:visible !important; width:450px !important; margin-right:-200px; } The world we live in can sometimes be overwhelming and stressful. In order to get through it all it’s important to have a place where we can go to clear our minds, find our inner peace, and reset our lives. With that being said, I sat down with my best friend Amanda Iscoa who loves […]" />
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LET’S TAKE A HIKE

LET’S TAKE A HIKE


The world we live in can sometimes be overwhelming and stressful. In order to get through it all it’s important to have a place where we can go to clear our minds, find our inner peace, and reset our lives. With that being said, I sat down with my best friend Amanda Iscoa who loves to go hiking. When Amanda told me about her interest in hiking my first thought was wow when does Amanda have time to travel outside the state to go hiking and why (as her best friend) didn’t I notice? Amanda then enlightened me by explaining that there are plenty of beautiful hiking trails throughout Orlando, Florida.  Yes, I said Orlando and hiking in the same sentence.

For as long as I’ve known her, Amamda has always loved to be outside, up close and personal with nature. The Red Rocks Trail was her first hiking excursion, courtesy of AmeriCorps where she was a member of Americorps, stationed in Colorado. During a member retreat, everyone came together to participate in a group bonding exercise as part of their orientation. The exercise turned out to be a hike. “Getting uninterrupted time with people you are close with is definitely a highlight”, Amanda states. “There are no phones or screens that can be a distraction. Hiking provides the opportunity to talk about whatever is on your mind all while seeing beautiful and interesting things.”  She has been hooked ever since and has gone on many excursions during her travels as well as exploring the many trails that Orlando has to offer.

Amanda chooses where she will hike based on how she is feeling on a particular day.…different strokes for different folks if you will. Days that she has a lot of energy and wants to be out for most of the day she will pick a longer more strenuous hiking ground. If the day is proving to be a stressful one, she will pick a familiar, relaxing trail like the Barr Head Street Trail in Little Big Econ. Amanda is constantly trying to drag her friends (Me) on her hiking excursions. When I asked her to identify her favorite trail, it was impossible for her to narrow it down to any particular one.

“Every hike is special, any hike that involves good company, physical exhaustion, and beautiful scenery is a place I want to be.”

If you ever need to decompress; put your phone down, step away from the screen, and put one foot in front of the other to get out and see the world as it was meant to be seen, through nature.

Visit some of Orlando’s Best Hiking Trails :

Seminole – Wekiva Trail
The Disney Wilderness Reserve
Bear Creek Nature Trail
Big Tree Park
Black Hammock Trail
Split Oak Forest Wildlife & Environmental Area

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