I have grown up with the mountains by my side; so naturally I have completely fallen head over heels in love with them.

Growing up in Denver, every sunset, rainbow, firework and long car ride was enhanced by the sight of the large Rocky Mountains making their bold presence known in the background.

When I was very little, I would have nightmares about going skiing, ending up on a steep run, not being able to stop and landing at the bottom of the mountain, crashing and burning. As I grew, I became less afraid of the challenging terrain and learned I liked the speed such terrain offered. My siblings and I would race each other down the mountain leaving our parents far behind. I learned the mountain looks out for you and when you fall the snow catches you like mother nature's very own pillow.

My love does not stop at the Rocky Mountains, nor does it stop as the season changes. My favorite mountains to hike in the summer are those on the Appalachian Trial. I've been hiking in the Appalachian Mountains since I was eight. The trees on those mountains thrive off of the carbon dioxide that resulted from some of my most physically, mentally, and spiritually challenging moments. The same air that filled my lungs as I made the conversations that would create my lifelong friends and some of my best laughs is contained within the trees that inhabit those mountains. Being there, that energy from all those moments, radiate back to me and will never fail to bring me a sense of peace, gratitude and joy.

You could consider this my love letter to the mountains, which I have fallen in love with so deeply because they have a crucial role in the creation of who I am today. They have made me stronger, more patient and more in touch with myself. The green trees, the sky above, and the natural scents bring the most innocent happiness, and it will always be my happy place.