Hilary Sheppard - Growing Up with the NH Wilderness

Up until recently, I was unaware of how much of a role wilderness and nature played in my childhood. I took for granted all of the experiences I had until I realized how many people my age did not live the childhood I was able to. When people find out I live in New Hampshire, they often tease me about how boring it must be to live there and how little there must be to do. At first, I tried to tell people that growing up in NH was basically the same as it would be in Virginia, but I've come to realize that's simply not true. It is true that much of NH is wilderness, but that's what people love about it. People come from all over come to see how beautiful the leaves are in the fall (if you think the leaves in VA are pretty, you haven't seen anything yet). Being able to recognize this aspect of NH, I am now able to see how big of a role wilderness played as I grew up. My dad has always been an extremely avid hiker, so much so that he planned to go hiking on Thanksgiving morning this year and frequently asks for ice picks and hiking boots as gifts. He raised my sister and I to appreciate nature, and part of this was bringing us hiking as much as possible. Hiking was a normal childhood activity for me, and it surprises me how little some of my friends have hiked and been out in the wilderness. I remember hiking Mt. Washington at the age of 8 and not even thinking twice about it. I was also raised on a pair of skis, which I definitely think brings you closer to nature and wilderness. I'm so grateful that I was born in such an amazing area of the country and raised by a man who taught me to love wilderness, and I wish all children had the opportunity I was given.