As I Drive up the mountain road I keep glancing at the back seat, I’m used to seeing my little one there but today she is at day care and I am taking the morning to do something I have not done since before she was born. Going on solo hikes was always an escape for me before having Emma. Once you have children your solo time becomes something you have to actively advocate for. There are times when I need more than a hour away to myself. A trip to the grocery store or to get a pedicure won’t cut it. I need the expanse of nature and the trail spread out ahead of me to let my thoughts marinate. I think most moms can relate to wondering when you are going to feel like you again after having a baby. Of course I have always been me,  postpartum when everything hurt,  months later as I stated to feel stronger, and now when I can hike my old favorites almost as fast as I did before having Emma. However, feeling like something about my life is back to normal reminds me that I still have a private part of myself, a part that I don’t have the share with my child or my husband. A solo hike up my favorite trail helps me reset and find space to breathe.