Semi-solo hiking brings me the gift of time alone, and the joy of reuniting
Kia Abdullah
On my 13th birthday, my sister gave me a pale pink card with a cat playing a harp. There was a halo above its head and the words “My sister, the angel.” I smiled and opened the card to read the message inside: “Always harping on about something”.
I laughed because it was true: I was a talkative child. In fact, later that day, a different sister gave me the very same card. Two decades on, I’m still a talker. I thrive on sparring, debating, gossiping and teasing. I solve problems by talking them through, be it the convoluted plot of a movie or a thorny personal issue. This works perfectly well when I have people to talk to. Under lockdown, however, I’ve only had my partner, Peter.