Hey there! It’s Jackie, back with another blog post.

I swear, this summer is my summer to try new things. I’m usually open minded, and I’ve been trying to push myself out of my comfort zone, whether I like it or not. However, my boyfriend has been pulling my leg trying to get me to go mountain biking with him. While it took him asking many times, and basically begging, I finally went.

Now, to give some context. I love the outdoors. Hiking is one of my favorite things in the world. Plus I would consider myself active, I like going on walks, lifting at the gym, and doing yoga. However, I couldn’t tell you the last time I have ridden a bike. I have the same bike that I got when I was 12, so I wasn’t prepared for this.

His family and I went to Kinzua Bridge State Park. I’ve always loved that place, it was my pappy’s favorite place to fish. They have a ton of biking trails there, ranging in difficulty. Once we got there, we got our bikes, I strapped my helmet on, and it was go time.

At first, I had a terrible time. I was huffing and puffing, in a terrible mood, and just kinda glared at my boyfriend every time he asked if I was having fun yet. Eventually, I figured out how to shift the bike, got my second wind, stopped judging the situation, and had a lot of fun. It takes a lot out of you, but the view and spending time with people you care about makes it worth it. Sometimes, you have to get out of your own head and just enjoy what’s in front of you.

So, if you plan on going mountain biking anytime soon – it’s definitely fun, but takes a lot out of you. I might even give it another go.