Growing up in Asia, living in a constant state of cautiousness is almost inevitable. Family members have always cast a protective shell over me, isolating me from activities they deemed risky. Note: For Asian parents, anything could be dangerous—even just crossing that road across the house. Frankly, it really wasn't all that shocking that when I told my parents I'd be traveling to Indonesia for my first solo hiking adventure, it was acknowledged with two pairs of widened eyes and dropped jaws. My mother has always been overly concerned about my safety and well-being (which I appreciate wholeheartedly), and it took much persuasion to finally make it happen. Personally, I prefer doing things on my own, and this includes hiking. There is something about being able to make the journey based entirely on my own efforts, and when the hustle is over, I get to look back on every step I've taken from the very peak. While hiking solo is immensely rewarding, risks and dangers are at t...
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