My friend Rebecca Goldfarb is a shining example of a resilient person who has found ways to travel and explore during the pandemic. She is an avid hiker/wanderer, former study abroad student, and the brilliant creator behind the Instagram account @becca.hikes. This past week, I had the opportunity to sit down with Rebecca and learn how she revived a hiking hobby. Read on to meet her!
When and why did you decide to start your hiking account?
I started it at the end of July 2020. I was doing a lot of hiking when the covid lockdown happened, after I was sent home from my study abroad program. It was really frustrating, especially because I had to study at a British university from my room. I was supposed to be in Spain, Ireland, and England, not at home in Ohio!
I figured that I had to make the most of the circumstances. I had always been into nature, but once I started college, I was so career-focused that I lost the passion for it. I forgot that hiking had been a hobby of mine in the first place! I decided that I wanted to do more hiking during quarantine because I saw that other people were doing it on social media. I didn’t want to do the same trails around my house and decided to go to a new trail every single week. I kept expanding the mile radius of hikes, going further and further from my house.
At first, I posted my hikes via Instagram stories from my main account, but I was taking A LOT of pictures and didn’t want to spam my main account in the feed. So, I decided it would be fun to make a new account for it. There are a lot of nature spots I never knew existed in Ohio, and I’ve lived there for 22 years! It’s fun to see what new places I can find and post about my adventures online. My account isn’t limited to hiking—I got back into kayaking and skiing, too! I wanted to show off my revived passion for the outdoors, and I ultimately needed an outlet outside of my main Instagram. It was nice to have a separate aesthetic. That’s how @becca.hikes came about!
Tell me about your favorite hike you’ve ever done.
Around this time last year, I was in Wales, and I walked along the Wales Coastal Path with a few of my friends. The views were just breathtaking! We saw wild horses and got to feed them; I was nervous, but they were so sweet. It was an experience of pure happiness in the middle of nowhere. We also went coasteering, or cliff-diving; basically, you’re in a wetsuit, and you’re swimming through the water and jumping off rocks, but you’re in ocean currents and it’s really tiring. It’s weird while you’re doing it, but looking back, it’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever done! That Wales trip I took while abroad revived my past passion for nature, and when I got back home, I was motivated to continue that passion. Two weeks after that, I got sent home from my study abroad program.
(You can find more info on the Wales Coastal Path here!)
What walks or hikes did you do in other countries while studying abroad last year?
While I was in Italy, I did a hike in Tivoli, a small town just outside of Rome. I saw tons of fountains! I might say that a lot of things are “the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” but this one’s the winner.
This was a solo trip, and when you’re traveling solo, you have to do a lot of things during the day. I’m normally the kind of person who wakes up late, and when I was in London, I’d go out and stay out until 4 AM. In Italy, I had to start my day early because I didn’t want to be out at night alone. I signed up for a little day trip and bus tour around Tivoli—it’s good to take advantage of preplanned tours. It’s nice to have freedom, because if I were traveling with other people, they might not want to do the same things. I loved customizing my trip; it was a way to learn my capabilities as a traveler and young adult.
Your study abroad program was in London. What were your favorite sights?
I absolutely love Hyde Park in London. I would always go on runs there on the weekends. It was a great way to spend my Sunday off and take in the culture of London while in motion!
Since we’ve been chatting about traveling, what state or country do you most want to visit?
I really want to go to Ireland, especially because I was two days away from going when my study abroad program was cancelled. I was also supposed to go to Scotland with my abroad program, so Arthur’s Seat and the Scottish Highlands are definitely on my bucket list. Additionally, I really want to go to New Zealand because I’ve seen lots of pictures of Queenstown, and it looks stunning.
In the United States, I want to venture out West. I’ve been to Montana, Idaho, and Washington, but I also want to see Colorado and the Grand Canyon. Even if I can’t travel internationally, there’s a lot to explore back home in the States. Perhaps I’ll go West this summer…
More locally, what are some of your hiking recommendations in the Boston/Waltham area?
The Quincy Quarries Reservation is really cool. I’ve never been there, but I want to go this spring when the weather warms up! I also recommend Wachusett Mountain, which you can get to on the commuter rail. The trip is only an hour from Waltham. From the train station, it’s a 10 minute drive to the mountain. I went there during peak foliage season, which was incredible! A lot of people also go there to ski. It was great to get away from the Brandeis campus, and it’s a nice escape for those of us who don’t have a car at Brandeis. Of course, walking around Walden Pond is always a delight.
If you’re looking to try water activities for a change, I highly recommend the Paddle Boston canoe and kayak rental service by Moody Street in Waltham.
Do you have any advice for first-time hikers?
I recommend AllTrails, which connects you with a bunch of hiking and walking trails near your specific geographic location. There are also reviews for each trail on this app. Bring lots of water and sunscreen, especially if it’s the summer. Start off easy, and when you feel ready for something more rugged and uphill, ease into it. Don’t do anything you’re not comfortable with; it’s good to have an adventure, but you don’t want to injure yourself!
You’ve also gotten really into nature photography while creating content for @becca.hikes. What are your favorite things to photograph?
I really like overlooks because they always include fantastic views. I also love to photograph anything with water, especially waterfalls, or scenes of the woods with a path running through them. A cool thing about my hiking account is that I photograph some wintertime hikes—during the winter, hiking is very underrated. Everyone thinks it’s too cold, but it’s great to get yourself out there! When it comes fall foliage…if a tree is colored in any way, I’ll photograph it!
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Definitely give @becca.hikes a follow if you’re into hiking inspo, nature photography, and/or travel! I can’t wait to see what additional adventures (hiking-related or otherwise) she pursues this year. Even in the midst of a pandemic, it’s thrilling to keep up with people like Rebecca who are constantly on the move!
**Please note: most photos are Rebecca’s and are reposted on this blog with her permission.
Definitely need to check out AllTrails!