From my earliest years, nature has been a quiet yet powerful guide. Growing up, every weekend, my family and I would hike through mountain trails, sometimes just beyond our backyard, at other times in the wild landscapes of distant regions and in other countries. These hikes became more than simple escapes; they were rituals, a space for healing, and for reconnecting with something much larger than ourselves. They sparked my lifelong fascination with how deeply the earth can ground, and renew us.