Atika Ali is one of the most outgoing, spontaneous, and adventurous people you will ever run across. Her recent weekend getaway is a testament to that. Atika Ali spent last weekend on a solo camping trip, something she likes to do a couple times each year. Because she is such an active and spontaneous person, Atika Ali needs moments like these to unwind and reflect without distractions.

“I call them my ‘solo camping trips.’ They are really just a chance for me to be alone in nature, have fun, and relax at the same time,” said Atika Ali. “People often ask me why I would want to camp alone, but I don’t think they realize how freeing it is,” she continued. Atika Ali uses the time away to catch up on reading, get some rest, and discover new thoughts. She usually sets up a base camp and then takes day trips to discover things around her.

On this particular trip, Atika Ali enjoyed the chance to do some swimming, bouldering, and hiking. There were a couple freshwater lakes near her campsite and she used them to cool off after her long hikes. Atika Ali also found some small caves and mountains which she was able to boulder. “Bouldering is basically rock climbing without all the equipment. I usually don’t go any higher than say eight or ten feet, but it is a great workout none-the-less,” Atika Ali said.

Atika Ali used nightfall to do some reading by the campfire. She doesn’t find much time to read during her usually busy life, so the solo camping trips give her a chance to catch up on it. Atika Ali usually picks a couple different books on topics she knows nothing about and then spends the trip reading those. “It’s all about doing things you’ve never done before. I can’t imagine how boring it would be to do the same things over and over. I have to have some change,” said Atika Ali.

In all, Atika Ali spent 3 ½ days camping. She came back with a fresh outlook on life, ready to conquer the next obstacle and try the next new thing that comes along.