This was a special trip because I told no one that I was going. That’s a big deal since I am young, a woman, and diabetic. It makes a day trip to the mountains alone feel like jumping out of an airplane; its not a death sentence if you are prepared. I packed up one morning and headed to the North Carolina mountains to catch the leaves changing color. Walking up the short hike to the peak made me realize that my level-ground walking experience did not train me for this, but I will never regret it. The air was thin, and the land was alive.