Y' know - if it gets the kid through the hike, there's nothing wrong with it. (Yes, I know it's the onion, but let's be real).

When I was a kid, I had my nose in books all the time. On long road trips, my parents sometimes told me to put down the book and look out the window, appreciate the landscape. I had no appreciation for landscape at that age. I do now that I'm in my mid-40s. But back then? I wanted to read my books.

My parents loved to go on long hikes. I kept up, I sometimes struggled, I sometimes hated it. What was I looking forward to at the end of the hike? Settling down with one of my books. My reward, if you so will. I like a good hike these days, back then not so much. If I'd had video games at the time, I'd probably have fantasised about them too, if it got me through a long and (in my mind) boring hike.