Not OP, but around here, getting bitten by ticks is very common. Almost everyone I knew who liked being outdoorsy had been bitten at least once, and usually had several tick-bite stories. If you don't do a thorough tick check after every hike or jaunt into weeds or woods, you're playing roulette and will get one before too long. I myself have had to pull ticks out of me probably around 10-15 times (mostly as a kid when I was less careful when out hiking).

edit to add: Even when you're careful, ticks can still be easy to miss and you can still get bitten. The little fuckers are notorious for how sneaky they can be. I didn't mean the above to imply that someone who gets bit is at fault for not being careful enough, because it still can happen sometimes even when you take precautions, it just becomes much less likely.