As I walked the tallest mountain, I complained about going back down because there were too many bugs, rocks and shifting weather temperatures. It felt like the mountain would never end. But instead of giving up, I thought of different methods to push me through it . At first, I was using methods like running. I thought, wait I run track, its the same as track practice. That didn’t last long because of the challenge of the rocks and steep hills . Then another method I tried, was walking for 10 minutes and taking a break for 5 minutes . That ended up not working because we started taking breaks every two minutes instead . While walking up the mountains, you have to have some type of motivation. My motivation was to be the first girl to reach the peak . It gave me something to focus on instead of the need for comfort, I wasn’t going back down; I came to far to give up. As I climbed the mountain, left-left, left-right-left, a chant our group leader gave us as motivation to keep pushing, I thought about my upcoming school year. AP classes, advanced placement courses are probably just like this hike. Hot in places, cold in others, sharp rocks, slippery spots, steep areas and many, many turns. I was totally frustrated by the unpredictability of every step I took. The closer I climbed to the top the more impossible it seemed. This had to be a trick.
My peers were struggling too, but we hung on to the thought of the top. Looking out across the neighboring peaks, it was obvious why the peak was declared a national park. Its pristine landscape was well kept. You could feel the pride of the caretakers who meticulously manicured the edges of the pathway, not leaving one singular piece of trash from the bottom to the very top. Much different than areas in Washington, DC area, where there is trash everywhere. I think we can take way too much for granted at home. I can’t wait to get home to tell my mom how much I appreciate her. Continuing up, I read the signage. I learned that the Blue Mountains contained species of vegetation, including trees that aren’t found any other place in the world. Something else that caught my attention was that you could hear sounds of animals, especially birds, but you saw very few. The vegetation was so dense all movement and signs of life were deeply camouflaged. The mountain is a huge resource that the people of Blue Mountains have that can be used for many things. There are areas for with coffee, fruits, as well as, camping, bird watching and of course just walking. We saw the park rangers and other guides, who were kind, but if asked how long to go , they all said the same thing, just a few miles left, no matter where you were located on the path.
I’m amazed that so many of us achieved our goal today, especially me. I can honestly say that it was the group I was with and their positive reinforcement along the way that helped me make it. I guess that’s life, we can’t do things by ourselves, we actually need each other. This trip, so far, has definitely tested me in many ways. I learned a lot about myself and the importance of taking care of yourself. Water was definitely important on the hike, so the anger I had about carrying it changed because it was more than half done by the time we reached the peak. “Being comfortable; being uncomfortable,” has a brand new meaning to me. Knowing that even at the point that I feel that I can’t achieve my goals that surrounding myself with positive people is the key to my success. This method will definitely come in handy next school year and beyond.
Briana H., SEED Public Charter School