“What I learned in the woods…” Part 1 of 3

So, Hansi, what did you learn?

“As a seventh grader, I heard dreadful stories about the 8th grade camping trip. So although I plunged into the trip as open-minded as possible, there were definitely still twinges of doubt that I’d have fun swimming in my head throughout. However, upon setting eyes on the colors of the mountains, I began to realize the trip might not be what I initially thought it would be like. I didn’t know what to expect, but I decided to embrace it. After all, staying for two nights in the middle of the woods is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I have always been the type of person to enjoy trying new, odd, and different things. I wasn’t disappointed. In fact, I found myself reluctant when it was time to pack up and leave the mountains– something I never imagined myself doing. All those nights by the fire, the laughter, the fun, the memories. I met people I would have never talked to on my own. But most importantly, I realized how stunning our natural environment really is, and how it seems we do not appreciate all that the wilderness really brings to us. One might live a life never having heard the busy work of a woodpecker, or feel the damp softness of green moss. To know how it feels to look up at the sky and see a million stars through the darkness. “Beautiful things don’t ask for attention,” as someone famous once said. Though humans may not have a natural desire to be in the wild anymore, we’ll never grow if we stay in the same place and turn down new chances to learn. The world is most breathtaking in its raw, natural form, and I know for a fact that without this camping trip, I might have never had the pleasure of knowing.”

For photos from the trip, head over to Flickr.