Daniel Lydon

From a young age I've always had an interest in adventure, however it wasn't until later in life where I was really able to act upon it. Of course, throughout middle school my friends and I would bike for miles and miles seeing new places and the towns around us, but I wanted to see what was really out there. The first taste and potentially the best trip I ever went on, was a 9 day long trip to Utah where I hiked the 5 national parks, Arches, Canyonlands, Capital Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Zion, all with my mom.

This trip was a defining point in my life and it built a bond between my mom and I that was truly special to both of us. While on the trip people would approach us and say how nice it was that we did this mother and son trip, and seeing the smile that my mom would get from hearing this truly meant the world to me. The landscapes we saw during our travels were breathtaking and set my goal of seeing all 63 national parks, hopefully of which with my mom. However, after this, there was another adventure that stood out as yet again another pivotal point in my life.

Being from Long Island, for the week of the 4th of July, my family and countless others (at least 50 kids each year, not including parents) head out east to Montauk. It has become my favorite week every year, and our trip going into senior year was no different. It was the last day of our trip and only 5 of us kids remained and we decided to hike 13 miles barefoot to the furthest east you can go on the island, the lighthouse. This hike was with 4 others that I truly consider my brothers, and it meant so much to me that I ended up writing my college essay on it. We hiked along rocks, dirt, along to water, and while at times it was dreadful, I’d do it all again without a second thought.