As I developed into a young adult, I put forth effort into exploring my unique interests which may have differed from those of my family or friends. One of these interests in particular being my love for nature.

Growing up, I spent a lot of time outside playing sports or hanging out at the park, but this was simply a result of my parents not allowing much screen time. I was a lazy kid, but I hated being bored even more than I hated being sweaty and tired. Naturally, my friends and I would just bike around town and get into any trouble we could find. So, I spent a lot of time outside, but I never truly appreciated my surroundings as I was stuck in a suburban purgatory of identical houses, oak trees, and freshly trimmed grass.

This changed when I went to summer camp in North Carolina with my best friends as it was the first time I had been exposed to pure nature in a fun environment. I had never seen anything like it: the expanse of green, the monstrous blue ridge mountains, the pretty wildlife... I was captivated. I returned to the same camp for two more summers until I moved on to next level.

An auxillary company to the summer camp called Adventure Treks puts you, along with 23 other students and 6 instructors, in the wilderness with two vans and a lot of gear. For next few weeks you and your group travel from campsite to campsite doing awesome activities like backpacking, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, mountain biking, and more. I have done three of these trips in California, Oregon, and North Carolina. Each one has taught me important values and skills, and helped build my character to who I am today.