As a kid I was awkward, shy, and didn’t really have any friends. I wasn’t in sports, and I have no musical talents whatsoever. I did okay in school, and that was really all I did. Then, when I was in sixth grade I went to Camp Manito-Wish YMCA for the first time. Recommended to my mom by a friend of hers, Camp Manito-Wish is a summer camp in Boulder Junction, WI that specializes in wilderness tripping. I went for the first time, and it completely changed my life. I had camp friends who I looked forward to seeing every summer, and it changed me. It helped me grow as a person, and gave me a new perspective.
As I went on, the trips got longer and longer until this past summer I went on a 45 day kayaking trip. We paddled 627 miles in the Inside Passage of Alaska, from Ketchikan to Juneau. The people I went with on my trip and the experiences gained from spending 45 days isolated in an incredibly remote area was incredible. Sometimes it was tough (especially since southeast Alaska is the only rainforest in North America, so being rained on for 45 days was a challenge), but ultimately it was a great experience. Wilderness tripping and Camp Manito-Wish is the Grand Narrative of my life. It is what I love to do, and guides my life even when not in the wilderness.
wow, that looks beautiful. My philosophy has always been "you will find answers to life on top of a mountain and not in a church",
ReplyDeletenot to bash religion, if anything I think finding god is easier in nature than a building.
This seems like a awesome way to have an adventure. I can definitely understand how nature guides your life. Whenever stressed it is always easy to look back on a beautiful moment like this picture and just think about and experience the peacefulness that you felt at that moment. It is definitely nice to get away from the rush of the city and spend some quality time with some good friends where you can just have a good time. I bet this is one chapter of your life that contains wonderous sights as well.
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