Wilderness Experiences When I signed up for the wilderness canoe & camping trip during my sophomore year of high school I never expected it to change my life the way it did. We were set to canoe 120 miles over seven days, to be honest, I was scared. I had never done anything like this or been camping for more than a few days at a time. However, I was so excited to go on this trip and try something new. On the camping trip, I found myself cooking over fires, navigating rivers, making boat rescues, and learning vital wilderness survival skills. My classmates & I canoed 120 miles on the Au Sable River over the course of 7 days. After the trip I found myself longing to go back, when my teacher offered me a spot on the trip as a student leader the next year I quickly accepted. As a leader, I loved planning meals, survival skill lessons, training sessions, and guiding younger students on the water. I had never found something I was so passionate about before. I remember sitting in my canoe on the river while the rain was pouring down on us. If you had asked me before then, I would probably tell you “no, I wouldn’t enjoy sitting in the rain on a river for hours” but at the moment I found it motivating. I knew I had another dry set of clothes in my water-proof bag, and if those got wet in the downpour, we had a rope to make a clothesline at camp when the rain cleared. It didn’t matter what it took, I was going to canoe all 120 of the miles planned out. Without rain, I would not be able to canoe or enjoy the pine trees that grow there. The rain beating down on my classmates and I kept the whole ecosystem alive, even if that meant not being able to feel my toes from the cold. That rain didn’t come to ruin my day, it came to provide life to the river. I found myself wanting to be in the outdoors for the rest of my life, so that is what I decided to do. When I got home from my trip the second time I started researching careers in recreation. I learned about jobs within the national park service, the more I looked into the recreation & outdoor education field the more I knew I had to be a part of it. I often find myself dreaming of what adventures are out there. What rivers I could paddle or mountains to climb. I think of my friends who also had their lives changed that week, even if it didn’t lead them to a career in the outdoors. My goal is to educate people on the importance of the outdoors and why we have to conserve it. So many people are unaware of how spending time in the outdoors can change you for the better. My experience on those two trips changed my life forever, and I hope to give that joy to others through my career. I owe where and who I am today to those canoe trips. I cannot imagine where I would be without my experiences in the wilderness.

When I am outside I find it easier to find the positive, I remind myself I have no control over what the world throws my way. I do not decide if it rains, or which way the wind blows. When I find myself upset about the conditions I am in, I try to step into a different perspective. I try to look into the grand scheme of things where I am not the center. The rain did not come to fill my boat or soak my clothes; it came to water plants and supply the streams I was paddling down. Without rain, I would not be able to canoe or enjoy the pine trees that grow there. The rain beating down on my classmates and I kept the whole ecosystem alive, even if that meant not being able to feel my toes from the bitterly cold water filling my boots. Taking yourself out of the situation humbles you, your perspective changes. The rain would still come whether or not I was in a boat on the river that day. The sun shines when we are not there to feel its rays on our faces. The river flows with no canoe atop it. All of it sounds so obvious, but when you are there, it is hard to not wish the rain away. I try to remember that I am a visitor wherever I go in nature. Trees and wildflowers do not grow for me but I can appreciate them. The most humbling thing to realize is that the world moves on even if you do not keep up. This was most apparent my second-year back. I remembered how the campsites looked and I could recognize some stretches of river or lake. Even then, in some places, there were more lily pads or new wildflowers. One stretch of river yellow and white flowers peppered the riverbank that were not there the year before. It was a reminder that life goes on. If I am stuck on the fact that my hands are cold and my socks are wet, I am missing everything around me. This perspective changes it all. You thank every ray of the sun more because you never know when the clouds will roll in and it will be gone. Every drop of rain goes to a plant, animal, or river that needs it to grow and thrive. You realize it has a purpose that is not making you cold and uncomfortable. This applies to everything in life, you could easily live life passively and miss the beautiful things happening around you. The tiny details I was missing in my daily life become more valuable to me after that canoe trip. I learned the experience will become more enjoyable if you can be thankful for the little things, even if they appear bad. So every time I find myself caught with water in my shoes, I remind myself to be appreciative that the rain was ever there at all.

The boat was filled with an inch of water and my socks were submerged in my shoes. I still remember how the rain soaked all of my clothes that day. I would wipe the water dripping down my face and continue paddling. I wasn’t bothered by my clothes being completely soaked, I knew I had another dry set in my water-proof bag, if those got wet in the downpour we had rope to make a clothesline at camp when the rain cleared. It didn’t matter what it took, I was going to canoe all 120 of the miles planned out.