The summer of 2014, I spent exactly 70 consecutive days in the woods. I was about to turn 16 when I was dropped off in the middle of St. George, Utah, having no idea what was going on.
I was escorted up a steep, dirt hill with a 50 pound backpack resting on my shoulders. When I got to the top of the hill, 10 grimy, dirty, chiseled girls were sitting in a circle cooking their meals in a pan. Nobody said a word to me.
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We had guides who would lead our expeditions, whatever they may be that week. One of the guides approached me and said I had three days of silence. For three days I would walk at the end of the group, sit at the back of the van, and process the only thing I knew about this place: that there was no answer to how long I was going to be there.
At first I freaked out, not knowing when I was going to be able to sleep in a bed again or see my family. I carried my whole life on my back, had a bag for non perishable foods to last me for seven days, and learned how to bust a fire and make a meal in under 30 minutes.
It was all a lot to take in, overwhelming to process and I can honestly say I didn't think I was gonna make it. I wondered how I could go a week without my phone, my make up, my friends, a shower. In society, most of us don't even go a whole day without our phone or technology, and imagining that was blinding for me.
Each week was a new adventure. We were given itineraries, rock climbing, mountain biking, but most of them were backpacking. We would ascend up mountains, building shelter along the way. We faced having to set up shelter in the rain, with soggy socks rubbing blisters along our feet. From all the way to brown water as our only source of hydration, and severe dry heat and disgusting tan lines.Some weeks, I even missed getting a shower due to "mis-behavior."
Luckily, one of those weeks was my sweet 16 week. My sweet 16 was nothing like I imagined, for obvious reasons. I kept praying that I would be able to leave and have the sweet 16 I always dreamed of, but looking back, I would say it was pretty awesome. Not many people can say they spent their sweet 16 in the woods.
The girls in the group were the thing that kept me together. We would spend our hikes talking, distracting ourselves from fears and fatigue. We all understood exactly how the other one felt, because we were all in that situation.
Our parents got to visit one weekend, and it was one of the happiest moments of my life. I can count on my hands the number of times I've seen my dad cry, and that was one of them. In the woods, I learned the true value of being able to see your family, be connected to friends, and honestly having the opportunity to shower whenever you want to.
After exactly 70 days, the day came for me to leave. I felt a sad twinge in my heart from leaving a place that completely transformed my life, but also an excitement to go out in the world with a new outlook. And I can say that the last glance I took at the shelter I had spent so many days made me smile. I knew that even though I might never see that place again, I would always have a crystal clear image of what it looked like.
