I Learned...

…life is not as easy as it seems
… how to wash dishes, pitch a tent
… to cook without hi-tech equipment
… that some people snore
… how to read a map and use a compass
… to trust following other people
… I am flexible
… that people that I don’t normally hang out with are nice
… things do not come freely
… to not try something just once and then give up
… what kind of shoes to bring the NEXT time I go hiking
… I can accomplish things better in a group
… to be thankful for toilets
… that Evan and Charlie are really good at orienteering
… to drink water out of a stream after putting iodine in it
… how to climb up a mountain and not be tired (very)
… I have the power
… I could walk longer in a day than I slept in the night before
… to pick up something that I’ve dropped on the ground
… that even though people seem so different that
       when I get to know them we have so much in common
… to take what I have, to use it wisely, and to be grateful for it
… we don’t need everything we have
… to be open to other ideas
… I am a BIG cook
… I can fit into SMALL spaces
… to laugh more
… I am strong
… I can survive without beef and my bed
… some people are good at different things
… when people work together things get done more quickly
… if I stop worrying about what’s going to happen, I have fun
… it’s ok to be dirty
… I hate oatmeal and granola
… ALL people are very difficult
… one person can ruin a group, so everyone has to do their part
… how to cook tuna surprise
… to listen
… I can hold my own
… how to appreciate the stars
… how to break spaghetti without it shooting all over
… that wool and helmets are my friends
… that Currie kicks people in her sleep
… it’s very easy to get homesick
… I am a leader
… to make only as much as I’m going to eat
… the quieter we are, the faster we are
… how things can be right around me
… that if I feel homesick, my friends will be there to help me
… camping is fun
… to do things right or I can get hurt
… that I don’t like uphill, rainy days and little stoves
… to not give Tim my camera
… life is easy for most people I know, but no one is as lucky as me
… I am more resourceful than I thought
… that if I have a positive outlook, things will be better
… to become less picky
… how to pick out people with a sense of humor
… the Appalachians are OLD
… how animals change to adapt to their environment
… I don’t argue much
… nice people can get into bad moods when they’re tired and hungry
… to appreciate food
… to eat off the ground
… to enjoy cave formations
… life tastes good
… that people act a lot different in and outside of school
… if I drop food on the ground that I should eat it
… I don’t like tight spaces
… how to play Smog’s Treasure
… to care for the environment because people are killing off the world
… that I can go to the bathroom in the woods
… I need patience
… that life goes on if something happens, the world doesn't’t wait for me
… that I remembered how horrible McDonald’s is
… I hate insects
… to not push the red button
… to appreciate bonfires
… people depend on other people
… I can make a spoon out of a log and a rock
… who I am really
… sometimes it’s good to be small
… that all people like privacy
… how to compromise with nature
… grouses sound like tractors
… newts can be poisoned by my hand
… how to deal with mud
… I appreciate my mother for cooking
… I would rather be by myself than in a large group of people
… that I need to know people to make an opinion about them
… to like things that I wouldn't’t even have tried
… that if people get split up, there may be lots of panic
… to get someplace without the help of counselors and teachers
… to set goals for myself
… that for some, life is really hard
… not everything comes easily and sometimes hard work is involved
… I don’t always have to be cautious; I can have the
        best time when adventurous
… how to plan out a schedule to a given time frame
… there are many different styles to living life
… That I don’t just “stop and smell the roses” very much anymore
… I am tougher than I think