Into the Forest by Ashton

Into the Forest by Ashton - February 2017 Scholarship Essay

My first hiking trip began as my three best friends and I spending an entire day together in the calm of a forest. With one wrong turn, it quickly transformed into a fourteen hour trial I never imagined going through. My physical strength had diminished and my faith had been tested, but, knowing now that everyone made it out safely, I can say that that experience has become one of the most rewarding I’ve seen. The lasting effect of that trip was not the fear of the unknown that was felt in the moment, but rather the valuable and indisputable change in perception that came out of those woods with me.
Calm logic had become my heart-song as we trekked forward on the unmaintained and unmarked trail. The moment my fellow hiker and best friend collapsed, my mind went straight to helping her. She was dehydrated, scared, and wandering in and out of awareness. I fumbled for the sandwich I hadn’t finished at lunch and managed to calm her to a somewhat steady breathing pattern and a state coherent enough to take small, slow bites to rebuild her energy. She was mentally distraught and in desperate need of a distraction. While telling her secretly made-up stories of my dog chasing neighborhood cats and my sister catching our oven on fire, I coerced her back into a relatively healthy frame of mind. We had realized hours ago that we were lost and with no one with experience in the woods aside from me, I recalled what I had learned from my time hunting: take the path of least resistance. I was still unsure of the path I was taking, but I knew that I had come across the perfect use for an important skill: using knowledge from past experience and putting it forth to use in another situation.
Overall, I am proud of how I handled the unexpected struggles of that day. I responded to the fear with patience and logic and took a hold of leadership and determination. I also took the responsibility of what went wrong. I have realized that the dangerous turn of events could have been prevented, or at least aided, by more preparation. Being as prepared and knowledgeable about a situation before stepping into it could be what keeps it on track. Even if it doesn’t turn out how it’s planned, careful preparation can be the difference between a positive and dangerous consequence. In the case of this hiking trip, I should have been more knowledgeable in the trail map and equipped with exits and forms of communication. I admire the wisdom I have now that the more facts I obtain about a situation, project, or assignment, the better I will be able to answer important questions along the way.
While preparation is one of the most strategic forms of reassurance, the most valuable lesson I took from that hiking trip is the importance of using the resources I have to solve the problem at hand. Even with more adequate planning I could have ended up in a similar dilemma in that forest, and I would’ve handled it the exact same way that I did. I utilized any resource I had to make the best decisions along the way- past knowledge, analysis of what was in front of me, and, reliance on others who I knew could help. Learning to be independent provides a slate off of which could build an inspiring story and a successful future. However, learning to balance that independence with the understanding of when to ask for help creates a platform for a whole new level of growth.
August 28th started as a planned hiking trip with a few good friends, a journey that would take a few hours and minimal physical endurance. By afternoon, it had transformed into one of the most trying turns of events I had ever handled and one of the most humbling journeys I had been on. I learned about my own reflexes in a moment or situation of stress and trial. Because of this story, I am a different kind of thinker. Now, in any situation, I can step back and see the whole view and every part working to better assess what my next move should be. Nothing will come from any experience if I don’t make it worth it. The lessons I’ve learned in the process of growing up and the people who have been placed in my life have taught me how important the idea of community is in success, and I will use that knowledge on my next hiking trip.