50 Days That Changed My LifeFinding myself in the Blue Ridge Mountains By Kate Mosher, NCOBS AlumniI was lost. I was no longer a child but I felt awkward in my new found adult-self. I felt uncertain of what my next steps in life should be and wanted some clarity. With some kind words of encouragement from a good friend, I reflected on
the times in my life when I felt safe, happy, and flexible even when things were unclear. Those times all involved being in the woods alone with my thoughts, and days stretched out ahead of me without a true sense of time. That’s when I started to think about participating in an Outward Bound course; and not just any Outward Bound course, a 50-day expedition! I was determined. I knew I needed time, and a lot of it. A long course scared me more than writing a thesis, not finding a job, or any other twenty-something problem. I wanted to be taken far away from my comfort zone and be challenged in ways that I never had been before. An extended course offered me this opportunity and I took it. On the first night of my course, it was pouring rain. My pack felt like it weighed 500 pounds and my body was screaming at me to STOP hiking, drop the pack, and give up. As I hiked through the dark with a group of perfect strangers, I could not help but think, what have I done? However, there was something oh too familiar to that little voice inside of me, shouting to give up and go home. I realized it was the same voice that started me on this journey in the first place - whispering that there was something more, something meaningful for me to discover - and although I was scared, in pain, and most of all confused, I needed to stay the course.
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