In the beginning of my eighth grade year we went on a junior high retreat. I went last year with my seventh grade class and I had an interesting time. I have a giant fear of heights and the retreat was full of death defying courses. I did not want to relive my past experiences but somehow I found myself climbing the steps onto the bus.

The bus ride there included many immature jokes and loud choruses of twinkle twinkle little star so I was very excited to get off. The teachers wrangled us into a small chapel with a high ceiling, blue painted walls, and large windows immersing you in the surrounding greenery. Someone stood up and spoke motivational words  that I can’t remember because I was occupied with the job of worrying about the worst scenarios possible. We then proceeded to get into our assigned groups and headed into the forest. My group walked for a while up and down many hills and through many curvy trails. We went through a torturous obstacle course that turned me black and blue and a game which included a rope, a plank, and many injuries.

After a few hours of woodland wonder we arrived at the ¨Catwalk.¨ Aside from what you may be thinking it was not a runway. It was another obstacle course but this time it was in the air. This was already completely terrifying but I soon found out that I had to put my life in the hands of my middle school peers, I immediately decided I would not be involved in this endeavor so I began to help hoist people up in the air. After a while we had run out of girls who wanted to go and the course began to look pretty fun. The kind of fun that scares the life out of you but you have a great story to tell afterward. I began to show some signs of interest to my friend Caroline who immediately urged me to risk it saying, ¨It will be so easy and over in a flash,” my wonderful teacher Mrs. Polvony encouraged me so I decided to do it. 

I got into my harness, they fastened all the bells and whistles, and I was ready to go. In order to be fifty feet in the air I had to climb a rickety ladder leaned on a tree. I shakily climbed the ladder and tried to “enjoy” it. Once I got to the top I looked around me and saw the most beautiful sight. I was surrounded by the peace and the serenity of the forest. There were towering beautiful evergreen trees and the sun shining directly on my face. I gathered up my courage and began to walk across the rope. Once I had finished the course, they hoisted me down and I was  triumphantly on the ground again.

After this experience I have learned not to let fear stand in my way but to face it head on. If you never face your fears they control your life and decide what you can do. A life that is free of constant worry is an amazing life to live.