After the dawdling walk up to “The Site”, with the slight trickle of the fresh mountain stream in the background, all I want is sleep.  I am picturing my bright, yellow hammock, enveloped by a semi-transparent school-provided tarp.  Soon enough, I am greeted by a grouping of dense, tall, pine trees, and a mirage of unique grasses and ferns which blanket the deep brown soil. I am told to stay in the gully that resembles a vein - starting from the spot I am standing, a deep gully rips up and reaches the peak of the mountain. I start with a scan of the landscape, in hope of finding the perfect spot for my hammock to rest between two well-spaced trees. Settling next to a decaying fallen tree, with two sweeping pines, which will serve as structural support for my hammock, I rest my nest.

I start by sitting down on the pebble-like rocks, and thinking about the many ways I can create my makeshift fort that I will be sleeping in overnight with just a rope, a tarp, and the hammock.  Specifically, “how can I hang a hammock without a pocket knife?” I take out my trusty multi-tool, and cut approximately eight feet of orange and hot pink climbing rope.  Wrapping the rope around the two coniferous trees, I connect the carabiner to each end of the rope. Now that my hammock is hung-when I sit in at the top rope becomes taut, which in turn hold up my tarp--I can throw my tarp over the top rope.

Now that I have spent an hour of my energy setting up camp, I have the pleasure of compiling my thoughts into my school provided journal. I write cheesy concepts from drawing my solo site, to writing letters to each and every family member.  I fill out the entire booklet. Returning to my campsite I am greeted by my patrol leader. Giving me two envelopes that are letters from my parents. I would just like to let you know that they were very welcomed. By now the sun was setting and it was time to go to sleep.

I was pretty tired because of the all day hiking trip with endless traverses and expansive pastures. I have fulfilled the first two days and now it's time to sleep for the second night. With the pitch black greeting me into my tarp, I lay in my hammock and realize, it's pretty scary out there. But I fell asleep regardless. I can't remember the content of my dreams, but they must have been pretty good because I slept pretty damn hard. I woke up once or twice throughout the night, which is expected when you're alone 30 miles from civilization.

I awoke at 6:30 in the morning, and I thought - I made it, I did it. You think that this moment would be filled with excitement, but it is hard to experience that excitement when you haven’t had food in twenty four hours and it's 6:30 in the morning. I happen to be the first person that woke up, so I waited another forty five minutes for the troop leader to round up our entire patrol of four boys and four girls. Once we are all awoken,  we are greeted with warm oatmeal and hot chocolate. Now that solos over, it's time to start out for the day. Not knowing what's to come, but only knowing what has happened.