I knew I had made the right decision to go to the High Mountain Institute (HMI) the day I, alongside eight other high schoolers I had known for only two months, got lost in the desert without a toilet in sight. Exhausted and weary from trekking with a heavy backpack, I collapsed onto the ground with a frown. I looked up and recognized a crow flying overhead who had been following us. We sat smelling like we hadn’t showered for over a week, trying to figure out what led us here.
For a little context, my classmates and I were on our last backpacking trip, or expedition, of the semester. With that came the privilege of independent student travel. If HMI students demonstrate to their instructors that they can utilize the navigation and safety rules learned during previous trips, they can hike and camp without adult supervision. Luckily for us, we were deemed trustworthy. Despite this, we were lost — and not surprised.
Earlier that day, I felt great. I ate delicious cheesy bagels for breakfast and it was even time for me to bring out a clean pair of hiking socks. During our trekking, I looked at the amazing views, laughed, shared personal stories, and ate trail mix, which we called birdseed. We constantly looked at our one trusty map and the surrounding landscape, searching for our next campsite at the very end of a finger-shaped mesa. Unfortunately, three identical-looking mesa fingers were located right next to it.
Of course, we unknowingly walked straight down the wrong mesa, thinking about a hot ramen lunch awaiting us. Once we suspected something was directionally not right, we stopped. After numerous consultations, scouting sessions, and comments, we realized our mistake. A mere four-hour day turned into a seven-hour day. We all proposed ways to summon a helicopter to save us or even fashion a zipline to go across the canyon instead of walking back around it. Here was one of those moments when we all questioned our life choices.
My friend Henry suddenly stood up and began to curse the same crow, which was now squawking at us as it flew over the canyon we couldn’t cross. Henry yelled at the innocent bird, “We get it crow, you can fly!” My friends and I rolled around in the desert dust, dying of laughter. We continued to laugh as we got up and headed towards our final destination. His little joke and the comfort of my peers around me made the seemingly dire situation turn into a day I will remember with a smile.
As I was overcome with a newfound positivity, I understood why I chose to take a risk and attend a semester-long school program. However tough the obstacle or the feeling of wanting to go home was, I persevered with the help of my supportive peers. At every semester-long school program, I can confidently say that you will make strong bonds with friends — friends that can make a hopeless situation with a crow and a mesa become the best experience in the world. If you still need a little convincing to take a step away from your normal routines, HMI is rich with opportunities. From making back-country pizza with your science teacher, swimming in waterfalls, and summiting Mount Massive, to taking incredible photos, experiencing these adventures is life-changing. If you think going backpacking and forming lasting memories will interest you, or you just want to take a risk and go somewhere new, apply to a semester-long school program: you will become stronger and form a wider perspective of what you can achieve.