Adventurous Bird: Remembering my time as an E1

I swear you guys, this summer was the best one of my life. For sure, without a doubt, the end. And I got to thinking that I didn't document it well. At all. Many of the greatest memories never went down on paper or in a word document, whatever floats your goat, and the pictures may never go to use.

WELL! I figured I'd do something about this by expressing the highlights of my summer on this pitiful little blog thing of mine. Hah-HAH! I mean that's pretty much what blogs are for, right? Right.

I'm not going to load a post full of every event of my summer. That would be boring for you and boring for me. I guess what I'll do is write about one event at a time when I feel nostalgic about it ~~cause...I feel nostalgic about Summer 2012 a lot guys.~~

Today I'm feeling nostalgic about Elevation. Both times I went, but I'm going to write about the first one.

It was a sweet time of my life, the end of April and opening of May. The Friday before Elevation, I conquered my final exam week as it came to a close, and when I did I felt like I could move mountains. Seriously. I got so much done that week, I still marvel at how it was even possible ~~probably because I didn't sleep.~~ It was a lot of hard work and a lot of stress, and it was also kind of fun. Why? I had a buddy.

AJ and I got through that week together. We'd spam each other's phones at three in the morning to make sure the other wasn't sleeping and was writing a study guide, or watching Biology recordings, or whatever. We literally counted down the hours to the end of it all for the last two days, and when it was all over we rejoiced in all caps through text messages.

I mention finals week because it only added to the Elevation experience. After days of sitting in front of a computer studying my brain cells thin, I got to go to freaking Utah to rock climb (for the first time ever, remember), rappel, ascend...Finals week made Elevation a crowning moment. A refreshing ejection from technology when I had had an extreme overdose of it.

On top of all that, I was going to go on an airplane for the first time in two years to MEET MY ONLINE FRIENDS AND MENTORS. Leaving for Elevation was like a euphoric state of unicorns and kittens and cheesy popcorn all combined into one but better.

The night before our arrival at Crawdad, I remember sitting by the hotel pool with AJ. We talked about everything Williamsburg. I totally remember looking up and seeing a sky-full of stars (something you just don't see in Houston) and a mountain on the horizon, and asking AJ, "Is this real life?", because at the moment, it kinda felt like I had died.

I remember pulling up to the gate in our ninja-mobile ~~seriously. the car we rented was all black and didn't make a sound.~~ and wanting to either jump around like a crazy person or just pass out when I saw Mr. Jensen waiting for us. AJ--who flew up with me and was sitting next to me in the ninja-mobile--started hyperventilating. It felt so surreal.

The feeling I felt when I stepped down into crawdad canyon for the first time simply cannot be described. I saw burgers. Classmates. People I knew and loved. And they had legs and weren't webcam pictures and I dropped my stuff in sheer awe. I pretty much felt like I had come home. And then James, my headmaster, who I had only idolized ~~but not really~~ for the whole school year popped up right next to me and gave me a hug and I was pretty speechless.

It was like meeting your favorite celebrity. Not even kidding. And it only got better when I walked through the camp and met my favorite Zombie Destroyer (also known as the U.S. History Mentor, Ben Brown), so many of my friends, and just took in the beauty of the canyon.

I was then put in the best pod I could ever, EVER ask for.

Hanna, Mary, Taryn, me, Ian, Jennifer, Jacob, Loren and Todd.

(Please excuse my INCREDIBLE mentor and trailguide, Leslie and Jamin, from this picture.)

That week my climbing passion was sparked, my ascension rope was conquered, my fears were slaughtered, my mind was cleared. I was built up, respected, and disgusting ~~with the whole no shower thing we had going on at the camp.~~

I will never forget some of the things I did with so many people. The talks with the mentors, the early-morning scripture study with Erica, frolicking around the volley ball court with Jacob because we were sleep deprived and out of our minds. Playing to the death in a fierce game of Sphere, eating pizza with my pod, my solo time mentor meeting with Leslie, singing hymns in a circle of teenagers.

Oh, and I did the Williamsburger for my pod. And I saw the moon from a cannon-sized telescope (courtesy of Mr. Rees). And I learned a lot. I had epiphanies. It was one of the very best weeks of my life, and I miss everything about it.

I remember the pain I felt as I left. Like a child having to leave a playground. I hated saying goodbye to the beautiful place. Little did I know I would return in August. :)

There she was: Gorgeous St. George from the sky.

A creepy note on AJ's schedule left by our friend Aaron (he thought he was writing it on Mr. Rees' schedule...he was wrong. I still don't know what he meant for "Mr. Rees" to see when he'd look down).

Solo Time. The best ever.

What are the odds that someone would happen to take a picture of my first ever climb? Yep. First time. (I hope whoever is reading this realizes that I'm the one in the RED helmet.)