Spending 30 days in the Alaskan backcountry with a group of 20 people was challenging, yet exhilarating. Struggling up steep mountains with a 50-pound backpack, not showering for days at a time and sleeping in rain-flooded tents, all have a remarkable way of bringing people together. By the end of my 30-day trip, I felt as close to the people I had just met, as friends that I have had for years.
The trip’s itinerary included three backpacking trips, in which we hiked through mud almost to our knees, saw Denali Mountain, which was so white and tall that it looked like a cloud at first glance and a third that was evacuated after an hour because too many people were injured.
We also went on a sea-kayaking excursion where we paddled 11 miles a day through icebergs and glaciers, and an ice-climbing expedition on the 26-mile-long Matanuska glacier. I was excited to explore the Alaskan wilderness, after watching “Into the Wild,” the story of a man who abandons his possessions and everybody he knows to live alone there (spoiler alert: this trip was nothing like the movie). Still, I was not prepared for the awe-inspiring beauty, the rapidly changing weather conditions and the painful blisters caused by long hikes on rugged terrain — but it was all worth it! Being totally off the grid, without a phone, a shower or any of the creature comforts I am used to as a New Yorker, including a pillow, allowed me to let my guard down, and be honest about my feelings.
Throughout this trip, I learned to value simplicity. Being able to fit all of my clothes, food, gear and shelter for six days in a single backpack allowed me to realize that most things I think of as necessities are not. Every extra pound in your backpack makes your hike that much harder and slower. So, you leave behind everything you don’t absolutely need.
Another important lesson that I learned was to be more open to people’s various backgrounds and views. I met people extremely different from those I am usually with in New York. For example, one boy on my trip had never been out of his home state of Tennessee, and he could not believe I lived in an apartment and did not own a gun. Despite our different backgrounds and views, I learned to listen to everyone’s experiences and respect their very different views. It was very refreshing. I believe that I matured greatly as a person, became more confident in defending my own views and developed a new willingness to take on extreme physical challenges.
