Exactly why did I sign up for this again? No one ever does things like this. Who do I think I am? With one foot in front of the other, I walk. I walk with no end in sight. I walk just to walk, not knowing how far I’ve gone and how far I’ve got left to go. I walk the road less traveled, the road that quite possibly, only a handful of people have ever laid eyes upon. I moan in agony as the boat bounces up and down on my shoulders with every step I take. I stop in the middle of the trail, not sure if I can ever finish the seemingly impossible task of carrying this boat through the woods to the next lake. Why am I here? I stop in the middle of the trail. I want someone to walk this trail with me and tell me it’s going to be okay, to reassure me, to comfort me. Alone, I stand gazing out at the vast woods before me. The trees are my only company. The rocks are my only cushion. The calls of the birds are my only music. With my obstructed view of the world I try my best to keep to the trail.

The trail is wet from an earlier summer shower and my feet sink into the damp mossy ground with every step I take. I stop for a second and think of life as modern people live it, then stare down at myself. My legs are covered in mud from earlier when I fell thigh deep in a quagmire. The mud is dry and makes my skin scaly and rough. My shoes, which were previously stark white, are now a grimy brown color as is the rest of my body. My shoes are ripped and torn and patched up with tape. The interesting thing is that I feel even more like myself though I look so different from who I’m supposed to be. Instead of my trendy outfits and luxury purses, I’m stripped down to the bare essentials and that’s okay with me. I wonder, would my friends recognize me in this rustic state?
I can see the dazzling blue color of the water through the trees. This is always the hardest part, being so close to the end but not quite there yet. The water taunts me. I want to give up right here right now. The physical pain is overwhelming. My hands tremble. My eyes start to tear. I just want this to end. The tears blur my vision. I walk faster. I find something within myself to push harder than I have ever pushed myself before. The bush becomes thinner and my feet begin to sink deeper and deeper into the mud. I wail. With every ounce of energy I have left, I walk to the end. I open my eyes and realize that I have done what I thought was impossible, and I did it all by myself. I’ve done what most people will never do or care to do. I did it for myself, to prove that I am strong, that I don’t need others to get me through it, that I am happy with myself and don’t need approval from anyone else. I feel lighter and freer under this heavy boat. I realize that by willingly placing a bigger physical burden on myself is how I can lift the burden placed on me by society.

One, two, three. As I hurl the boat off of me, I feel accomplished and with this accomplishment, I feel an uncontrollable sensation of peace with myself. I sit on the boat and put my head between my legs. I did it. I really did it. I can’t believe it. I sit up and look at the rest of my friends, their boats are all loaded and they’re smiling at me. Their smiles say, “Yes, you did it.” I look out to the horizon, and I feel connected to this place, this setting, this situation. The woods, which previously felt so foreign and strange, have become my home. As I gaze out into the distance, I feel different. Even though I have done this many other times, this was different. I changed. I’ve changed into the person who I have always wanted to be. I’ve learned to fully accept who I am and to focus on doing things for myself, by myself. These lessons I’ve learned here will become evident in everything I do. This is who I am: introspective, at peace, independent, and self-reliant. I have come far in my personal journey, but I know that I still have much farther to go.