I climbed a mountain… A FREAKING MOUNTAIN! What the heck?! Never in my life did I think I would hike through the mountains in the Lake District! It was absolutely incredible, I’m still in shock that it actually happened. That’s something I really like about our class trips is that we get to see different parts of England that I never thought would be in the UK.
The day of the hike started out with the large paved hill, at which point I already thought I was going to die. How was I supposed to hike a mountain if going up a paved road was too much to handle? Luckily it got easier and we were soon walking through fields that were leading us to the mountains. I love these kinds of days because everyone goes at their own pace but we also are looking out for one another. I loved being able to look up and down the trail, whether I was with people or not and being able to see where everyone was. I also loved that everyone decided to take the harder route. I think it says a lot about how far our group has come and how much we’ve grown this semester. I think if we would’ve done this in the beginning there would be more hesitation, or negativity but even at the hardest points we all kept our heads up and enjoyed the view.
As the trail carried on, I was taking in all the sights around me, while also pushing myself physically. I had never hiked 9 miles up and down mountains but there I was doing it. There were so many times I would just stop, look out and realize how absolutely spectacular it was to see all the way around the Lake District. The physically pushing myself was another factor that made it all the more rewarding. My legs ached as I trudged up each hill but I tried to push a little further each time and take less breaks to see how much my body could handle. It was both exhausting and exhilarating to be pushing myself harder but of course during every break it was insanely rewarding.
I’ve come to find that I love the trips that are least touristy. Of course, seeing London and Barcelona were incredible, and soon Rome will be amazing. But being able to be in the countryside and the quieter cities allows me to see more of the culture and the everyday life in England. Of course walking up to the hostel with our huge backpacks, was kind of a give away that we were Americans but when we were out on the hike, none of that mattered. We were just all people, following the trail, enjoying the amazing life put in front of us. Its days like this that I’ll cherish in a different way than my days as a tourist. When I think about my favorite days so far, I know I’ll never forget going up in the London eye, or riding around on a Segway in Barcelona but they’re so different from my experiences wandering around Ambleside or riding bikes in Valencia. And that’s what I’m coming to love about traveling, that each different place holds something completely different but equally important. I have loved every place I’ve went in vastly different ways but there are certain places that I know will always have my heart. Those places will be my ultimate favorites and I can definitely say that the Lake District is one of them. Getting to the top and just looking out for miles and miles was a site I will never forget not only because it was something so beautiful but because of what it took to make it up there. I did it all on my own, of course with some encouragement from my friends. But it was something that I accomplished without help from any bus or Segway or anything else. I will never forget the pride I felt when I finally reached the top.
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