Tranquility at Work

For five entire days I completely left my normal life and went to Girl’s Camp. A risk of entering into a tent with ten other hyper, fanatical and unusual girls who never sleep the entire time, all jacked up on Laffy Taffies and Starbursts. It was a complete fiasco. Then came Wednesday morning, when the Beehives were ready to set out on our three mile hike, up the steep hill filled with stinging metal and other dangerous plants Mother Nature has graciously given us. My small knapsack is packed with a squashed peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a water bottle, and my disposable camera all crammed in there at once.
So off we were, with our filthy shoes tied tight, our bodies smothered with sunscreen, and we were already sweating it off rapidly. My best friend since kindergarten Kaitie and I began to sing our giddy little camp songs, laughing hilariously until we had no air left in our lungs. I took off my baseball hat and wiped the sweat off of my forehead with the back of my hand for the fifty-seventh time, and replaced the cap. The sweltering, blistering sun was roasting everyone, forcing us to hold the water bottle upside down for minutes on end just to get one more glorious drop of liquid onto our heavily parched tongues. The sweet savor of water was being begged for by my throat as I had to continue on with the hike that seemed utterly endless.
The smallest amount of time isn’t the millisecond or even the nano second. It was the change each and every one of the twelve-year-old girls had in their heart from hard, cold and “I hate this stupid hike and I’m going to die right here on this trail,” to warm, melted hearts expressing, “This is the place. God loves us and gave us this beautiful sight to express his love.” The incredible scene in front of us started as amazingly breathtaking, and it only got better as your eyes stretched as far as your vision would allow.
The stunning evergreen trees danced whimsically with the singing wind. The clear, vibrant blue sky smiled down at us without a single cloud holding it back. The eternal, majestic mountains stood proudly, showing off their exceeding splendor. Every single element of nature there was delighted to be living and had a purpose in their life. They were there to deeply inspire us to dream with all of our heart.
Every single one of us had completely forgotten about the boiling sun beating upon our backs, the hitch hikers poking around annoyingly in our worn out shoes. We all just listened to the wind whistle through the leaves, tasted the inviting, pure air. How odd it was, to leave our lives of chaos, norm, and home to come here to see this, humbling, tranquil, peaceful place. The experience was absolutely unforgettable; each and every one of us wishes we could go back to the top of that hill just once more. To be reminded once more to dream with all of our hearts; that no matter how much bad there is in this world, there is always good.