About five months ago, I was in the heart of the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado on an Outward Bound course. This is where I spent 23 days living with all my belongings on my back. This turned out to be my most life-changing experience. The trip included a 14-mile endurance run and a three-day solo, and taught technical climbing skills, environment-friendly camping techniques and lessons in leadership.
The satisfaction I received from completing each day on the trip made me wonder why anyone would resort to drugs when there is so much real fun to be found in the world. It seems to me that teenagers around here don’t seem to appreciate the difference between fake, substance-based fun and real fun. So put down the hookah and do something productive, start a band, read a book, something you’ll be proud of the next morning.
I began the trip, unsure if I would be able to meet the rigorous physical demands, and came out thinking that no task in life is too large. Now that I have learned to maneuver my way around any mountain range with only a topographical map and a compass, I feel as if school work and life’s everyday tasks just aren't as difficult anymore. I highly recommend an Outward Bound course for anyone who needs to be reminded of who they are, or enlightened about who they could be. Alex Gorosh is a junior at Roeper School in
