Naturally Nicoletta Becomes One with Nature
For those who know me, you know that I am the epitome of a city girl. I like my skin care routine, air conditioning, fancy superfoods, and I like being clean. I have always appreciated the beauty of nature but usually from afar. Camping has always been one of those things that have been an automatic no for me. "That's not me." "I could never last." "It would be too hard." So when I found out about a program that was camping mixed with personal growth that my school offered, I thought there's no time like the present.Going in, I was very underprepared and quite frankly, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I knew it would be tough but I never could have expected the challenged I faced. When camping, I expected bugs and smelling bad but I didn't expect it to rain every day or that I would fall in love with cooking on the trail. While the last 6 days were not easy but any means, I feel like a completely different person. I have a new sense of myself, my capabilities, and the importance of loving those around you. I somehow survived and began feeling comfortable "roughing it" in the wilderness. No words can explain the depth of this experience but I am going to try my best to sum it up for you all.
the logistics of the trip
I began this camping journey in a group of 13 near strangers and came out with 13 new friends. We ranged in age, confidence, personality, and outdoors experience. Before explaining more about the trip, I just wanted to say that I wouldn't have been able to appreciate this experience if it weren't for the people I shared the experience with. I have never met a group of people so different yet so open and willing to connect. We were all vulnerable, loving, and the support for one another which kept the morale high in the darkest moments of the trip. So shoutout to some of the best people I know, I will forever cherish the memories we experienced together.
That's me, day 1 with a 40 pound backpack, before the rain started (and hardly stopped for the rest of the trip). I look so official, don't I? We drove about 2 hours outside of Baltimore to Michaux State Forest in Fayetteville, PA. We hiked through a small chunk of the Appalachian Trail–and actually got to see the halfway point which was so cool!. Each day we hiked varying amounts, set up camp at different "campsites" throughout the park, reflected and discusses about different things such the 'Three Ways of Being', went to sleep, and repeated the next day.Overall, I think we hit about 20K steps each day culminating in over 100K steps. On the trail, we probably hiking around 15-20 miles. We were camping in tents called 'mids' which basically are a tent with no bottom. So yes, we slept on the ground (with a tarp, sleeping bad, and sleeping bag...but still! lots of bugs and lots of rain). We cooked on a little stoves outside, most days had to go to the bathroom in the middle of the woods, and had no shower for 6 days. To top it all off, I left my phone at school so I was completely disconnected. Disconnecting and taking a step back from "real life" allowed me the space to recharge, reflect, and push myself towards growth.
my favorite moments of the trip
the people
I touched upon this earlier, but I am so incredibly thankful for the people I shared this experience with. It's wild how close we became in just 6 days but I guess when you have to do daily tick checks and bond over our not so great odor, it's pretty hard not to open up. As someone who is very independent and likes to get sh*t done on my own, this trip taught me the value in leaning on those around you. When we all felt discouraged or frustrated because of the weather, someone would crack a joke to boost morale. There was no lack of support, openness, or laughing on this trip. I was constantly inspired by the strength that I saw throughout the trip. I don't think the experience would have been as impactful if it weren't for this great group of people.
rock climbing
Personally, I think I rock a helmet and climbing shoes. We went rock climbing on day 3 after a bunch of hiking and even more rain. The rocks were slightly slippery but it was still a really cool experience. For the first time in a long time, I didn't beat myself up for not being the best. I didn't judge myself for only going halfway. I did what felt right and didn't compare myself to others. For me, this is big. I am constantly always trying to do the most and never feeling like I am doing enough. This trip forced me to be present and being present led me to clearly hearing my intuition and what my body wanted. While I'm not itching to get back to camping yet, I do want to do more rock climbing this summer; it's such a good physical and mental challenge!
solo day
One of the biggest reasons why I decided to go on this trip was because of the emphasis on personal growth and reflection. Each day, we took time to reflect and discuss different concepts relating to introspection, being present, being loving, and how we can apply what we learned from this trip to everyday life. About halfway through the trip on day 4, we had solo day. Solo day consisted of 7 hours alone in the woods to reflect, journal, or practice handstands if you're me. We each were placed in a different location one of the trails off of the AT and did our thanggg for 7 hours.The day started out beautiful, the sun was shining and the birds were chirping. For the first few hours, I caught up on journaling, started The Untethered Soul, practiced some yoga, and did some mediation (code for I took a nap). Besides the annoying ants crawling all over me, it was really relaxing and somewhat surreal to just be in nature. I just sat there and took it all in.
survival instincts are real.
The day was going great for the first few hours until I woke up from a deep meditation (nap) and felt the wind pick up and the skies darken. I immediately knew that a storm was on the horizon. I don't think I have ever felt more fear than I did in that moment. Thankfully, we had solo tarps to build a small shelter. Although I was shaking and crying at some points, I pushed past the debilitating fear and did what I was taught to do. I moved as fast as I could and built a little shelter (pictured above). I somehow made it with all of my stuff under the tarp before the thunder, lighting, and pouring rain began.The thunderstorm only lasted for about 30 minutes and then just like the Universe was saying "I'm sorry for the rain but you needed to see all that you are capable of!" the sun came back out and the birds started chirping again. Solo day was probably one of the post impactful parts of the trip. Never in a million years would I have imagined that I could build a tarp and protect myself from a thunderstorm alone in the woods. This experience taught me that you have everything that you need despite how much fear might come in your way. Pretty cool stuff.
the biggest takeaways
I am finding it hard to find the best way to sum up this experience. It seems as if I keep finding more and more things that I learned and took away from the last 6 days. One of the biggest things that I realized was the importance of trust. While a trust in the Universe that things will always work out, is important and something I have been working on in 2018, you must also trust in those around you which can help you get through those hard times and make the good times every better. But most importantly, you must first trust in yourself. This trip has taught me that I am capable of whatever I put my mind to. So often, I tend to put myself into a box of who I am and who I am not but it is all something that is made up in my mind. Fear will be present regardless but it is only when you push past that fear and trust in yourself that the true magic happens.Camping forced me to let go of a lot of control. I went in not knowing what would come out of it. I have a new sense of who I am, what I am capable of, and the importance of slowing down and truly being present and intentional in your life. I felt a lot of peace during this trip. While it started off with a lot of frustration and self doubt, I came out feeling stronger (both mentally and physically). I have a new sense of myself and the world around me. It is always so crazy to me when I see how interconnected with all are with this beautiful world.
I wish that I could truly share this camping experience with you all but it's one of those things that you had to be there in the nitty gritty to really understand what I took from it. A simple reminder that no matter how long it rain, the sun will come out eventually. From here on out, I want to focus on being present, more intentional with my phone use, and allowing space in my life for abundance. I also will be enjoying and fully appreciating my shower, bed, and not being wet when it rains outside :)
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCc6rCPGojA&t=2s[/embed]To read about the food I ate while I was camping, check out my post on Back Country Eats!