Graduation was a grand celebration; I was very excited to see my family alongside me for this monumental achievement. During the Camp Randall ceremony, when they asked for the college of engineering to stand up, I started to cry as they listed off all the engineering majors. Tears of pride, joy, and love streamed down my face. To know and accept the closing of this chapter has been difficult, but I know I can always visit and reconnect with my friends.
Thinking back to the spring, I wanted to go on a few trips before I left for Panama. My friends planned a trip to the Tetons and Yellowstone and then I organized a trip for my siblings to hike the tallest mountain in Colorado.
The Grand Tetons were absolutely stunning, completely taking my breath away. To be in such a beautiful environment with my friends was so special. A year ago, for Spring Break, we went on a trip to Zion National Park. To say the least, that trip changed a lot for me; it was right after I finished swimming in college and there was a shift in me. To prioritize friendships while challenging ourselves with new adventures meant a lot. I felt empowered and so lucky to be in their company. So, to go on another trip with them was a dream come true.
Before the trip started, my friends expressed how badly they wanted to see the wildlife: mooses, foxes, buffaloes, wolves, and bears oh my! To be honest, I was pretty apprehensive of seeing wildlife - just cause you hear how rare it is to spot them, but I stayed optimistic.
We set out starting our trip with a half marathon in Wilson, Wyoming. The views were amazing and distracted the pain for all 13.1 miles. We then relaxed in a hot spring. On our drive to Yellowstone, we pulled off the road to see a bear and her cub. As engineers, we like to find out what we’re looking at. Is it a black bear or a grizzly bear? It didn’t take long for us to ask the people next to us what we were looking at. A man with his fancy scope looked me straight in the eyes with the most serious expression and said “you are looking at the world’s most famous bear, 399.” I thought he was joking based on how serious he was. It wasn’t until he kept talking and explained 399’s intelligence and rarity that I caught on to how magical this moment was. (side note: she is the only bear to have had three sets of triplets and one set of quadruplets; she has over 50k followers on Instagram and holds the title Queen of the Tetons).
After this encounter, I thought the trip was made, might as well head home cause we saw what we wanted. Just kidding… Yellowstone felt like we were walking on Mars. Learning about the magma, superheated water, and high pressures really brought back thermodynamics for us. There were also many buffaloes that were too close for comfort.
On the fourth day, we set out to hike an unofficial trail to Delta Lake. I had been researching hikes and I knew this one was going to be a challenge and a ton of fun. Reviews on AllTrails recommended waiting for the snow to melt. We agreed that we’d turn around if it became unsafe. But knowing this group, I had a gut feeling that we’d make it up. The snow was melting and we were sliding on the slush. We found sticks to use for hiking poles and maintained our steadfast ambition. It’s hard for me to articulate what I experienced during this trip. I felt a great sense of belonging and connection with my friends and the outdoors. I look forward to our next adventure, always scheming something up in my head :)
Next up, I went to Leadville with my sisters, Vanessa (aka Vav) and Ashley. Since high school, I have loved hiking 14ers (mountains above 14,000 ft). Before this trip, I had hiked seven and I always wanted to hike the tallest mountain, Mt. Elbert. This was my first time to Leadville; it is a super cute and rusty mountain town. Because I was swimming, I haven’t explored Colorado a ton so to be able to enjoy a new town with my sisters was great! We woke up at 4:30 in the morning and started hiking at 5. The treeline ends around 12,500 ft and from there on we kept going. Ashley turned around at 13,000 ft because she was getting dizzy from the elevation. Vav and I were able to steadily continue to 14,440 ft. To be the only two people at the tallest peak in Colorado for a few moments was quite spectacular. The 360 degree views of the mountains and snow tops were magnificent. Going back down was dreadful on my knees, but we made it back safe and sound.
As for now, I have less than two weeks until I get on a plane to Miami where we will stay for 48 hours and then head to Panama City. I’m starting to organize my clothes and get an inventory check on my belongings. Tomorrow, I will visit my aunt, Chrissy, in Evergreen with Vav and Max. I have one last mini-trip with friends where we will camp this weekend and embrace the outdoors.