Jessica Fritz received the Marmot Scholarship for a 50-day
summer semester course for the summer of 2006. She choose
the Washington Wilderness Educators Semester in Washington
state. The course included sea kayaking, rock climbing, mountaineering,
first aid, and light weight backpacking as well as learning
about being an effective wilderness instructor. The following
is an excerpt of Jessica's journal from her 50-day adventure.
On day 21our instructor asked that we take a few minutes
to reflect on our OB experience thus far & put the ideas
on paper so with that here it is.
Things That I’ve Learned
Letting go of all insecurities really allows for a better
time. Meeting new people can be scary but showing them the
“REAL YOU”, and being open minded is the best
way to start new friendships. This is more easily done by
not caring what other people think and challenging yourself
to become more flexible with other peoples opinions &
thoughts.
By disconnecting from all the conveniences that society
has created and going beyond my comfort zone I can do more
than my mind allows me to think I can.
It has become more and more real to me as this course progresses
that maximizing every opportunity that crosses lifes path
is the only way to grow as a person. This scholarship for
example, had I not written those essays and tried to get on
to the course, I would not be knowledgeable about sea kayaking,
charts, navigation, ferry angles or mountaineering, topography,
self care or had the opportunity to see all that I have.
Taking advantage of opportunities changes perspectives,
and allows new thoughts to mold & change character. In
addition to that experiencing new things allows you to meet
amazing people & build friendships with people you might
never have otherwise.
Thinking, contemplating, feeling are all emotions &
processes that consciously & unconsciously come to be
but positive thinking & positive aura can change all that.
Your good time is only what your mind allows it to be.
I’ve been on this course for 20 plus days and I haven’t
showered once. I haven't used any hair products, make up,
or worn trendy clothes. I’ve been wearing the same shirt
for a week and a half, and the closest I’ve come to
washing it is ringing it in a stream. It’s made me reevaluate
what I really need in my life. I don’t need the expensive
Coach purse, the finest pair of high heels, the newest shade
of Cover Girl lipgloss. I just need to be happy and with those
things absent I’ve had so much fun and laughed more
than I have in a long time & not cared about appearance
or appliances.
In addition to what I’ve learned I’ve gained
a lot too.
Amazing Friendships
Experiencing new things that you may not do otherwise diversifies
the kind of people you interact with. This course has introduced
me to people all over the world I may never have crossed paths
with before. Our common thirst for knowledge and change brought
us together, and now we have a common bond that holds our
friendships together.
The Luxury of saying I did it!!!
Only a fraction of people in this world can say they climbed
through the Cascades or even kayaked through the San Juans
with Orca whales. Opening myself up to the experience has
allowed me to do things I never could have imagined myself
a year ago.
Physical & Mental strengths
Physically,I don’t recall the last time I ever pushed
my body this hard besides a championship basketball game in
8th grade where I played all 4 qtrs with the exception of
4 minutes. Just knowing my body is able to climb enormous
mountains is satisfying.
Mentally, I often put up my own mental road blacks in fear
of failing. My mind hinders what I’m actually capable
of accomplishing. Stepping outside of my element & into
an atmosphere as varied as this allows me to realize my full
potential.
