I had not realized how deeply affected I was by Outward Bound
until a few months after my course ended. As another girl's
story said--she now sees her life as before Outward Bound
and after, as do I. It's as if suddenly the light inside me
turned on and the doors opened to all the wonders of life.
From the 22 days I was out in the backcountry my whole mind
set had changed from this to that. I started off as a girl
who was caught up in others opinions, lacked confidence, and
whose soul passed by the beauty of the world. What am I now?
Now I am a girl who is what she is, walks with confidence
and never takes beauty for granted. There are nights in my
life since this past summer that I find myself crying. I cry
because I long for the feelings I felt out there, the feelings
that I am unable to grasp in my own town. That butterfly in
your tummy when you summit a mountain or watch the sunset
before the sky fills with glowing stars. I wish I was back
there, back in that place of solitude. Now I am a sophomore
in high school and I know myself more than I ever did before.
Going on that Outward Bound course was the best choice of
my life and if I had not done it I would be a totally different
person. I went on a high sierra mountaineering and backpacking
course and not only was it extremely hard physically but it
was also the most mentally challenging thing I have ever experienced.
I would never have thought that doing a rappel would make
such an impact on my life. A few days before my course was
going to end we had an opportunity to do a rappel 160 feet
in the air and everyone on my trip was doing it but me. I
had everyone’s camera in my pocket, ready to take their
pictures as they embarked on a short adventure that I was
not about to experience. My instructor convinced me to do
it and I can't thank him enough because it made me see that
my fears are holding me back from doing so many things. After
the first thirty seconds of the rappel I opened my eyes and
screamed THANK YOU to everyone for making me go on it, I had
the time of my life. Anyone who is considering going on an
Outward Bound course, I strongly recommend it. It changed
my life, maybe it will change yours.
-Valerie Efros, PSD203, High Sierra Mountaineering
