As quoted from the movie Up, “Adventure is out there!” This is what went through my head during every adventure because life is the greatest adventure you can go on. Adventure days lead to some of the most fun experiences while at Summit Semester. Adventure days are when we can bond together as a Summit family, especially because most adventures include challenges that require teamwork, leadership skills, and communication.
On one of our first adventure days this fall, we went to the sand dunes. The sand dunes looked like we were in Egypt because it was just mountains of sand. While at the sand dunes, we all had to wear face coverings and sunglasses to protect our eyes from the strong, sandy winds. The hike up to the dunes was one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done, but I can definitely say it was worth it. The night on the dunes was picture-perfect, just like a work of art. The stars were so bright that we did not always need to use flashlights. My favorite part was running down the dunes at night. The moon was gleaming down on us so brightly that it almost looked like the sun was out. The next day, we went to Zapata Falls. The waterfall was so cool, but the water was colder than when the Titanic sunk. What made it more of an experience is that a mentor from Summit showed me all the things that the waterfall offered.
Another adventure I enjoyed was the scenic Telluride trip. We had to wake up right before the sun came up to load into the vans. While in the car, we were not supposed to sleep so that we could look at all of the scenery around us. We then visited Ouray, where I got to buy an awesome cowboy hat. Our next stop was Telluride, where we rode in the gondola to get into town. While there, we thrifted and wandered around. After we left Telluride, we got pizza and went back to the lodge. Fun fact: I took an extra pizza for my van.
Canyoneering was my favorite adventure so far this semester. We had to drive five hours to Utah. First, we got split into teams, and we did a survivor-type challenge. After this, we all went on a hike to get into the canyon. The power of Taylor Swift gave me the motivation to keep going. Once we got to the canyon, things became more difficult. I have a huge fear of heights and small spaces, and I didn’t realize that canyoneering was more like Spiderman crawling up walls to get through the canyon. My group saw that I was scared, and they kept cheering me on to make me feel more comfortable. A few of my closest friends were in my group, and they impacted me a lot when I fell and got scraped up. One of my friends was waiting on the bottom, and he hugged me and said, “I’m proud of you. Are you ok?” At this point, I was so close to crying because these people see me as a brother, and we are a huge family. After we got out, I told everyone how much they impacted me. I was very emotional when I got back to the campsite, and I gave out at least ten or more hugs.
Cole Weber attended Summit’s conference in South Carolina last summer. He is excited for Summit Semester because he is trying to build better relationships with God and himself. Cole has been a head coach for a youth football team to serve his community and to help form kids’ lives for the better, giving them confidence and helping them to grow in the sport. Once he is done with school, he would like to work at the Disney college internship and eventually work on screen at ESPN.