I found that hiking added a lot of dimension to my CELL experience so far. Having been with the place, I feel more acquainted to the land; having been with the people, I feel more familiar with my fellow CELL students. The sense of community is much stronger and I feel as though our group interactions are far more natural after sharing a common challenge on the trail and supporting each other throughout. The scientific experience was also brought to life, as we were able to observe firsthand the things that have been discussed in class so far.
I was affected emotionally and spiritually by the landscape. These hikes were the longest I’ve ever been on, and I feel far more confident in my ability to navigate the outdoors than I did before. This is important because when I feel at ease in the wild, I feel attuned with it. When I return home, I will be spending more time in the outdoors in order to strengthen this connection.
Perhaps one of the most impactful parts of the trip for me was seeing the amount of traffic that some of the trails and natural sites were suffering from tourist activity. This was an exercise in mindful travel, and I felt more encouraged than I ever have to tread softly (literally and figuratively) and be intentional in how I experience a sightseeing activity. I feel motivated to learn rather than simply look, and seek understanding rather than pleasure in consumption.
Hopefully I will be able to further this understanding and be a more active participant than a tourist.
Kellen Mahoney
