I would never call myself a talented hiker. I have experience walking along rivers and gradual slopes, but nothing like Vörðufell. Vörðufell is a mountain relatively close to Sólheimar. My cleat-covered boots crunched into the snow and ice with every step. I was extremely anxious about slipping and keeping up. My fear of heights was not helping much either. After a steep section of the hike, I was trailing far behind the rest of the group. I criticized myself for not being fit enough to keep up. I was letting my illnesses slow me down. I was in pain physically and emotionally and every part of me did not want to do this hike. I felt my eyes start to well up and breaths became more shallow. I was starting to cry and no one knew how upset I was until I stopped the group.
The group turned around and stopped without question. I was so upset and the hike had just started. The group was 100% supportive of me. They offered to wait in the icy wind until I felt better. Julie tightly wrapped her arms around me. Their kindness was really the only thing that encouraged me to finish the hike. When we reached the top, we took a group picture and I don’t think that I’ve ever felt more united with a group before.
At this point, we had only known each other for about eleven days! I guess that eating, working, learning, and living together really helps in creating a bond between people. I look forward to conquering more of my personal obstacles as the semester goes on. And I know that I have a rad group to help me accomplish that.
Denise, 22.02.16
