The summer is a great time to catch up on sleep, relax, and binge watch some of my favorite shows on Netflix, or so I always tell myself throughout the first few months. Once it gets around the beginning of July, I tend to ask "what have I done with my life this summer?". When the realization and the boredom kicks in, I begin to think of every little adventurous activity I can think of in order to make my summer seem worthwhile.
This summer has been pretty interesting so far and definitely exciting to say the least! This past week, my best friend Alexis and I decided to spontaneously take a hike up to the top of Sawnee Mountain, a well known and beautiful mountain in the middle of Forsyth County. Excited for a little adventure, we made the last minute decision to go on the hike, grabbed our flash lights, and headed on our way. Knowing that it was close to sun-down, we began our hike and tried to get to the top as soon as possible because we wanted to experience the beautiful sunset before it disappeared for the night. About fifteen minutes into our adventure, we soon realized that we began hiking on the LONGEST trail available. We began to worry because we only had about twenty minutes left until the sunset disappeared, so we decided to take off and run up the mountain. With two minutes to spare, we finally made it to the top: an incredible view with an amazingly beautiful sunset. Everything we had endured earlier that night escaped our minds as the captivating view nearly took our breath away.
After spending a much needed break away from our busy and stressful lives, we soon came to the realization that it was getting dark, so we packed up our things, turned on our flashlights, and headed back down the mountain. If you've ever hiked down a steep and rocky mountain at night, you understand the terror that soon crept into our minds as we slowly took each and every step, attempting not to stumble and fall down the trail. Trying not to freak out because of the darkness. we kept each other company and tried not to let our minds wander away from trail ahead of us.
About one fourth of the way down the trail, the trees began to rustle and gusts of wind began to blow past us. A Storm was on its way. Terrified to get stuck on this mountain in the rain AND in the dark, we began to hurry a little faster, determined to beat whatever it was that was about to hit us. Not even five minutes later the terror of the rain became true... it started to pour out of nowhere to the point of where you could not see even one step in front of you. Our eyes began to sting as the sweat and the rain poured into our eyes. Scared to take a wrong turn or make a false step, we carried on, step-by-step, hoping to soon see the lights of the parking lot shining ahead. Twenty minutes later, we finally found our way back to the bottom of the mountain. Exhausted, terrified, and soaked by the rain and the mud, we ran to the car, hopped in it, and let out a huge sigh of relief. Looking at each other covered in mud, we just smiled and laughed because we realized how exciting and adventurous that night had been. Yes, it was definitely terrifying and something that I've never really experienced before, but neither one of us would take any second of it back. This one simple hike brought us closer than we've ever been before and helped create a summer memory that we will never forget. It was truly a night to remember.