I just got back from a week in Tennessee, helping to build new paths for the Cumberland Trail. We stayed at a lodge in a small hole-in-the-wall called Soddy Daisy, with kids from schools all around the East Coast and Mid-West.

I can't put into words just how wonderful that experience was. I came into the trip expecting that we'd be putting down gravel and trimming weeds for some biking/cross-country trails. I had never hiked a day in my life, unless you count walking around flat Delaware state parks. (Which I don't, after what I experienced.) I'm deathly afraid of heights, and when I realized that trail building actually entailed hiking some pretty steep areas, all I could was try not to look over the side and concentrate on landing on each stepping stone. The fact that I was able to do it, and do it more than once, was something that amazes the hell out of me when I think about it. Sure, I took the absolute longest to hike up and get down, but the fact that I actually did climbed up this huge hill when the 12-year old me refused to ride an escalator at the National Air Space Museum for my 5th grade field trip was pretty cool.

The scenery was amazing- for a boy used to the flat coastal plains, the views were just beautiful. We went on a trip to Chattanooga twice- the city was pretty cool...I'd figured Chattanooga was just this small little city, but it's actually got some amazing views and cool shops/restaurants. It was great experiencing a city that I had never really thought about before, and learning that it had some pretty cool things going on for it.

With all these kids around from different schools, the experience felt like the summer camp experience I never had. It was so cool talking to people from places like Boston, or Georgia, or Wisconsin. I made one Wisconsin guy promise to see the Ocean some day if I promised to see a Great Lake. It was fun ribbing the BU kids about the joke from The Social Network, as well as explaining what a "hoagie" is to someone from Boston.

Overall, this was so much better than my Florida trip, because while on that trip I helped someone out that needed help, in this case, I gave back while really challenging myself on things I never thought I could do. And, I guess this probably sounds cheesy...but...when I was climbing up that hill and hit the rocky spots, all I could do was focus on the next step, and then the step after that. I've been so depressed and anxious about what my future is going to be after graduation, because I don't really have any real, concrete plan...but like on that trail, my path has to be followed starting by one step. I can't let the fear of falling down keep me from taking that next step.