Time In Nature

Recently I got the opportunity to go on a hike with AST’s Global Vision International club, more commonly known as “GVI.”

Through this trip, I hoped to gain more insight to the beauty our homeland has to offer and the importance of protecting it.

In a year that could be described as nothing less than “mundane” with constant studying, research projects, and stress at 2 o’clock in the morning about college applications, I gladly took the opportunity to disconnect from it all, even if it was just for a few hours.

So, here are my thoughts on this short hike we took.

The When and the Where

The hike took place early on a Sunday morning. We took two cars to La Tigra and wasted no time heading out on one of the shorter paths so that we could return to school roughly around noon. It was cold, and it was wet, but it wasn’t anything a coat couldn’t deal with. The path wasn’t all concrete pavement. We encountered mud, rocks, and dirt plus a few sketchy bridges as the winds hurled whooshes through my ears.

Enjoyment and Solitude

What this expedition meant to me was not pain; it was adventure. It was something I craved so deeply in my being.

The solitude of being surrounded by nature, of hearing the flowing rivers and the water fall, the wind moving the branches of the trees that were five to six times my height. It was the calm and the disconnection from the worries of school life that made me enjoy this trip.

A moment to just take in true beauty, the beauty of Mother Nature.

Mines and Trash

Now, of course, the trip wasn’t just for the hike. The GVI club also focuses on education and protecting nature.

Along with us, we carried some bags for trash and picked up what we could find: a few wrappers, some burnt out cigarettes and some “unmentionables” that I won’t describe.

Regardless, I realized I was happy most of the way through the path since the trash wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. This may change if we ever go on one of the busier paths, but that is a story for another time.

Near the end of one trail, after crossing over a small waterfall and making a steep descent, we came across an abandoned mine. It was obviously pitch black, and the gate had fallen, leaving it open.

I did not venture inside. Getting rabies from a bat isn’t my ideal way of surviving the weekend, but the sight was one to behold. It made me think of something that turned into a conversation with the GVI members:

Is it good for this mine to be left like this abandoned?

Is letting nature slowly degrade it back into its abyss better than the money the park could make if it were opened and advertised to visitors?

Could doing something like that cause damage?

For now, I believe it is better to leave it as it is and let courageous visitors venture in with a torch if they so wish.

On a final note regarding the mine: The thought came to me that what I was looking at was a relic of hundreds of years. Whether it was used during colonial times or as recently as the 1900s, men before me had dared to venture into a tunnel with dynamite and pickaxes to extract the minerals inside despite all the dangers posed from it collapsing to the creatures inside to its generally “claustrophobic” environment making it hard to breath. This was certainly a moment of inner reflection I had while staring into the gaping darkness from the outside. I was thankful I live in a period where this kind of practice in our country has mostly faded away, but I also felt pressured that I should try to live my life to uphold the courage and strength those before me had when walking into the abyss.

Final Thoughts

Now I’m back here writing this piece in my house as I relive the moment while also having returned to the mundane world of studying for my semester exams. This trip was incredible, and I wish it had gone on longer.

So on a final note, I would highly recommend visiting La Tigra National Park to anyone wanting to have an opportunity to appreciate the beauty of Honduras, to contribute to maintaining it, and to support the GVI Club.

The club, led by Ms. Nehme, puts on really cool hikes, and I hope more are coming up!

I leave you with a simple message: Opportunities to have a moment of reflection and inner peace are few, but when they come, the memories and the experiences leave nothing more than gratitude. Don’t waste these opportunities. You can learn something important every time.