When I signed up to go on a trip to Puerto Rico, all I could think about was all the different things I'd be doing: scuba diving, kayaking, mountain biking, hiking, and backpacking. For people who don't know me, I love sports and activities, but at that time I wasn't exactly a mountain loving type of person. I got over that pretty quick though, I had no other choice.

Our leader was a former Colonel for the Army. It was intimidating at first but we all learned quickly he was a really energetic, gung-ho wilderness man; despite his old age. The Colonel, as we called him, arrived at my house on a beautiful Saturday afternoon with a van full of 19 people I had never met before. This is when my stomach started to knot up and I got really nervous. At first glance, only one or two of these people looked like people I would usually hang out with. The stereotypes familiar to a high-school

The things that I learned in the short two weeks of my adventure, will take me through many obstacles in my life. I believe that because of what I learned I can be more confidant with myself in what kind of potential I really have. It has taught me to appreciate more things and not be so quick to judge, two things many people around me have a problem with. Because of these things I feel I have matured and am much more prepared to take on college and other independent ventures. I only wish that more people could have the opportunity to experience what I have. I truly think it would make the world more connected and better place.

After we got off the plane we had to take out all the stuff we packed and size it down to three outfits for the next two weeks, and for someone who over packs for a weekend at the beach, this was hard to believe. We each had one towel about two feet long and one foot wide, and don't even think the colonel would let the four girls out of 20 people have a two piece bathing suit to have any beach time. Whatever we brought we had to be able to carry on our backs. Our lives were stripped of our usual bare necessities to the REAL bare necessities.

er were what came into mind when I introduced my self to each person. However, this was, as I look back, one of the things that really made me into the person I am today. A person who can meet people and not immediately think "dork". In fact, some of these at-first-glance "dorks" became my best friends on the trip.

Four days went by and we all were official licensed scuba divers, which I still am today. We then moved on to the three-day hike through El Yonque rainforest. The forest hadn't been kept up trail-wise so we just followed the Colonel hopi

Some topics in this essay:
El Yonque, Colonel Army, Puerto Rico, Rico I'd, , puerto rico, person person, mountain biking, bare necessities, scuba diving,