Zion Reflection
What I learned from GEO 
[dropcap size=big]I[/dropcap] can’t really explain what I learned from Geo. Of course I learned about global climate change, how ecosystems work, the threats that are endangering species across the globe, and myriad of other facts, But those are just facts. I could have just taken earth and Environmental or just google them if I wanted to learn about these topics. But what I wouldn’t learn from a simple online search that I did learn in Geo is something much harder to explain.
When school started last year, I was skeptical of the class. Everyone told me that Geo was such a trans formative class to them, and I never had an experience with a class like that before. Just to clarify, I’m not talking about the topics covered in class or anything. I’ve never been a climate skeptic: I’ve always believed that my actions and the actions of humanity as a whole has had an effect on the biosphere, I just didn’t know exactly how we were affecting it or to what extent. I’m talking about the transformation of the soul. Everybody says that the hike in Zion National Park changed them, but they still acted the same.I didn’t get it!
As a Boy Scout, I’ve been on dozens
of camping trips, three of which were even longer than the Zion trip. I never felt an enhancement in my awareness or felt a deeper connection to the world after these trips; they merely felt like challenging vacations to me. It also irked me when people said Zion was indescribable, like the English language had no way of expressing the extraordinary experience they had. I had no clue. I was ignorant. Zion is truly indescribable.
From the vertical cliffs that pierced the sky to the thousands of slot canyons, each with their own secrets that enchanted explorers to dive in, Zion astonished me at every turn. But it wasn’t until we reached the Bear Trap Canyon that i felt spiritually connected to Zion. The ferrous red rocks that ascended high above, the cool creek that washed my worries away, the ensemble of green trees with leaves fluttering in the wind. Everything about this place was simple. It wasn’t unique in any way, save the waterfall at the end. It was just beautiful. It was peaceful.
It might not make sense the by the way I’m describing it, but after we left Bear Trap Canyon, I felt changed. I became more appreciative of my friends and my family and nature and everything that I take for granted. It’s hard to explain, but the experience was just amazing. The only way for me to understand all the previous students in Geo was to experience what they had. I’m truly grateful for taking Geo because I wouldn’t have matured into the person I am today.
