Dear Friend,
Eight-thirty was our meeting time this morning. I almost didn’t get out the door on time. Tibi wanted to make sure I had eaten enough for breakfast. After finishing some work at the office, I headed over to the IMPACT building to meet up with the rest of the group. The team consisted of the seven students, Janelle and Daniel, Dana Bates, Ilie, our guide Florin, and Dave Nonnemacher, who arrived a couple days ago from Northwestern.
Weather impeded our ability to start our hike where we had originally planned, so our back up plan was implemented. Unfortunately, while our first plan would have gotten us hiking with our backpacks right away, our back up plan involved driving about four hours to another starting point on the mountains. So, the thirteen of us piled into two vehicles, our backpacks stuffed into each wherever and however they would fit, and we rolled our way to the Retezat.
The ride wasn’t unlike the ride we had from the airport. There was quite a bit of talking at the beginning, which then died down and resolved to some form of sleeping. At one point, however, we stopped and got out of the vehicles to view an historical site. We had come upon an ancient looking church, one Dave told us was the oldest Reformed church in Europe, or Eastern Europe, or something like that. His comment puzzled us, because the Reformation took place in Western Europe and hadn’t even made its way to Romania. Therefore, this could only be the oldest Reformed church in Romania. It was indeed a Reformed church (the sign said so, Calvin’s name written all over it.) It could’ve been another form of church (probably Orthodox or Catholic) before it was turned into a Reformed church. Anyway, a debate was going on amongst some in the group while I ran around the church taking pictures. It was a very beautiful church. We weren’t able to go in, unfortunately.
We finally made it to the gravel parking lot in the Retezat, after taking our time over some major potholes up the mountain. After a quick lunch we strapped our packs on our backs and made our way to the campsite. We had to cross over a rather sturdy bridge that nonetheless reminded me once again of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Movie references, we found out, would be rampant throughout our stay.
Once we reached our camp, we started setting up our tents. Our very first obstacle came when we discovered we didn’t have all the tent poles for each of our tents. Here began some creative problem solving, most of which involved a lot of rope. Ilie and Florin helped out a lot and did most of the problem solving. Eventually the tents were set up, albeit with missing pieces. If you had no idea how to set up a tent, though, these would’ve looked like they were meant to be set up that way.
Our first day hike was a short one, a kind of over the river and through the woods hike. The weather wasn’t nasty, but it was certainly grey and wet. There are no words to describe what we saw. Despite the rain, there were still mountains. Everywhere. We were walking in a valley, so on both sides we were surrounded by mountains. We walked through a garden of enormous rocks and boulders. Our destination was a little hut, our turn around point. To get there we went over another bridge and up a rather slippery path. The rain created some fog, which therefore took away our visibility of the mountains. After a little rest, we headed back to camp.
Whether by default, or simply by taking charge, I ended up being head cook for my team on this trip (our team, by the way, became the “Llamas” for reasons I still don’t understand.) There was a spring a couple yards away from our camp where we got most of our water. I set up our lunar module stove and set to making supper, while the others got water and retrieved the ingredients from our large supply of food. Our first meal in the mountains was a Spanish rice mix we put on tortillas. It turned out alright, but nothing I’d prefer to eat on a regular basis.
Night came rather fast. We ended up having our debriefing session in almost pitch black. The usual “how are you doing?” questions were asked. Some expressed concerns about the weather, others about carrying their packs. Despite the day’s challenges (i.e. the tents, the weather) it was decided we had all done rather well at keeping our cool and going with the flow. In my mind, there was really no other option but to go with the flow. Daniel brought up the “challenge by choice” zones once again, asking if we could each say which zone we were in. Most people were in some degree of the orange zone, which is the “safe, yet challenging” zone. I confessed I was rather close to the comfortable green zone. The day’s unpredictable challenges and having to go with the flow seemed like just another day in my life. It’s how I’ve always lived. Go with the flow.
It was around this time Dave started talking. Dave is a really wonderful guy, and he likes to talk. Lucky for us, most of what he has to say is important. Among the things he spoke about, he mentioned the Four Pillars of the Outward Bound Process. The Outward Bound Process has a lot to do with adventure education, a form of education we were going through at present in the Retezat. Adventure education deals a lot with applying the things you learn in the wilderness to situations you face in your everyday life. Dave told us the Four Pillars were An Enterprising Curiosity, Tenacity in Pursuit, Mastery of Task, and above all Compassion. He mentioned the first three are meant to lead up to Compassion, the final goal of the Four Pillars.
Each pillar seemed self explanatory to me, but within the context of their purpose they seemed rather profound. An Enterprising Curiosity is what feeds my desire to learn, to try new things, and to challenge myself. Tenacity in Pursuit is the chutzpah, even the Spirit, which helps me persevere what my curiosity has led me to. Mastery of Task, Dave mentioned, was something as simple as mastering the use of the little stoves we use, but, again, applying that experience to everyday life. And finally, Compassion, which is what the first three pillars lead me to and what I share with others. This is how I defined the Four Pillars in my mind, how I applied them to my own experience that day in the Retezat. This is probably how I’ll define them for the rest of our time here, too. It’s how they make sense in my head.
The challenges aren’t going to end here. I have a feeling there’s much more in store for us, much more than just hiking that will stretch us. I’m hoping I’ll be able to meet it when it comes. Hope you’re staying safe, warm, and dry, friend.
Blessings.
Kailen
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