Growing up, hiking wasn’t an activity I particularly enjoyed. Going into today, I wanted to make sure that my mindset was refreshed to fully embrace the experience. It was a great, sunny day for hiking, and I wanted to enjoy every part of it.
On our way up to the top, the hike proved to be both physically and mentally challenging. It was a constant uphill walk to the top, which was physically demanding, so our group took breaks to pace ourselves. It was also mentally demanding because none of us had ever been to this park before, let alone the Atlantic Rainforest, and we were uncertain how long it would take us to reach the top. Throughout the hike, I found myself repeating in my mind, “enjoy the journey”, “enjoy the journey”. To enjoy the challenge, to remember that we would eventually reach the top, and to enjoy the moment and the people around me.
When we reached the top after an hour of walking, it was finally time to see the view we had all been anxiously awaiting. The view was definitely not a let-down, and was absolutely breathtaking. It was amazing to see the beautiful city of São Paulo from an aerial perspective. It was so worth it to be able to stand in awe of the city that we have been living in for the past two weeks. It really did not compare to anything any of us have ever experienced before.
The descent was considerably easier than the way up, allowing us to reflect on all we had just witnessed. Today was a great day of enjoying the journey with the people around me, supporting each other, and making memories.
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