I took a deep breath as I dropped into the cliffside field of violet wildflowers lightly touched upon by the soft glow of twilight. As my friend dropped down behind me, I reflected upon the hours spent hiking out to this unexpected gem and the climb of about thirty feet, both well worth the effort considering the reward that now lay before me, a gorgeous view of the valley in full-bloom. Both the camaraderie-filled hike and the exciting climb taught me an essential lesson. In a life primarily dominated by schoolwork and college preparations, high school students must go out of their way to enjoy the finer pleasures of life, not waiting until the relative freedom of college to enjoy exhilarating adventures.
Our modern world is filled with countless different forms of cheap entertainment, all just a swipe of the finger away. From social media applications specifically designed to entrap your attention to increasingly realistic video games, these many forms of diversion make it humorously easy to disconnect from reality, a feeling that is oftentimes mistaken for pleasure. But, the absence of stress or pain is not the same as happiness or pleasure by any stretch of the word. While I do believe that entertainment has a place in the world, I find that pleasure is all the sweeter when accompanied by the satisfaction of a task well done.
Such a feeling of satisfaction can come from a wide range of things, not simply pushing oneself through a relentless hike full of rolled ankles, and I find that both the most beneficial and the most satisfying activity is pursuing one’s dreams. While many people wait until college to pursue their passions seriously, there is no reason why you can’t get a head start on your pipe dreams. Even the busiest of high school students enjoy some free time, and such free time can be channeled toward one’s passions to great effect. For instance, I’m an aspiring author and have written nearly 200 pages worth of fiction in less than two months. If you want to become a professional artist, don’t wait to refine your craft or pursue your dreams. Even if your art is highly unlikely to receive any traction, the more you practice it the greater the chance of you being noticed for your efforts and reveling in all the success that accompanies it.
Another reason to pursue adventure during your time in high school is the maturity that it can bring with it. It is no secret that almost all high school students have been socially stunted in some form or another from the lockdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and getting out of your comfort zone can do wonders for developing social skills and introspection that will serve you well for the rest of your life. Many things that people largely see as hobbies can teach essential skills to those who look deeply into them. While setting out on an expedition may seem like nothing more than simple fun, it can teach some valuable lessons to those willing to listen. For instance, I was forced to practice persistence when I not only rolled one of my ankles, but rolled the other just minutes later. In addition, the hike built self confidence as I grew to trust my ability, something that many activities can do for those that do them.
Even as an early-grad student, I’ve been able to fill my three years of high school with a plethora of life changing experiences. From a number of hikes to creative pursuits that have allowed me to find and chase my passions in this life. While you are bound to experience the occasional negative experience when getting out of your comfort zone, the joy of growth almost always outweighs the pain caused by it.
In the end, there is no feeling worse than regret. Even bad experiences have an air of conclusion about them, but regrets only bring questions of futures left unrealized with them. Students shouldn’t allow themselves to be haunted by ‘what ifs” for the rest of their lives, and should make the most out of their time in high school through challenging themselves with extracurricular adventures that bring out the best in them. Afterall, as far as we know, we only live a single life. Why not make the most out of it during our time in high school?
