One Way to Katoomba

September 7th began as a day filled with nerves, excitement, and wonder. I awoke at 6:45, immediately flopping my hand to my computer to play the enlightening music of Florence and the Machine, which always puts me in a good mood in the early hours. Once I dressed and finished the last bit of packing, I was out the door and on the bus to the station.

Seeing my friends in the class put a smile on my face, and together we boarded the train to Katoomba. I was able to fall asleep for the majority of the ride, and I awoke at the station to find Ian smiling as usual, greeting us with excited gestures. I was excited to get out into nature, and that is exactly what we did.

After buying tickets, 

we boarded the steepest railway in the world, which I found to be quite a fun ride.

Once down, we began our first walk. My group was with Nicky. I was excited to be with Nicky because we had never spoken before, but she seemed like an interesting person to me because she obviously loves the bush, and because of her romantic affiliation with Wayne! I was able to get to know her on a more personal level, and I highly enjoyed her company. The genuine conversations you have with people when out in the bush, just human to human with no ulterior motives, is one of the more discrete benefits of the outdoors, but one of my favorites. You get to know a lot about someone when you take them out of the usual contexts, so even though I feel like I knew many of the kids in my group, it was enlightening to see them in a new environment.

The first hike was enjoyable in its simplicity. It was not very challenging but it was still beautiful, a nice introduction to the trip. During our lunch break, I left the group to go relieve myself in the bush. I ended up having to scale a very steep wall of dirt, climb a large boulder, and wedge my body between several trees. Even then as I squatted, however, a nice Asian couple was able to observe me doing my business. When I came back to the group, leaves woven into my hair and mud on my shoes, Ian was giving a very thorough run-through of using the bathroom in the bush. Impeccable timing I have!

I was able to climb the giant staircase with relative ease, which made me feel confident about the next two days. We boarded the bus and headed off to the supermarket. I sat next to Hilde, who taught me how to say "Today we hike" in Norwegian. It is "I dag vandrer vi." I feel so worldly.

 

The Crew Tackles the Monster Staircase 

JP Being Himself

My friends and I shared a warm beverage at a local cafe in Katoomba before heading to the supermarket. We bought far too many cold cuts, yogurt, milk, bread and other essentials, like four boxes of Tim Tams. We got back to the cabin where it was frigid cold. I thought I knew how to make a fire, so I took initiative. It turns out, however, that I do not know how to make a fire. Luckily, Hannah and Hilde are experts in that field, and they passed their divine knowledge on to me. I now know how to make a fire.


We made fajitas that night. After dinner, we relaxed until it was time to reunite as a group for activities. Sneha and Hilde lead the activities. I highly enjoyed the game we played, two truths and a lie, because not only did I learn two facts about every one of my classmates, but it gave people the opportunity to express some humor and demonstrate their character.

The next day we were all feeling a bit antsy about the hike, as the leaders kept saying how hard it would be. I packed my big pack with plenty of water and granola bars. My group was with Wayne this day. I really love Wayne and was glad to have him as my group leader, though I would have been equally content with any of the other leaders as well.
Ian and Wayne taught us how to use a compass before the hike, and I actually learned this time. Lizzy nominated herself to be the team leader, and Brian assumed the position as the end-of-the-group leader. I appreciated both of my group mate's stepping up.

We began the hike down a beautiful path that lead us into the forest. This was our first time seeing waterfalls, and it was absolutely divine. I kept thinking about how I would love to share this with my parents; they would truly love and appreciate it.

Hilde Nearly Takes a Tumble

The beginning half of the hike was much different than the second half, partly because of the morning to afternoon temperature changes and partly because the terrains were fundamentally different. The morning half felt brisk and more forest-like than did the second half, which was warmer, slightly more humid, and felt more like a jungle. 

I had several great conversations on the beginning half of the hike, particularly with Brian and Sebastian. I love this class for many reasons, one of them being the opportunities it offers for us to talk to different people, people who you would usually not encounter. Brian is American, but I do not have any friends similar to him at my university at home. Brian is a great kid, very understanding, intelligent, honest, and genuine. We discussed a broad range of topics, from politics to nightlife in the Gold Coast to our favorite sorts of animals. 

Sebastian, too, is a sort of person I rarely encounter. Being from Germany, he was raised in a vastly different sort of culture than I was, being from Manhattan. I was very interested in how Germans interact with strangers in daily life. He and I both noticed how Wayne had at least a 10 second conversation with anyone we encountered in the Bush. I asked if it would be considered rude if he did not stop and have a chat with these people, and he said yes. That is not the way we operate in the US from my experience, and especially not how people operate in Manhattan, where having any sort of conversation with a stranger is considered incredibly weird, sometimes even taboo, even when you are just being friendly. Sebastian and I discussed the cultural differences between US, Australia, and Germany, which interested and enlightened me. 

As I mentioned earlier, the second half of the hike was much different than the first half. I assumed a different place in line for the second half, so I could instigate conversation with new people. I had a couple long and interesting conversations with JP and Wayne. The three of us discussed cloning for a long while, something I fail to think about on a regular basis. It got me thinking about human nature, and whether we have gone too far in certain aspects of science/technology, and are trying to play God. I think that discussing human nature within the Bush gave me a different insight. I felt so at home and natural, that it made me skeptical of scientists who try and mess around with the natural order. I believe if Wayne, JP, and I were having this conversation in a laboratory in central Sydney, I would have had a different outlook. It is interesting how context plays such a role in determining one's opinions and perspectives. 

My favorite part of the second half of the hike was a particular area where the grass grew very high, and I felt almost primitive, completely immersed in nature.

We stopped at a beautiful creek to have our afternoon snack. Here, we played the compliment game, one of my personal favorites. Wayne asked us to go around the circle and give a compliment to the person next to us. It is always nice to receive a compliment, and it was even nicer for me that I genuinely meant what I said for my compliment. 

 Sneha Takes in Some Rays

It was here that we took the time to do our reflections. I found a beautiful solitary rock in the middle of the creek, and that is where I sat and reflected into my Ipod's camera. 

Reflecting...

The other groups joined us a few minutes after my reflection. It was nice to see the other groups having as good of a time as we were. I was surprised and impressed that Nicky's group went swimming. At that point in the day I was convinced I would not be getting wet that day. Little did I know...

The hike continued on, Wayne and I discussed his relationship with Nicky in brief. Sneha and Wayne discussed Sneha's love life, a fun conversation to overhear. We painted our faces with coal. We were warriors and we waged on.

The area in between the watering hole and where we stopped for snack was absolutely stunning. The river we walked beside was flowing calmly, the sun was setting, the wind blew gently. It was a peaceful time. I could feel my muscles working and I was really in the groove of walking. We held a pretty brisk pace, slow enough to take everything in sensually but fast enough to keep our temperatures up.

Wayne then dropped the bomb. The swimming hole was coming up, and if we wanted to swim in it then we were to follow him in power walking up the next ten minutes of mountain. While he was saying this I was certain I would not be joining the power walk, instead hanging back and leisurely strolling up the mountain. After he finished his speech, he asked who would be swimming. Hilde and Brian raised their hands, Sneha said no, and the rest of us looked at each other with expressions that said "....Shit."We realized then that we had to do it, even though it was going to be harsh water. We began sprinting up the hill. People were going FAST up the hill. I was surprised and impressed with my friends, but it didn't quite last. Soon people started peeling off, but Hilde and I continued. When we got to the watering hole, red faced and panting, we stripped down into acceptable-enough swimming gear and jumped in. "AHHH."

When I first hopped in, I was shocked with how cold it was. My body didn't necessarily feel that cold, but my brain knew it was. I hopped in, screamed, did a small doggy-paddle circle, then reached up to have Wayne pull me out. My body was red because of the cold. I sat down on a rock and yelled at JP to get in the water, or else I would kill him. Then Wayne dropped another bomb: get over by the rock so he could take a picture. I realized I had swum in the world's second coldest swimming hole with no evidence, so back in I went. The second time in wasn't nearly as bad as the first. I paddled over to the water fall where Brian pulled me in. We stood there on the opposite side of the swimming hole screaming to our friends to take the f****** picture, which took them about 40 seconds. Arguably the longest 40 seconds of my life. We swam back and Wayne told us to quickly suit up as best we could. He said it would take only about 10 minutes in that hole before you started to get hypothermia. Brr!

I felt amazing after I swam in the watering hole. I didn't even feel cold, but this may have been because I have numb. Not only did my body feel refreshed, but I felt euphoric. Climbing up the hill and hopping in the water seemed like it all happened so fast. I did something that I really did not think I would do, and was proud of myself. All my life my teachers have told me to "step outside your comfort zone." While I have done this in some manners, I never really felt like I was pushing myself that hard. Whenever I tried new things, they didn't seem like they were pushing me outside of a zone of my ability. Swimming in the water hole, however, I felt really pushed me out of my comfort zone. It was 100% mind over body, but my body listened and it ended up liking. The power of our minds is absolutely amazing.

We continued on to the waterfall, which was spectacular. Easily one of the coolest natural land forms I have ever encountered. The hike was just about ending. I was eager to reach the top, so Hilde and I began cruising up the mountain ahead of everyone else. We would cruise for about 10 minutes, then stop and marvel at how majestic the scenery beneath us was, and how equally amazing the path would be ahead of us. I enjoyed getting rained on by the waterfall on the way up, it made me feel natural and also let me know that we were getting closer. Hilde and I waited for the group, meanwhile looking over the glorious mountains in front of us that we had just tackled. It looks so massive yet also incredibly modest from atop, as compared to how it looks from within.

Our group united about 10 minutes from the top. We had a "moment" where we all looked out into the distance, inhaled deeply, and told ourselves to remember this moment. I enjoyed how Wayne made us have these "moments."I observed two cockatoos flying between the trees, the vast scenery beneath and around me, and tried hard heighten the already heightened emotions going through my body.

We made it to the very top of the mountain after the last 10 minute stretch. It was spectacular to stand at the top of a high point and look down at the path that we just walked. Looking down from above, you feel accomplished and enlivened. Being down in the bush, for me, is a very humbling experience. When you are looking down at the tree tops from above, it is impossible to see all the intricate beauty of the forest below. Being in it, you see how small you are compared to the nature around you. We are so much smaller than the world around us, and it is easy to forget that you are only a tiny fragment of the greater world. Being the in the Bush reminds me of how insignificant I am in the greater picture, which gives me a feeling of freedom. I felt at peace being overshadowed and immersed in the amazing nature the Blue Mountains offered.

After about 10 minutes, overwhelmed by coldness, we ran to the bus. It was fun watch people's expressions as they walked towards the bus. Everyone looked happy, not one person looked angry, sad, or troubled. I saw people interacted who I didn't know were friends, as well as people walking solo in peace, looking accomplished and content.

We came back to the cabin to relax for a while, cook dinner, and shower. The evening activities rolled around and I was pretty tired. The activities were held in the cabin I stayed in. I enjoyed hearing about people's days. I gave the day a 10, as I could not have imagined having a better day out in the bush. Things could have been different, maybe ever improved, but for me, it was a perfect 10. We then played the Snort Game, which it turns out I am quite good at. I loved seeing Flor, who is always so quiet, getting involved in the game. He was hilarious.

We then played Chubby Bunny, which I am not so good at. I have mixed feelings on that game. It was hilarious and I am glad I participated, but what a weird form of entertainment. I enjoyed a couple Tim Tams and passed out like a young, young baby.

Then next morning I awoke with a big appetite, which was lucky because we had to get rid of all of our food. I served as the trash disposal that morning, and I was happy to do so.

I was excited that this was the last hike of the weekend, but not in a negative way. It had been a fulfilling weekend, and it wasn't over yet. Ian said that the third day had some of the most beautiful sights, so I was eager to get going. My group went with Ian on this day. We started with some yoga, which helped my sore legs, and then began the hike.

Ian was right, it was absolutely stunning. I particularly liked the third day because of how lush and green everything was. I am a big fan of water, in all forms at any time of day. I had never seen so many waterfalls in such variety. I realized that this is where I should bring my parents when they visit.

We enjoyed lunch in front of a beautiful waterfall. Some of the kids in the other group went swimming in the surrounding body of water, but I kept my clothes on this time.

Ian taught us about the Turpentine tree, his favorite, and we played the alphabet game. We finished out the hike in about four hours, which, for me, was the perfect amount of time. My body felt worn by the end of the trip, but in a good, healthy way.

I emailed my grandma on the train ride home, raving about the good times I had in the Blue Mountains. I then immediately passed out, proof of my physical exertion.

When I got home, I wrote down a few key words that would provoke my thoughts when blogging. I very much enjoy blogging, as I think it is an outlet that facilitates an easy flow of thoughts. Many times in my life I have tried to start a diary. I feel like my thoughts run too fast for my hand, and I end up physically tired and at a loss for words. I had never tried blogging before this class, but I much prefer it. Not only is blogging a modern phenomena that forces people to get accustomed to technology, but it is easily accessible to the public and allows you to add images and videos. Blogs are diaries on steroids, in my personal and professional opinion.

There are cons, however, to blogging in my point of view. I think the accessibility of the blog works as both a pro and a con. While blogs make it easy for my extended family and friends back home to see what I am up to, there are certain thoughts that I do not want to share with the general public, but which I would like included in a general reflection. For this reason, I think it would be cool if you had the ability to make private certain paragraphs within the blog, without the reader knowing. This way, I could look back on my blog and get my full, genuine reflection without feeling overly exposed.

To recap, I absolutely loved our time in the Blue Mountains. A weekend up there was something I never would have done on my own. It pushed me physically and mentally, but in a positive way while at the same time nourished my soul. I genuinely couldn't be happier I made the decision to join this class. Thank you Ian, Wayne, and Nicky for a great trip and a great couple of months. I appreciate you!!!!

The Turpentine Seed and Me