VERTICAL LIMIT.BRENNA K.. 17, WITH KAREN BOKRAM Ever find yourself sitting in school, daydreaming of the day when you'll be on your own, out in the real world, having adventures and experiencing new things? Brenna, 17, did. But unlike most girls, she turned her daydream into a reality that has taken her all over the world. This is the amazing a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. story of one girl's excellent adventure... Nov. 2, 1998 It's 100 degrees out, and I'm dripping with sweat. I can hear the wild water rushing beneath me. My body is shaking and my hands are clammy clam·my adj. clam·mi·er, clam·mi·est 1. Disagreeably moist, sticky, and cold to the touch: a clammy handshake. 2. Damp and unpleasant: clammy weather. as I put a death grip Death Grip refers to a technique used in mountain biking whereby the rider avoids covering the brake levers. It is most often used by dirt jumpers (most especially those new to the discipline), when approaching a new, bigger, jump than they're used to, but are fairly sure they can on the steel poles I'm standing between. My feet are tied together with towels, webbing and a carabiner. I'm standing on the edge of a 375-foot bridge, ready to plummet toward the water with nothing but a cord keeping me from impact. I release my grip on the bars and let myself fall. My heart stops, and all I can feel is the hot, humid air against my face. I can hear myself falling, and can see the green water getting closer and closer. I try to scream, but nothing comes out. Right before I think I am going to hit the water, I spring back up, only to fall again. When I stop bouncing, I think to myself, "Wow, that was rad." For five minutes, I hang by my ankles and look at the water below, smiling to myself I've just jumped off the highest bungee point in the world. It feels good. One of the scariest moments in my life was that hot day in Africa, standing on a bridge running between Zambia and Zimbabwe. At the time, I was a 15-year-old girl spending a fall semester in Africa. Not many teenagers have spent their high school careers as I have. Who was I before? The typical "I know everything" teen. There was a stage in my life when I played the stereotypical high school student--going to dances, football games and parties. A time when popularity was my main objective. Then there were days I felt lost and didn't know who I was. I thought trying to be like everyone else might make me happy. I tried to be hip and get into all the new styles, but they never seemed to suit me--I was just Brenna who dressed in jeans and a nice-looking shirt. The more I tried to navigate the social jungle of my school, the more I felt like I didn't really belong anywhere. In the midst Adv. 1. in the midst - the middle or central part or point; "in the midst of the forest"; "could he walk out in the midst of his piece?" midmost of all this uncertainty and loneliness, I realized I needed a change. I needed new blood in me, a new fire. I had a desire to do something I'd never done before. I've been a ski racer all my life. I was born in a ski resort, Big Sky in Montana. My mom got me into ski racing Ski racing may refer to:
I was 14 and one of the top 50 junior ski racers in America when I applied to Rowmark Ski Academy at Rowland Hall St. Marks. Ski academies are boarding schools It may never be fully completed or, depending on its its nature, it may be that it can never be completed. However, new and revised entries in the list are always welcome. that offer not only a good education but a chance to train and race. I thought it was the perfect thing for me--except my parents could barely afford the tuition. The only way I could go to Rowmark was if I got a scholarship. Well, I didn't get it. That's when my dad remembered Peter Kennedy Peter Kennedy may be:
My dad first learned about Peter and AQ five years ago when a group of kids were participating in a whitewater kayaking Whitewater kayaking is the sport of paddling a kayak on a moving body of water, typically a whitewater river. Whitewater kayaking can range from simple, carefree gently moving water, to demanding, dangerous whitewater. competition in the river behind our house in Big Sky. My dad--who is way into kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking is differentiated from canoeing by the fact that a kayak has a closed cockpit and a canoe has an open cockpit. They also use a two bladed paddle. Another major difference is in the way the paddler sits in the boat. and got me into it at age 7--went down to the river to talk to Peter. Peter told my dad about the Academy at Adventure Quest, a high school for teenagers who want to learn about the world through experience. Peter explained to my dad that AQ is an academically challenging school for self-motivated students. He said Academy students have been trekking, paddling pad·dling n. 1. The act of moving a boat by means of a paddle. 2. A spanking or beating with a paddle. Paddling of ducks: a company of ducks on water—Lipton, 1970. , rock climbing rock climbing Sports medicine An 'extreme sport' in which the participant climbs rock formations, with or without ropes Injury risk Fractures, abrasions, death. See Extreme sports. , scuba diving scuba diving Swimming done underwater with a self-contained underwater-breathing apparatus (scuba), as opposed to skin diving, which requires only a snorkel, goggles, and flippers. Scuba gear was invented by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Émile Gagnan in 1943. , mountaineering mountaineering or mountain climbing Sport of attaining, or attempting to attain, high points in mountainous regions, mainly for the joy of the climb. , mountain biking mountain biking Sports medicine A sport in which participants use specialized bicycles to navigate rough, steep trails covered with unforgiving rocks Injury risk Concussions, fractures, death. See Extreme sport, Novelty seeking behavior. and even elephant riding in places like Costa Rica Costa Rica (kŏs`tə rē`kə), officially Republic of Costa Rica, republic (2005 est. pop. 4,016,000), 19,575 sq mi (50,700 sq km), Central America. , New Zealand New Zealand (zē`lənd), island country (2005 est. pop. 4,035,000), 104,454 sq mi (270,534 sq km), in the S Pacific Ocean, over 1,000 mi (1,600 km) SE of Australia. The capital is Wellington; the largest city and leading port is Auckland. and South Africa South Africa, Afrikaans Suid-Afrika, officially Republic of South Africa, republic (2005 est. pop. 44,344,000), 471,442 sq mi (1,221,037 sq km), S Africa. . He pointed out one kayaker who studied Spanish in the streets of Quito, another who learned biology on the plains of Africa. Next thing I knew, I was on a plane to Africa with nine other students from all over the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . My adventure had begun... Sept. 29, 1998 Nothing is familiar to me. I barely have any idea where I'm going. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever even imagine traveling to Africa. The plane is taking off. I'm crying. What is a girl like me doing, going into the wild on my own? Our plane lands in Johannesburg, and the smell is overwhelming. Imagine a city that smells like burning rubber. My first encounter with an African is the customs guy, a strapping strap·ping adj. Having a sturdy muscular physique; robust. n. 1. Straps considered as a group. 2. Material for making straps. Zulu with earlobes that hang down to his neck, thanks to the traditional earrings he's wearing. He also has a few rings through his nose. Whoa. He asks me where I am from. "The United States," I chirp. He smiles and says I have come to the right place. "There are many eligible men in South Africa. And you look ready to be married!" I freak. How could he think this? I'm 15! Talk about culture shock. Oct. 4, 1998 Our group is 10 students and five teachers. Our mission is to spend the next three months learning geometry, biology, British lit and geography, all while doing freestyle kayaking on the Blide and Zambizi rivers. We're hiking a game farm in South Africa. Today, we came upon a leopard kill. A leopard ran down an impala, a kind of African antelope. While it appears the leopard enjoyed most of the impala, the cats left a dead impala fetus behind. My biology teacher, Dave, decided this would be a great time to do a dissection dissection /dis·sec·tion/ (di-sek´shun) 1. the act of dissecting. 2. a part or whole of an organism prepared by dissecting. ! So there we were, in the middle of the African Plains in 95-degree heat, chopping up an unborn impala. Never mind the fact that the leopards were probably up in the trees, watching us. I'm definitely not in Big Sky anymore. Oct. 30, 1998 The Zambizi is one of the biggest rivers in the world. It's huge, fast, deep water. The waves are 20 feet high. The river roars louder than the lions. I've never kayaked a river this hard before. As I was paddling I knew that if I didn't take the right path down the rapid, I'd be swept into a hole. Holes are crazy. They're like riding a bucking horse. Holes trap you. Holes flip you over. Some holes can kill you. At the end of the run, our guide told me I am the youngest girl ever to kayak kayak (kī`ăk), Eskimo canoe, originally made of sealskin stretched over a framework of whalebone or driftwood. It is completely covered except for the opening in which the paddler sits. the Zambizi. Wow! Oct. 31, 1998 We're staying in the old Bank of Zambia. We're in the middle of nowhere. Everything is painted white but, for some reason, this building is dark blue. It was from here that we took a taxi to the entrance of Victoria Falls Victoria Falls, waterfall, c.1 mi (1.6 km) wide with a maximum drop of 420 ft (128 m), in the Zambezi River, S central Africa, on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border. The falls are formed as the Zambezi plummets into a narrow chasm (c. . We had barely entered the park when we were stopped by an African man in fatigues. We couldn't help but notice his M22 automatic machine gun. He didn't look very friendly. "Who are you? Where are you going?" he demanded. Our leader Jeff managed to croak out, "Victoria Falls." The soldier's mood totally changed. Next thing we knew, he was leading us to a spot only the locals know about--the Angel Pool. "If you see anything that looks like a big log floating toward you," he said, "get out of the river; it's a crocodile crocodile, large, carnivorous reptile of the order Crocodilia, found in tropical and subtropical regions. Crocodiles live in swamps or on river banks and catch their prey in the water. They have flattened bodies and tails, short legs, and powerful jaws. . Not an especially comforting thing to hear when standing up to your knees in murky water. We walked along the river and found a spot to cross. We could hear falls roaring next to us. Then, the soldier stripped down to his boxers and appeared to jump straight into Victoria Falls. I just looked at our guide in shock. No way did this guy just hurl himself into a 360-foot waterfall! That did not just happen! A moment later, the soldier's smiling face popped up. Frozen in our tracks, we were surrounded by the awe-inspiring site of Victoria Falls. And just in front of us, was a 10-foot-wide still pool surrounded by rocks. Go past those rocks, and you'd go over the edge with not so much as a barrel. We all made the 10-foot jump into the pool. I splashed around, and then swam to the edge of the rocks. As I looked over, I could see the water crashing hundreds of feet below. The feeling was majestic. I felt so at peace with the water. It was such a rush but very relaxing, too. I don't think I'll ever feel anything like that again. Dec. 9, 1998 After three months, our group is heading back to Brownsville to take finals. We have to take them the second we get back. It's so weird So Weird is a television series shot in Vancouver, British Columbia that aired on the Disney Channel as a midseason replacement from January 18th, 1999 to September 28th, 2001. . One minute, I am hanging over the edge of the world's tallest waterfall. The next minute, I'm sharpening No. 2 pencils for my geometry final. Dec. 20, 1998 I'm back home in Montana for a ski race in Bozeman. I'm one of the top skiers in my division for super-G, downhill, slalom slalom Alpine skiing event in which competitors race one at a time down a zigzag or wavy course past a series of flags or markers called gates. The course is carefully designed to test the skier's skill, timing, and judgment. and giant slalom giant slalom n. A downhill skiing race in which participants must pass between pairs of gates set along a course that is larger and often steeper than a slalom course. . Being back is harder than I thought. My friends have changed, but maybe it's just me. I guess Africa does that to a girl. You know that line your mom She goes to the gym. gives you when you aren't eating your food? The one about how ungrateful you are and how there are starving kids in Africa? I saw that with my own eyes. I've decided to devote myself to earning a trip to the Junior Olympics in Mammouth, Calif, in March. If I win or place in the top 10, I can get some ski sponsorships and a chance to train as a possible future Olympian! The focus and mental discipline I learned kayaking the Zambizi has helped me a lot. Racing down a hill at 65 miles an hour is nothing compared to jumping off a bridge or hanging out with leopards or being inches away from Victoria Falls. March 22,1999 I only placed 16th, but my runs were impressive enough to attract the attention of a major ski company. Now, I am semi-sponsored by Fisher. I wear their logos, and they give me a break on skis. June 11, 1999 It's good to be home in Big Sky. I am taking my buckskin buckskin body coat color in horses, varies from yellow to almost brown; the points, including mane, tail, lower limbs are brown to black. quarterhorse Totter Dotter on long trail rides in Yellowstone Park. I'm kayaking on the Gallatin. I have a tough decision to make about my fall semester at Adventure Quest. I can either go to Nepal and do a cultural tour, or sign up for hardcore kayaking in New Zealand. My parents want me to go to NZ. They're trying to convince me I need to stay competitive in my kayaking. But, for the first time in my life, I think I'd rather venture outside my comfortable world of athletics and try something new. Man, am I scared. Oct. 2, 1999 Sixteen of us are heading to Nepal for 52 days--three girls and seven guys, plus six teachers. The good news is that five of the kids on the trip were with me in Africa. I'm taking some time off from kayaking. I want to try trekking, mountaineering and rock climbing. My school always has a community service project in every country we visit. Our project in Nepal is to help some Nepalese kids with their education. Each of us students promised to raise $100 before our trip. I decided to write an article in my hometown paper The Lane Peak Lookout. Our total pot is $1,300. We're using the money to send two kids to high school for four years. All schools in Nepal Kathmandu
Oct. 16, 1999 We went to an orphanage ORPHANAGE, Eng. law. By the custom of London, when a freeman of that city dies, his estate is divided into three parts, as follows: one third part to the widow; another, to the children advanced by him in his lifetime, which is called the orphanage; and the other third part may be by him and taught the kids how to grow plants. Here were kids just a couple years younger than I am who have no idea plants need water to grow. Nov. 14,1999 Rule No. 1 about Nepal: Always treat your water. There are no water fountains at 12,000 feet, so we get our drinking water drinking water supply of water available to animals for drinking supplied via nipples, in troughs, dams, ponds and larger natural water sources; an insufficient supply leads to dehydration; it can be the source of infection, e.g. leptospirosis, salmonellosis, or of poisoning, e.g. from the river. We pump the water through a special pump. One end goes in the river, the other in the canteen. The pump has a filter to remove all the harmful bacteria. Then just add a couple iodine iodine (ī`ədīn, –dĭn) [Gr.,=violet], nonmetallic chemical element; symbol I; at. no. 53; at. wt. 126.9045; m.p. 113.5°C;; b.p. 184.35°C;; sp. gr. 4.93 at 20°C;; valence −1, +1, +3, +5, or +7. tablets, let it sit for 20 minutes and drink up. We hiked four hours out of Namche before we came to a little three-house town in the heart of the Himalayas. As we got into town, I asked a local Nepalese guy, "Pani PANI Polyaniline PANI Pseudo Automatic Number Identification PANI P-Access-Network-Info ?" Pani means water. Or, in this case, boiling water--another great way to kill bacteria. The local pointed me toward a little stone house with a 5-foot-tall doorway. Inside was a man with a big pot of water on a tiny burner. "Pani?" The man smiled at me and filled my water bottle. I smiled back and headed back out of town. In Nepal, there is no word for thank you. Nov. 16, 1999, 4 p.m. I think I have Acute Mountain Sickness acute mountain sickness Wilderness medicine A condition caused by prolonged exposure to high altitude Clinical Dry cough, SOB, poor exercise tolerance, dizziness, headache, sleep difficulty, anorexia, confusion, fatigue, tachycardia Management Move to low altitude . Basically that's altitude sickness altitude sickness: see decompression sickness. altitude sickness or mountain sickness Acute reaction to a change from low altitudes to altitudes above 8,000 ft (2,400 m). . I have the worst cramps ever, but it's not my period. Something is way wrong with my stomach. I'm glad I don't have to hike today. Today, we're just supposed to adjust to the altitude. Good thing--I cant move an inch. My stomach just hurts so bad. Nov. 16, 1999, 5p.m. My teacher brings in the yak bucket--literally and figuratively. The yaks eat out of it, and now I am yakking into it. I can't stop puking. Nov. 16, 1999, 9 p.m. I'm in the tent, I'm throwing up stomach acid, and I am freezing. I would write down what's going on What's Going On is a record by American soul singer Marvin Gaye. Released on May 21, 1971 (see 1971 in music), What's Going On reflected the beginning of a new trend in soul music. but, right now, I am hallucinating hal·lu·ci·nate v. hal·lu·ci·nat·ed, hal·lu·ci·nat·ing, hal·lu·ci·nates v.intr. To undergo hallucination. v.tr. To cause to have hallucinations. . Here's what people told me happened: The porters took me out of the tent and brought me into a teahouse. They took off my boots and gloves, and wrapped me around a woodstove to warm up. Someone was holding my head up because I couldn't support it. The teachers thought I needed to be carried down the mountain in a special bag. The bag would keep me from depressurizing too quickly. Just as they were about to set off, I suddenly felt strong enough to take a sip of water. I can rehydrate re·hy·drate v. 1. To cause rehydration of something. 2. To replenish the body fluids of an individual. ! The decision is made. I will go down tomorrow. Nov. 19, 1999 What took me one day to walk up took me two days to walk down. I could only walk two yards at a time before the dizzy spells would knock me on my butt. After 48 hours of crawling down the mountain, I'm in the town of Denboche. I have been ordered to stay here five days and rest. I am still puking. My main goal on this trip had been to summit Island Peak. I wanted it so badly. I had worked on building my strength and altitude adjustment. It was supposed to prevent just this kind of thing from happening! I'm really depressed and frustrated frus·trate tr.v. frus·trat·ed, frus·trat·ing, frus·trates 1. a. To prevent from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart: . I wish I were summiting with everyone else. That's one experience I guess I'll never have. Dec. 5,1999 Had an ugly American
Ugly American is an epithet used to refer to perceptions of arrogant, demeaning, thoughtless behaviors of Americans abroad. moment today. This guy in our group ordered an omelet. The Nepalese try to make tourists happy and offer western food but, let's face it, it's not like they have any idea what a real omelet is. So this guy doesn't like his food and sends it back. I was like, "Do you understand that we are in the middle of a freaking freak·ing adv. & adj. Slang Used as an intensive: Traffic was a freaking nightmare. [Alteration of frigging, present participle of frig.] mountain range in a third world country? This restaurant just got electricity two months ago!" One thing I've learned about travelling is that you have to respect other countries. It's important to dress the way the people dress. In Nepal, women always wear skirts, never pants. I've trekked some of the world's toughest ranges in a dress. And if you see a Nepalese person on the hiking trail, you always put your hands together as if in prayer and say, "Namaste Namasté or Namaskar (नमस्ते [nʌmʌsˈteː] ," which means, "I honor the God within you." Christmas in Montana, 1999 I always suspected Americans are materialistic, but being in Nepal really opened my eyes. People there wear the clothes on their backs for months straight. The manual labor the Nepalese people do would floor most Americans--literally. Every year, they grow rice, cut it and grind it just so they can survive for another. The work is back-breaking, but the Nepalese are very happy people. They don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. anything about CDs, expensive racing skis or J. Crew. I know this sounds crazy, but it's Christmas, and I have no interest in shopping or presents. My mom actually bought me a cute little gag gift. She spent maybe $20 on it, but I demanded she take it back. I mean, $20 is the annual wage for a Nepali. I know I need to chill out chill out Informal Verb to relax, esp. after energetic dancing at a rave Adjective chill-out suitable for relaxation after energetic dancing: a chill-out area a bit, but it's hard. I have to realize that, while I am changing every day, my parents and friends are basically the same. July 12, 2000 It's been a really busy six months. Believe it or not, Adventure Quest sent a teacher, Brandom, to tutor me while I trained with the Big Mountain Race Team. I qualified to be in the Canadian nationals. That's the good news. The bad news? I didn't do so well. But I've learned a lot. Like that I am not a World Cup ski racer! I need smaller goals. Thankfully, kayaking season was just around the corner. In April, I trained in western Georgia. I did really well. So well that I was picked to be one of two girls to represent the United States at pre-Worlds. The pre-Worlds are like a test run for the big World competition. I wish I could go, but I don't have the money for a plane ticket. In 2001, I'll try to keep my spot on the team so I can compete in Worlds. Aug. 20, 2000 I've decided to go back to Nepal with Adventure Quest. It's gonna be me, 13 guys, seven teachers and three of the best rivers in the world for kayakers-- the Bhota Kosie, Marcyendi and Karnali. I can't wait to see the Karnali. It's the largest river in Nepal and it's scary. Dec. 6, 2000 I've spent the past couple months kayaking some of the most beautiful rivers in the world. It was awesome. Imagine being with guys who respect you for who you are as a person and what you can do (which, in my case, is run a class-five river in my kayak). Here's what you learn after spending quality time with a bunch of guys A Bunch of Guys (BOGs), or Group of Guys (GOGs) are terms used by counter-terrorism officials to refer to small, self-organizing terrorist cells.[1] BOGs typically have little to no contact with global terrorist groups like al Qaeda, so they independently plan and : Don't worry about everything so much! So what if you don't do everything exactly right? Before, if I had a bad run when I was ski racing, I cried. The guys in my group taught me to just blow it off and focus on making the next run better. Bottom line? Guys go with the flow. They let disappointments roll off their backs and chalk it up to experience. If something didn't go right on our trip, the guys would just look forward to the next thing. The bad news? You can be in the middle of Annapurna range, eating yak butter Noun 1. yak butter - butter made from yaks' milk butter - an edible emulsion of fat globules made by churning milk or cream; for cooking and table use for breakfast, lunch and dinner with no running water or electricity, and guys still expect you to shave your legs. Oh, well. Dec. 16, 2000 I actually made it into my first-choice college--Bates! I've been skiing here in Montana, and I've already won three qualifying races so my spot on the Junior Olympic team is secure. My focus for spring? Make the U.S. Kayak team! People always ask me why I don't go to a college that offers kayaking. Guess what? There are no freestyle kayak programs at any school. I hope to start the very first one at Bates. That's a pretty good goal, I think! Oct. 27, 1998, Africa Dear Journal, We're two months into our trip, and I feel as though I've just arrived. We've been on this train two days straight, and we still have another day to go. This train only goes 40 miles an hour and stops every 20 minutes. We thought it would be the most cultural and exciting way of traveling. Hmm... We had mid-term rests today. Who ever would have thought I'd be taking mid-terms on a train to Zimbabwe. At one point, the train came to a stop in the middle of nowhere to let a herd of at least 100 elephants pass. They were beautiful. Later, I heard some humming. There was music playing, and I heard Jesse and Kelly and another voice. The voice belonged to an African woman who was singing a song her tribe has sung for who-knows-how- many years. It was then it hit me--there are so many different people in this world, and I've seen maybe 3 percent of them. Tonight was one of the most beautiful nights yet. I just happened to glance out the window and I saw something that touched me so much I cant even explain it. There was a glow that made the mountains look like they were on fire. This reddish light outlined the mountains, making them look like they were on another planet. The endless African sky is filled with stars. I think I'll sit and gaze out the window, and let the train rock me to sleep. Nov. 12, 1999, Nepal Dear Journal, I woke up at around 6:00 this morning and, went to the bakery in Namche. Namche is a huge trading post trading post See post. 11,200 feet up the Himalayas. It's also one of the last stops for people who want to eat a Snickers
Snickers is a sweet bar made by Mars, Incorporated. bar before they climb Mt. Everest. I drank milk tea while I watched the sun rise over the snow-covered 20,000-foot peak. We then hiked to Kunja, a town above Namche. We saw all the huge, beautiful peaks--Amadablam, Everest, Lotse and more. I have tons of homework and no longer have time to chat with my Nepalese buddies. But on the trail today, I talked with a cool man, He said I was strong and wanted to shake my hand, I told him it was because we had hiked from Heli, which is over 250 miles away. Our Nepali guide Lelite is trying to hook me up with a Nepali guy! Today, at the Tibetan market, he even started picking out cloth for my wedding gown. How funny. As I write this, insane yaks are running around the street. They are beautiful with their long hair and horns, but they are very mean and dangerous. Unfortunately, the electricity is out, and there are no baked goods. After trekking for 48 days, eating nothing but rice and lentils,, I was psyched for some real food. It stinks, but I guess you have those problems at 11,200 feet. Nov 23, 2000, Nepal Dear Journal, Margaret has an infected knee, Yonton and Michael don't feel great, Jesse has a hurt shoulder, and I can't win at Spades. Germs and injuries have taken over our trip, along wit the constant, ongoing card game of Spades. It's an addiction, I tell you! I didn't think it would be that great and, now, I play it in my free periods, on the bus and before bed. Granted, I stink and haven't worn a game yet. It's amazing how fast you can get into something and not even realize it. It's the same thing with the one treat you can always count on in Nepal--chocolate. I have to have a Snickers every day! Which is a nice change from dalbhat, the rice and lentils we eat 24/7. Nepal is still awesome, though. I am very homesick home·sick adj. Acutely longing for one's family or home. home  sick for a toilet, running water and a bed, but the stars are beautiful tonight. I love the stars. What a beautiful day and what a wonderful life here on the Bhota Kosie. Relaxing. I love it. Class under the thatched thatch n. 1. Plant stalks or foliage, such as reeds or palm fronds, used for roofing. 2. Something, such as a thick growth of hair on the head, that resembles thatch. 3. Dead turf, as on a lawn. tr.v. roofs...gazing out at the mountains covered with rice patties...Moby on the stereo with the c onstant roar of the river behind me. Yep, this is the life. Dear Girl's Life reader, I know what you must be thinking: "No way is this girl normal. And no way can I do the stuff she has!" But that's where you're wrong. Like I said--before that first day in Africa, I was just like you. "Well, I can't fly to some exotic place to change my life," you say? You don't have to. All you have to do is be open-minded and try new things. Push your limits sometimes, and do stuff you are afraid of. Realize that life will not just be handed to you. Life will present you with options, but it is up to you to take advantage of every opportunity. I believe simple things can alter the course of your life. Do you sit at the same lunch table every day with the same friends? Be daring, and walk over to another table to make new friends. Maybe you've heard people say this 100 times, but the question is, "Have you really tried?" A major part of my life as an athlete and as a person has been setting realistic goals. I start small and work my way toward more difficult standards. You should always want more from yourself. The world has a lot to offer, and you have everything to gain. You won't always reach the goals you set for yourself. But that doesn't mean you haven't accomplished anything. You know how badly I wanted to summit Island Peak. I had worked diligently on building my strength and preventing illness so I could climb to 20,000 feet. Getting sick was a huge disappointment. However, I realized that even though I was unable to attain my goal, I had still accomplished a lot in the journey itself. Here is my personal motto: You are the creator, destroyer destroyer, class of warship very fast relative to its length, generally equipped with torpedos, antisubmarine equipment, and medium-caliber and antiaircraft guns. The newest destroyers are equipped with guided missiles as their chief offensive weapon. and recreator of your own existence. What I mean is this--I think every girl can become any type of person she wants to be. No matter who you are now, no matter what limits you think you have, you can do anything you dream of. All it takes is willpower and desire. I should know. Brenna P.S. My experiences in Africa and Nepal could never have happened without the Academy at Adventure Quest. Adventure Quest is a high school for teenagers who want to learn about the world through experience. It is an academically challenging college preparatory program designed for self-motivated students. For more information, check out www.adventurequest.org. |
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