Day 28

1. Tell us about an experience that has changed your point of view on life.

   
   

   The rain started pouring, and pouring, and pouring down more, dumped from the black sky. 

           

    My mother and I had backpacked to a sort of a campground by the beach in a National Park in Colombia. Campground is probably a loose definition. The scene was a little like this: our tent nearly bumped into the neighbors' because the campground was so crowded, the "restaurant" provided basically inedible food (the cat wouldn't even eat my leftovers). Everyone showered in the same makeshift outdoor showers that didn't really work and were basically in the middle of an open field. The "bathroom" smelled like rotting feces. We were sleeping in tent that cost two dollars. 

   I wasn't used to roughing it so much like this, and so unexpectedly, but I was doing okay with my conditions, I thought. Until the rain started. The rain that dumped from the black sky. The thing is, our tent wasn't waterproof, at all, and so we had to swath it completely in giant, heavy-duty garbage bags. But, the garbage bags prevented any circulation of air, so the heat sweltered inside the tiny tent. I tried to sleep, no sleeping bag, in my swimsuit, but my face was still covered in sweat. The rain would stop for 5 minutes and I would rush outside, taking the bags off for a brief respite--until I heard the sound of water crashing against the roof of the tent again. Go!  I needed to rush outside again before we became even more soaked.

   It wasn't a fun night. I probably got around 3 hours of sleep and I was certainly grumpy. But I felt so grateful when I woke up. And saw where I was. One of the most beautiful places I have been to on earth. I could see through the tent flap the beach, the aquamarine water, and the white, white sand. I was so thankful for everything that is so beautiful in this world, and roughing it, dealing with something I didn’t like, made me appreciate what I saw so much more.