Three years ago, on the top of a mountain, the voice of a waterfall opened the eyes of my heart. During one of the most amazing journeys of my life, I spent six days strapped into a forty-pound backpack hiking and climbing with eleven other girls and two guides. Six days of hiking led me through forests with alder trees that snagged at my clothes, across slippery logs serving as bridges over rivers and waterfalls, alongside meadows of heather and wildflowers and over boulder fields hugging the sides of cliffs. Six days of hiking gifted me with panoramic mountain views, sunsets more glorious than any seen from sea level and nights spent drifting in and out of sleep underneath the glow of the full moon. The nature around Mount Pearkes, our mountain home, radiated with beauty. It filled our sights with snowy peaks and glimmering ocean water. Needless to say, this trip was incredible.
