Why a Semester with the National Outdoor Leadership School would be beneficial to me.

I have been receiving a NOLS catalog of courses for quite a few years now. Every year when I receive it in the mail I run upstairs and read the thing from cover to cover doggy earring all the courses I dream of being a participant on. Before I know it the whole booklet has pages marked down and I have to spend more time rereading and then narrowing down the possibilities. I have always done things like that, dreaming of all the places I would like to go and all the things I want to do. I am always looking for adventure and new places to explore, constantly reading magazines and books, looking on the Internet or requesting information to various exotic destinations. In my own little world, these adventures are what make me happy. They are the reason that I want to be successful in life. The experiences that are unique are the ones that are the most rewarding. They are the things in life that are most important to me because they teach me about myself and make me believe in what a special and unique person I really am. A NOLS experience would be the tip of the iceberg in my journey through life, but if I never break the tip I will never get to where I need to go. I want to be challenged physically, mentally, socially…I want something to be proud of; this NOLS experience is very important to me.

Recently, I have been thinking a lot about my future. I have been working hard in school this year to try and get good grades. Aside from the academic standpoint, I have been working hard to be able to achieve the goals I have been setting for myself in the latter years of life. As you may or may not know I want to own my own business that specializes in adventure travel/ecotourism/outdoor education, a company along the lines of Backroads or America’s Adventure. I firmly believe that a Semester with NOLS in Patagonia would really be the basis for me to be able to lie a solid foundation in the industry of recreation. By going away this coming semester, I believe I am putting myself ahead of the game. Next summer I would like to work for a company that takes teenagers on adventure trips, and by completing a NOLS semester I will be extremely qualified. I figure by starting to work in the industry at a young age, it will give me more time to make connections and really get a feel as to the operations of an adventure travel company.

Nature is a very amazing thing. The concept of humans being so powerless in the natural world never really hits home until you are alone in the wilderness, a part of it for an extended period of time. Being able to take a breath away from any advanced civilization is a very empowering experience for me. Very few people take advantage of exactly what the natural world has to offer. Fortunately, for myself I have, and it has really made me the person I am today. For three summers I went on extended trips in the backcountry, some more intense than others did, but none the less all equally important. Each of the summers I came home a happier person, a more independent person and a person more content with the person I am becoming. I can’t imagine that being in one of the world’s most remote beautiful places in the world for almost three months without civilization won’t change me for the better. An opportunity like this really cleanses the mind and would give me time to evaluate my life so far and help me in deciding what needs to be changed for the future.

Aside from the spiritual aspect of three months in the wilderness, it would certainly get me into shape. I think it is obvious to many of the people that know me, that my body image has always been something I have struggled with. I once again have hit rock bottom in my fight against being leaner and more content with my body. Everything in my life has to be affected by these feelings either directly or indirectly, and I don’t like that. I want to feel good about myself because that would make me a happier person. Sadly enough a small part of the reason I am so excited to go away is because I know I will come back thinner and "buffer". I really need that right now. To know that I have challenged myself physically without a break for that long, there is a lot of self-confidence to be gained. I am very aware of the person that I am mentally and I am quite proud of her. I think that she is a strong independent woman who knows what she wants and needs and will get it. Sadly enough my physical appearance gets in the way of the rest of the Kate that I am so proud of, and would like to share with the world. Perhaps this trip will really give me the opportunity to achieve that.

Being in a remote setting for three months with only sixteen people will be a challenge. There will be times when all of us get along, times when we all hate each other and so it. There is no question that there won’t be a time when all of us are longing for a shower or some real food. On this trip, working with people and communicating will be key to the trip’s success. I think it is obvious that working with others and having to compromise in order to get the job done is something that I could use some help with. This is the ideal situation. I will be in a small group environment, which is what I really need in order to be heard and also, I will be in an environment that makes me happy to achieve a common goal. On all of my other trips this has proven true, especially outward bound, and it really feels good to know that you are able to work hard and compromise your own needs and wants to get a result that is good for the whole group.

Lastly, this is a leadership course that will teach me all the skills I will need both in the backcountry and my own real life experiences. I will be learning more in this 2.5 months than any lifetime at any University could ever teach me, and that is what counts. I have learned over the years that I am a person that learns by doing. Some people live their lives by the book, literally. I think that it is obvious to myself that I don’t. For one, I am excited about a profession that is a little out of the ordinary for a kid who grew up in the environment that I have. What is important to me isn’t necessarily how well I may or may not do on my statistics test next week, but what is really important to Kate Svitek as a person, and discovering who I really am on the inside looking a fun and rewarding life journey ahead.