Being a first year college student who doesn’t drink or party has been an interesting experience.

I am ostracized by the “social-norm” of college students, which has made it difficult to meet people who share the same values as I do. So when I got the text asking if I’d like to join Young Life, a campus Christian ministry, in a day hike to Red River Gorge, I jumped at the opportunity.

It seemed like the ideal way to get away from classes and the worry of getting hit by a car every time I cross the street, which is probably my fault half the time, but also to meet new people. Other freshmen and I were loaded into cars driven by faces half of us had probably never seen, and nervously, we took off to the trails.

The group I was with turned out to have an eclectic taste in music. We ranged from Bon Iver, one I’m sad to admit I haven’t listened to too much, to the ever-popular Twenty One Pilots, whose music blends together after a few songs.

When we got to the Gorge, 150 of us took off on different paths pertaining to how much physical activity we wanted. Heading up the mountain was filled with commonality conversation that I know everybody was sick of by the second day of college.

One of the only parts I hate about hiking is the insecurity of tripping over roots that causes you to stare at the ground and miss the scenery. But once we made it to our destination of Fat Man’s Squeeze and onto the Natural Bridge, it was like stepping out of a jungle of wild young apes, and into the only world, I believe, is truly whole and pure.

Looking out over the vast landscape of Kentucky, a state I’ve never been too fond of since I am an Ohioan, reminded me of a place I hike with my family back home. After about a three-hour journey we decided to go to the ever popular Miguel’s to get pizza, which I was told was an “out of this world” experience. Sadly, Miguel’s wasn’t anything I haven’t had before. Maybe that is coming from my ignorance of this American icon, but I do have to say I’ll go back for the T-shirts.

All in all, I’m excited for the fall to come and to go back to the Gorge to see the purity of this world change with its winter slumber.

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