The night before my first trip to the Boundary Waters, my dad told me I was going to have an amazing experience. He also warned me that it would be difficult, and that made me so nervous I could barely sleep. Morning came, though, and we went.

That first day it rained the entire time. We saw four hours of sun at most, and I spent those hours napping on a rock and leisurely eating a bag of beef jerky.

The next day, as it rained again, my family and I packed up camp and moved forward. Then I learned an important camping philosophy: if you don’t carry your pack, you don’t get dinner. At face value, it seemed quite simple, but I found it much harder than anticipated.

While the pack weighed almost as much as me, rain was running down my back and my shoes were so muddy that I couldn’t tell where my feet were. A hot meal seemed a lifetime away.

Everything felt miserable, but all the three of us could do was laugh at how ridiculous we looked. It was both the most disgusting I have ever felt, and the best time I’ve ever had — regardless of how tiring it was. I didn’t care anymore, because I had carried 75 pounds for a mile, and I felt amazing.

Even though the trip was difficult and I was unsure if I could do it, I kept walking. You can’t stop in the Boundary Waters.

It’s is a magical place, not only because it’s pretty and relaxing, but because you get what you put in. The enjoyment comes from the work, even though it felt like you would never make it. You do make it, though, and a rehydrated bag of spaghetti tastes like a five-star meal.

At first I was afraid to take a chance because I was faced with something difficult. I’m glad I ended up going through with it because on that trip I had the best time of my life.

Had I not gone, I would have lost an opportunity because I was afraid to fail. I’m faced with similar choices every day, and I’ve learned I can’t shy away from them just because I’m nervous or apprehensive about succeeding.

I took that opportunity to do something amazing, and I got more out of it than I ever expected.