A Hero's Journey

What images come to mind as you reflect on your childhood? Playgrounds, blackboards, and soccer balls may be among the warmest of memories. Yet for many mermaids swim their thoughts, princesses get swept of their feet, and lions roar to their loyal place in the animal kingdom. There is no doubt that today’s entertainment has most of its touch using classical influences. Walt Disney has produced animated films that have captured the heart and imagination of audiences of all ages around the world through the magic of storytelling and imagery. Many of us appreciate the imagination and magic that Disney puts into its animations with out knowing they are based off of classical and traditional storylines

”It will be a full day’s walk to get to the mountain path.” Sara informed them as she led the way. Hiking for hours and still miles away from the path leading down mountain, Sara, showing her disapproval, finally asked, “My Lord Nightburn, why did you bring them with us?”

There I was sitting at the table eating what the nuns like to call food what just looked like to me slop I was sitting with my friend Felix. He came across a carrot and it was a full-size carrot he just sat there and stared at it not even touching it if he did not hurry up and I was going to grab it and eat it.

A few months later, I found myself riding with Halt back to his quaint little cottage nestled in the woods. He was teaching me about animal tracks. As our horses tread against the snow that lay on the ground, I noticed a massive print next to the cottage, and Halt said it was a giant boar. A man was lying in the bushes and came out to claim that he had seen the boar first hand, and that it was a mad and destructive one. Halt told him to go to the castle and tell the Baron to gather a group of men so that we can all go hunt the boar in the morning. The next day, I found myself on horseback on the outside of a circle of warriors, and Horace. If the boar were to escape through our circle, I was to chase it down and finish it off with my bow.

My heart wasn’t with him and it had been this way since the moment he brought me home to his apartment above the garage the day we were wed. I had at this point given up fighting to free myself and sunk deep into my thoughts. Upon remembering the day we met I could recall almost every detail about him; from the twinkle in his eyes to the gleam of his golden watch. There was a gleam of hope which I saw when I looked at him much unlike the strain and exhaustion I see as he lurks in the grey shadows of the garage. Though I detested this awful place, it was not New York I longed to adventure away from, it was him. Him and his oh-so ordinary ways. I wished to live a life of the extravagant and the bold, a life with Tom, a life that was not

Before leaving the hotel, they had done much research and found out that it was a gorgeous view with a medium hike to get there. They all loved hiking so they didn’t think that it would be much of a challenge and on top of it they would get some pretty awesome pictures. Getting a later start than most people walking from their hotel in Waikiki. 10 o’clock, they’ve had breakfast and think their ready. The youngest of these tourists is 10 years old and is ready to go. The other is a 14 years old and would much rather be sleeping, she told reporters. The head of this crew was the mother, Tracy. She was the one that had supported this trip and was slightly obsessed with lighthouses passersby said.They all thought that they were thoroughly prepared but they did not quit understand the steep terrain they were going to encounter before they even arrived at the bottom of the mountain. Their actual

Going through the motions of clearing away the remnants of the failed luncheon, Casey pondered the events of that afternoon. How did it go so wrong when it had started out so pleasantly? The only thing she knew was that she hadn’t been truthful when Fiona had asked if she had seen anything in the house since moving in. With Ray standing there, she wasn’t able to tell Fiona all that she had experienced. Ray would think she was going mad and want to take her back to Macon to see Dr. Cannon.

The wheels of the cart squealed as a group of merchants pulled it along the slope. The three horse team continued at a slow gait. They'd spent four days wandering the path from the capital city of Lustria to the furthest outskirt village of Tidal. Auron and his son, Lorne walked along at opposite sides of the cart. The older man rested his hand on his pommel as he walked. It had been years since he'd taken this road. Fifteen years wasn't a long enough time for him though. However, he'd taken this job with nary a concern for where he and Lorne were going. The contract was lucrative and Lorne had never seen anything beyond the walls of their own village far off to the east.

The first thing that made me question whether hiking table rock was a good idea or not was the sign. It said “trail not recommended”. I had already been informed by my sister that this was not an easy hike but seeing the sign made it real. However, the sign also made me laugh a little. In a way it was like a final good luck.

Had we gone the right way? Now, I wasn’t so sure. Making an executive decision, I turned back around, Nat trailing behind. We took the other side of the trail’s divergence, hoping that the path would now be straightforward.

Ariana Price is a 19 year old female who lives in Dublin, California along her best friend Ashley Jacobs. Ariana Price is a 5’2 brunette with a slim figure. Ariana loves to travel around the world and prefers not to stay in one place for long periods of time. Ariana prefers the outdoors rather than being locked indoors. Her best friend Ashley is a little different and prefers to stay indoors and does not like traveling as much but she likes to hike when she is in the mood. One day Ashley was feeling like going to Napa, California and thought that Ariana would love it as well. So she brought it to her attention “Hey Ari, I think that since we haven’t gone anywhere in a while I thought that we should go to Napa! You know? The Wine Country.” Ariana thought about it for a while and then finally made up her mind. “Sure why not? I was going to ask you about it anyways and also I found this great place to hike if you are up for it.” said Ariana. Ashley then said in a very happy tone “Yeah, sure I have been wanting to go hiking but never really got the chance to go. “Well hurry up and get dressed we are gonna leave soon! It’s not that far, it is only about an hour away from us” said Ariana. “Ok Ariana, calm down, let me go get ready and then we can go. Oh and what is this hiking place called anyways?” Ariana had forgotten the place so she looked on the internet for popular hiking trails and finally found the park she was looking for. “The park is Skyline Wilderness park and they

The path we took now was mostly goat trails and significantly more rugged. My parents, who were sufficiently into their middle years, compared starkly to Alina and Franchesco. The suburban living had taken a toll on their confidence in the considerably wilder environment and I noticed their feet stumble where our guides had perfect grace. My siblings and I however, still had a sense of nature and felt accustomed to our bodies in the outside world. I became determined then to continue exploring the nature around me and take every opportunity not to fall into the comforts of a stagnant

The blazing sun was just breaking over the horizon on this particular July day between my freshman and sophomore year. It bathed me in golden rays that warmed my skin. Despite this, a chill dripped down my spine, and my heart jittered about in my chest as my mom drove me toward the unknown and uncertain future. I was about to embark on a treacherous journey: a backpacking trip through the Colorado mountains. The car hurdled over the wandering asphalt until I arrived in a parking lot where an ominous white van waited to carry me toward my destiny.

Kate’s family was off again for another annual camping trip; a trip she hadn’t enjoyed since she was a child. Back then they were close and happy but now she had to give up a weekend with her friends to tough it out in the woods. Since she begged not to go that morning they were running late and had to walk up the mountain at a more than average pace. Kate was exhausted so they stopped for a quick break next to a crowd of trees.

Frigid air from the mountains slam our faces as we look around the jeep searching for what could have went wrong. As I inspect the tires I noticed a growing hole on my side. “Must have been when we hit the rock a few miles ago,” I signed in disbelief. I slide my phone out of my thin jacket pocket to find I had no cellular reception this high into the mountains. David and I decided to set on foot to search for help. We hiked through the unknown wilderness until we stumbled upon the abandoned ski village.