Personal Narrative: The Road On The Lower Slabs At Seneca Rocks

Throughout the past couple of months my fellow peers and I have been studying the topic ‘challenge’ and how it affects our lives and people around us. In our everyday lives we are confronting challenges, some are as small as walking up a few steps, and some are larger and more challenging that could be life or death circumstances.

I learned that anything is possible long as you put mind to it. I also learned that I

In summary, I’ve learned that being confident and working hard can make you overcome your obstacles. Also you need courage to overcome your obstacles and by working hard, you can now do things that you couldn’t because you’ve learned it over your hard work that you put into

Among the Blue-Ridge Mountains in West Virginia, Seneca Rocks remains a place that values preservation of nature, its history, a family-oriented environment, and the safety and well-being of those who visit. I have visited Seneca Rocks at least three times in my 18 years and it is a very common place in my hometown, therefore, my personal experience helps me determine its values. “Seneca Rocks is a bare white sandstone sheet of rocks with sheer cliffs, towering 900 feet above the surrounding valley in the Allegheny Mountains in West Virginia’s Panhandle. This giant slab of rocks has been there for 440 million years. The rock sits along U.S Route 33 and is about 34 miles east of Elkins.” (Bob Downing, Akron

One cold, dreadful winter day in November, the wind was biting at our faces, high in the Ouachita mountains at Ash Creek deer camp, I would have to face my most dreaded fear. I would be faced with losing the person that means the uttermost to me.

I live in a small town that goes by the name of Lafayette. The population is 4,500. Everyone knows where everything is, when everything is, and what everything is. As a child, my mother and I would go to a beautiful waterfall on a small back road when the sun was shining, when the trees and rocks were just right, and when it was damp and perfect for four wheeler rides. The Union Camp waterfall is majestic. The scenery makes a person speechless. We would always go when the weather was perfect. The waterfall is one childhood memory I will always remember. The activities my mother and I would do were always a blast. My trips to Union Camp waterfall are memorable because of the scenery, the weather, and the activities.

The Myth of Seneca Falls is a historical book that uncovers the politics behind the creation of an origins myth for women’s rights. It is a book about women’s suffrage, social movements, and how history is made. The 1848 Convention of Seneca Falls is credited by historians as being the most recognized event in United States women’s history. Lisa Tetrault, author and historian, uses the concept of “origin story” to show how Seneca Falls is perhaps the most enduring and long-standing myth ever produced by a United States social movement. Tetrault explains how women such as Elizabeth Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott, and Lucy Stone paved the way for women rights, but shows how myths are created to give meaning to a story and advance ones social agenda..

So many bets, I could have made a total of $70 in bets, if I did them all. They were all for one event, The Stone Harbor Shiver in New Jersey. It was my second year doing it. It is a Polar Plunge, where you run into freezing cold water. After the super boring long car ride, we went out for dinner because we got there at 8:30 due to Philadelphia traffic.

The Rocks is one of the oldest areas of the Sydney area, therefore it features a range of amazingly beautiful old historic and heritage-listed buildings. The Sirius building, for example, was designed and built between 1978 and 1979. The Rocks locality features Brutalist architecture, buildings which are now used as residential apartments. The historic architecture and history of The Rocks are not the only interesting things that make it appealing.

I have learned so much about myself during this project and after completing the project. First and foremost, my life has changed and like that it has. Although my goal was to read two encouraging bible verses every morning my behavior

In the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in Northern New Mexico lies a hidden gem where thousands of locals flock to in the winter time. I grew up near this mountain range and skied these mountains for most of my life. Taos Ski Valley is elevated 12,400 feet above sea level and receives on average, 300 inches of snow during the winter every year. Some of the most memorable times I’ve had at Taos were skiing down double black diamond runs waist deep in 40 inches of new snow fall.

In particular, my 2015 high adventure trip to Philmont Scout Ranch. The trip consisted of a ten day trek through mountainous terrain near Cimarron, New Mexico. Along the way, I faced many challenges that helped boost my self-confidence and my respect for myself and others. Some of these challenges included climbing a twelve thousand foot mountain, having two crew members leave due to injuries, and facing my fear of rock climbing. Climbing Baldy Mountain was an exhilarating yet challenging experience by itself, increasing both my self-confidence and pride.

One of the best memories I have of my son and I together is when we took the Canyon Verde train. My son and I rode the Verde Canyon Railroad when he was two years old during a beautiful October day. Riding on the Verde Canyon Railroad train is a wonderful memory I have of my son and I, because it has a beautiful mountain view, my son had a wonderful time, and it was a relaxing day.

We parked in an empty lot at the end of the Road to Nowhere, checked our equipment, replaced our runners with hikers, and, after two or three challenging attempts, donned our backpacks and departed. Julie seemed to be doing better than I in the backpack department than I was. Although I expected a hefty load, I was not prepared for the sudden pain in my back and shoulders. Nevertheless, I carried on, hoping that the pack would readjust itself or that I would become accustomed to the load after achieving a comfortable walking stride.

I remember looking down at my hands and they were covered in blisters and blood. My body was producing such a high amount of adrenaline that my hands were shaking vigorously. Through the pain there was beauty. Our fifth and final jump was a monster. The previous cliff jumps ranged anywhere from ten to twenty feet and the final jump was a forty five foot jump into a canyon pool the size of a large hot tub. The jump was surrounded by sharp rocks on all directions except one. You also had to run and leap forward to avoid the rocks directly beneath us. A false step meant a serious accident. Everyone was tense, there was no denying that and fear lurked around us. You could see it in everyone’s faces. I felt responsible, as I was the person that set up the trip and convinced us to take the “extreme option”. I could not show fear, I needed to lead and act by example. Without hesitation, Steve said, “I can’t do this! I am afraid!” With that I replied a saying that my grandmother told me a long time ago, “So be afraid! And then, do it anyway.” I was the first to jump and the group followed through. The water was freezing and I couldn’t feel my extremities. At the base of the waterfall we looked up in disbelief at what we had just done and laughed uncontrollably for what seemed like a life time. We made it out alive with a great lesson learned. Rise above fear. It is only a state of mind that anyone can