High Mountain Institute By Hannah O., Freeport, ME

Photo credit: Trenton O., Highland, UT I was the girl who woke up a whole hour before I had to leave for school so I’d have plenty of time in front of the mirror. Boxes filled with tubes and brushes, many used daily, crowded my bathroom. It took me a good 15 minutes every morning to choose what outfit I would put together from my colour-coded wardrobe. Basically, I was a typical teen, one with several friends exactly like me, who focused solely on what others thought of me. Then I went to High Mountain Institute, a school in Colorado that concentrates on living in a community focused on nature. Three times during the four-month program, the whole school goes into the wilderness for two-week periods. At HMI there are four showers, two for the 20 girls, and two for the 10 boys. That equals ten girls per shower! We had two hours of free time each day, which meant plenty of time for everyone to shower. Instead of showering, though, I spent my free time doing more productive things like playing games outside, listening to live guitar music, and forming bonds with others - things that, at home, I never would have traded for a shower. Other tasks like cooking dinner, washing dishes, making a fire, or cleaning the same room every morning brought the other concerns of my life into perspective. The most important part of my day was no longer the time I spent in front of the mirror or when people praised me for my appearance, but instead I felt pride in completing a task and knowing that I had helped my peers stay comfortable and safe. Then there were the expeditions - two weeks with no mirrors, no makeup, not even a sink. Well, that’s a lie, on the first expedition I did actually bring a mirror, but after not using it, I left it behind for the next two. During these adventures, I never thought about my appearance, mostly because I was too busy doing things to survive in the wilderness. Fixing my hair didn’t exactly fit into that category. During these expeditions I was around boys all the time, which previously would have pressured me to look good, but surprisingly, I didn’t even think about what they’d see when they looked at me. Probably because I knew that they’d see a resourceful, self-reliant girl, someone who could cook meals over a camp stove and hike for miles with a 60-pound pack; someone who could perform jobs much more important than applying mascara. My experience in Colorado weaned me from my addiction to appearance. I realized that when you are involved in experiences outside of yourself that take your mind off yourself, you tend to forget the useless obsessions inside, or in my case, outside.

This piece has been published in Teen Ink’s monthly print magazine.

http://www.teenink.com/summer_guide/program_reviews/article/15860/High-Mountain-Institute/

1. How long did she take to choose clothes? 2. What was important for Hannah before entering the camp? 3. What did she do every day?

4. How did she change?

5. How long do expeditions last?