I woke up at 8 a.m. on a Saturday with butterflies in my stomach. I was terrified to go on my first ever camping trip where I would climb the 1,500 foot Massanutten Mountain in Virginia.

What was I doing? Everyone else who was going on the trip had gone camping before, owned tents, knew how to pack for the trip, and was a complete camping pro. Oh yeah, I was one of the obnoxious juniors who begged Tony Del Puppo, otherwise known as DP, to take a group of girls from our Honors U.S. History class on his camping trip when we were seniors.

After psyching myself up, I rolled out of bed. I trudged downstairs and attempted to put on my 45-pound camping pack.  It contained clothes, a pot and utensils for meals, a sleeping bag, five bottles of water, and tons of snacks.

I was way out of my league with my borrowed equipment. Senior Chloe Ey brought her own knife and her camping-savvy mom to help on the trip. Senior Carrie Michael, the only other beginner, brought a Hydrapack.

As we waved goodbye to our parents, I hung onto my mom a little longer than usual.

Our fearless leader promised that our adrenaline would kick in and the trip wouldn’t be so difficult.

At our half-mile stop,  Del Puppo proceeded to tell us, “This trail is longer, therefore more intense, than the one I took the guys on.” There were so many rocks. We had to choose our steps carefully and walk “rapid fire” to keep up with him.

We were extremely sore by the time we got a glimpse of camp. We quickly set up, and I learned how to pitch a tent. Del Puppo offered us a “quick” hike to see some great views. An hour later, we arrived at a beautiful spot where we could see rivers and millions of trees.

We found a rock sculpture where there was a notebook filled with names, to which we added Senior Girls 2009 and DP.

The evening back at camp was relaxing. We cooked and ate delicacies such as meat lasagna, chicken a la King, pork and beans, and vegetarian lasagna.  Then came the best part: sleep.

It was pouring the next morning, but we groggily packed up our wet things and headed back down the mountain. We faced the same hazards that we did on our climb up, now enhanced by the rain. We walked at a much slower pace, and people tripped, slipped and fell.

As  the mini bus came into sight three and a half hours later, we started running as if we had never seen a more beautiful sight.

As we rode home to Bel Air, I reflected on the trip. I had never felt more physically challenged, but it was satisfying to overcome those challenges with my classmates. I arrived home in one piece with some strengthened friendships and a new appreciation for nature and the art of camping.