Already, life at Thacher has been filled to the brim with fun, learning, and everything in between. To kick off the school year, I went with the other freshmen on the Golden Trout camping trip in the Sierra Nevada. It was my first camping trip and I felt both excited to see the great outdoors- coming from New York City had meant the most nature I’d seen was Central Park- and nervous as I shifted my weight to balance my heavy backpack. Backpacking was a challenge, at first, as I walked up the road gazing at mountains with my prefect group playing verbal word games and telling riddles. My prefect group is the group of freshmen girls who all have the same senior to be the go-to person for them, advising them, and just being there for support and fun. The hike was well worth it when we reached camp, built a fire, and devoured our dinner, but the best part was sleeping under the stars- having the last thing I saw before going to sleep be a night sky illuminated with countless stars. The following nights were just as exciting, if not more so. The other girls in my prefect group and I set out to camp in the wilderness. I learned to pitch a tent and cook my own food- hot food had never tasted so delicious! The nights were chilly, down to the high teens, but we all crammed into one tent, filling the cold tent with body heat and the trading of stories. By the end of the four days, I was backpacking with more ease than the beginning, wondering about the next camping trip, but also eager to get back home to Thacher.