Nivonim: Etgar Day 1

Today we set out on our different Etgar/Challenge trips. I am backpacking along the Appalachian Trail with Noah, Aaron, Nathan, Tamar, Shoshie, Sarah and Sarah.
We started in Connecticut and we will be hiking into Massachusetts over the next few days.
We started the hike going uphill for a few hours which was quite challenging. But the hanichim/campers played word games and had a lot of fun along the way.
After a few hours, we reached the top of Lion’s Head Peak and had lunch with a truly awesome view.
After lunch we continued our hike for a few hours until we reached the campsite. We made burritos for dinner and sat around a picnic table enjoying each others company. At one point, Aaron burst out into a rendition of “A Whole New World”. And he even choreographed an interpretive dance. We were all laughing so hard that we almost fell off the bench!
Now it is time to go to sleep before tomorrow’s hike. It was so nice to be with this group and it was touching to see how they truly supported each other through the tough stretches of the trip. I kept hearing, “C’mon, you can do it!” They really wanted to stick together as one and complete the masa/journey as a team. And today, they did.