November really is a tough month for the Fall Semester here at SMU. Everyone is gearing up for Thanksgiving break, ready to go eat some good food and see their loved ones, but there is a lot of work to do before then. And when you are home for Thanksgiving, you spend a lot of it trying to prepare for projects, papers, and final midterm exams. The international graduate students, we were lucky to host on our backpacking trip, echoed these sentiments last weekend. Out in Ouachita National Park in Arkansas, we spoke to them about their experiences in America and doing an accelerated graduate program, and they mostly were grateful for unplugging for a few days and getting to see another side of America in the fall while trying something new and challenging. Most of them had never backpacked or even hiked before and it was really special getting to teach them the ins and outs of life outdoors. 
This trip, in particular, stuck out as one of the most interesting outdoor adventures I have ever had. To start, when we left on Friday, we knew we would experience some pretty harsh weather conditions, but everyone was positive and open-minded to the adventure we had planned, so we continued on the road to Arkansas. Head of the OA program Dr. Albert Mitugo bravely drove through the rain and got us to camp safely as we all watched a tornado from the window of the van that passed by us! Great start! Vigilantly watching the weather updates, we knew that the rain would stop around 11 pm, so we took a long dinner, and from the time we got to camp at Shady Lake Recreation Area to the end of the trip, we were blessed with perfect fall weather.
Throughout the trip, the students got hands-on experience in learning how
to cook while camping, set up camp effectively, how to navigate using a map and compass, and pack their packs and purify water. We all got to know each other very well and spent our time hiking around the 10-mile loop talking and sharing stories, making the time fly by. In the beauty and serenity of the forest, we got to connect with one another in a way that would not be possible on SMU’s campus. For this group, this trip ignited a passion for the outdoors in some of the participants I have never seen before, and it is clear now that no matter where you are from and what your hobbies are: if your mind is foggy and you can’t seem to evade the everyday stresses of a fast-paced life, an outdoor adventure can be a universal cure. A big thank you to the participants, and other trip leaders, Alex Parachini and Dr. Albert Mitugo for making this trip possible.
Louisa Zaharia – Trip Leader, SMU Outdoor Adventures
