Natural Setting: Rock State Park-Jamie Englert

Over Thanksgiving break I went hiking in Rock State Park in Maryland with three of my friends. The morning we planned on going, it was wet, cold and windy. We procrastinated in leaving and debated on whether or not it was still worth it to go. After much debate, we finally decided it was and I am so glad that we did. Upon arriving, we were all anxious to get going but hesitant at the same time because we did not know where to start. All the paths were covered with wet leaves and this only made the journey more slippery. We hoped for the best and relied on each other for balance as we trekked up what we assumed was a path. The heavy layers of leaves again, became a problem for us because they hid loose rocks and big roots, causing us to trip more than we desired. The hike we had chosen is usually not one of intense difficulty, challenging yes but not as difficult as the trouble we all seemed to be having. We pressed on regardless, encouraging one another and shouting out obstacles ahead. Before reaching the top, we stopped a little more than halfway to collect ourselves. During this time we got a chance to really look at where we were and despite it being overcast and gray, the forest was still amazing and seemed to go on forever. There was a massive rock formation here as well that could not help but make us feel exceptionally small. We continued up and knew it was not too far to our destination. Our moods improved in anticipation of what was to come and our pace quickened at the thought. To get to the flat cliff that overlooked the entire park, we had to climb the biggest rocks we’d seen yet but were determined to do so. Once at the top, it was perfect. We stood for a while in silence, in complete admiration. Without thinking, we all suddenly embraced and started laughing. I remembered learning about communitas and it seemed so evident in this moment. I could now understand that concept more than ever before. This was a moment of simple pleasure while in the midst of a huge, incredible landscape. People had etched their names and years into some of the rock and one date caught my eye—1952. Someone was here, in this exact spot, possibly having the same experience we were but almost 60 years prior. This location was so much bigger than the four of us. Just thinking about how long the rocks had been there, in those positions, put things into perspective a little bit and made it even more powerful.