Yosemite Valley: The Spectrum of Wonder

by David Janik (United States of America)

I didn't expect to find USA

Everyone has the sense of wonder, a kind of euphoric freedom from the montony of our lives. To dream is to live, and to have goals and ambitions is the foundation of what we stand upon. No matter how miniscule or gargantuan a dream is, chasing towards your goals is perhaps one of the greatest thrills in life especially when conquered. Have you ever wanted to be somebody or do something with such a force that it ignites a spark of determination, passion, and endurance within you? The natural world has always possessed such intrinsic value for me, it's always been that place where all my worries and stress from the real world seem to diminish. Around five years ago, it didn't dawn to me how immensely affected I was by witnessing such beautiful and iconic features in nature until I visited the majestic Yosemite National Park in California. The sheer beauty of El capitan in the distance gave me such an electrifying feeling, a kind of feeling you receive when your a child playing on a playground, or watching your favorite sports team score a goal or touchdown. Chasing waterfalls and hiking to such great heights within an alpine wilderness was absolute bliss, there truly is something about hearing the chirps of birds and being in the prescence of such enormous trees that gives you a sense of belonging in this world. It makes you feel so small but yet gigantic at the same time. It was then when I came upon the face of El Capitan, scoping the vertical granite monolith was intimidating, I have never hiked anything that massive before in my life, but there was something within me that knew that there was something extraordinary waiting for me at the top of the trail. So I started the climb up, leaping over boulders and breezing through a maze of pine trees. The 3000 feet from base to summit was something that I had no idea would be rejuvenating for me, it came so natural to me climbing to the top of this daunting hike that honestly brought so much happiness for me. Exhausted from the elevational incline, I finally reached the summit and I remember vividly my first reaction was; my jaw dropped as I've never seen any view like this before and I started to tear up (not sure if it was the frigid wind blowing against my face or if it was tears of happiness) but needless to say, it was very monumental for me. Sprawled out past me for miles and miles was the blanket of the trees canopy, colors of all sorts entwined in zig-zags with eachother was candy to my eyes. The sense of mystery of the descended fog loomed over the distance creating a dreamland. A place where you can surely only dream about. I don't think I could ever say this sentence before, but I was taller than trees. It was this moment when I found myself. This is where it all started for me, when the mountains humble you, the rivers flow through you, and the tranquility of the air that transformed me to be an adventurer. I made an oath to then witness every National Park in the United States from this point on. On top of that summit, I learned that we need to live every day, every moment, every second like its our last because life will pass us by, and what's life if you haven't lived it. I didn't expect for a place like this to be able to dig within my soul and find the perspective on life I needed to break through and live the absolute best way I can. I'm a firm believer that everyone needs to witness this epiphany within themselves, finding that one thing that your so passionate about that you strive everyday to gain the perspective to reinvent your thinking of the world and what you can do, to make yourself a better human within this vast, beautiful place we call home.