Miley Cyrus says it best when she belts out “Life’s a climb!” because it really is.

To kick off the new year I asked a couple of my friends what they wanted to do to celebrate it, and a few of them jumped at the idea to do the sunset Maʻili Pillbox Hike.

So despite my last hike being two years prior, I joined them not knowing how bad it might be. Despite packing badly lit flashlights, a first aid pouch, and some paranoia (Because I forgot my inhaler) we took a starting group picture at the peak of sunset and began the journey.

Automatically I started to regret my decision as I barely could keep up with the group; I couldn’t even stay standing through a quarter way of it. I felt like a complete idiot.

That feeling I got on the hike, always comes around when I’m about ready to walk away from something I underestimated; which also happened to be one of the most common scenarios I got from the past four years of high school.

Nobody will tell you this when you enter freshmen year, but between these clusters of buildings and handfuls of individuals are where you’ll encounter some of the worst and best times of your entire life.

About four years ago I entered into a private high school completely unprepared for the heartaches of adjusting to not so friendly peers and many uncaring teachers, and just like any loose gravel on a hiking path, I tripped and fell for each individual who I thought I could rely on.

Back then just like in the hike before Ma’ili Pillbox, there was no one who warned me to watch my step.

So for my readers, in this entry I want to be like the person who watched out for me that day on the trail. He refused to give up on me, instead he encouraged me to keep moving forward.

With his help, or rather his stubbornness, we made it to the first Pillbox right before the beautiful sunset evaporated. We took so much time watching out for steps that were falling apart, I almost questioned if falling and sliding might be worth the risk if it got us there faster.

It seemed to me like we did all that work for a small reward. I mean we didn’t even get to the top of the hill! However, he showed me the balance between self preservation, and utter recklessness and how it determines the experience you’ll get from each journey.

All these roadblocks that drag out an adventure gives each hill you climb more worth.

And just because I’m nearing graduation doesn’t mean I should give up and not strive for anything else. If anything it’s like the moment we reached the first pillbox and caught a glimpse of that beautiful sunset.

There’s so much more to discover and overcome, and you can’t waste that sort of opportunity.

Regardless if it’s trying to stay motivated for third quarter, or trying to mentally prepare myself for next quarter which eventually means the end of my high school career.

This hike reminded me that there’s so much more work left to be finished.

So life will always be a climb, but one day we’ll all watch the sunset over that castle on the hill.