By: Sam Lorenzo

My legs hurt… My heart is beating out of my chest… My inhaler is working overtime… I can’t make it…

These were the reoccurring thoughts that plagued my brain this morning as our group hiked up Afadjato, the highest mountain peak in Ghana.

I would not consider myself an outdoors-y type of person. I do not have any experience camping and I have only gone fishing once with my fiancé, who loves spending time in nature. I’m not a big fan of lizards, certain bugs, and some birds so spending an extended amount of time outside can make me anxious. All my friends (and even my therapist) have said it’s just the “LA” in me, and you know what? They are not wrong. There are only two types of outdoor activities that I always enjoy doing: going to the beach and hiking.

I was honestly excited to climb Afadjato because I spent a lot of time hiking back home in California and have completed a few of the trails in Oregon. What I did not anticipate was how steep and narrow the incline would be and how much of an impact it would have on my newly revived asthma. About a quarter of the way up, I started to trail behind the rest of the group and began to contemplate if I should continue or start to make my way back down the mountain.

I heard someone from another group say, “It’s OK. Go at your own pace,” so I decided to keep pushing. Luckily, I was not alone. Khalil Hines, who is also part of the Media in Ghana program, decided to match my pace, which allowed him to take pictures of the scenery whenever I needed a quick break to catch my breath. I’m not sure if it was the trail, my asthma, or I’m just really out of shape (maybe all of the above), but that was the most brutal hike I have ever been on.

I have a tendency to laugh or use humor when I’m feeling uncomfortable (and my body was definitely feeling uncomfortable), so playing in tandem with the repetitive thoughts in my mind was none other than Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb,” featured in the 2009 Hannah Montana Movie. As silly as it may seem, the song offered a motivating (and borderline self-deprecating) soundtrack for my journey up the mountain.

The amount of relief (and sweat) I felt once I stepped onto the very top was totally worth everything I had just endured. Would I ever do the same hike again? Absolutely not. However, the experience did provide me with a great focal point to help ground me in the future whenever I start to feel overwhelmed.

Me to me: “I’m so in over my head. I can’t do this!”

Also me to me: “I climbed up the highest mountain in Ghana. I can do this!”