OYA

So I just got back from OYA and it was definitely one of the most amazing experiences I have EVER had. The people in my group were truly remarkable and I love them to death. I went with my three cousins, Sarah Price, Sarah Bennett, and Michelle. They are The best girls ever.
We went up on Monday the seventh on a bus, and let me tell you, I have never played such an intense game of bus tag in my life. Haha. It was so fun to be with the girls because we could all just relax and have fun. Anywho. So we got up to OYA check-in (at BYY-Idaho) and Michelle and I realized that there were two guys there that had been in our group last year at EFY. Sadly, or luckily, they were not in our group. We got up to Badger Creek (which is were OYA takes place) and met our group. There were six girls and seven boys total so I was so excited. And our counselors were amazing.
Throughout the week we did so many things. Including climbing up this crazy high log and jumping off, going on a giant swing, playing on a jungle gym ropes course, horse-back riding, river rafting, and rock climbing, plus alot more. But my favorite parts were sitting up late around the camp fire and going on our one day trek. When we would stay up late and just talk around the camp fire you could just relax, the only down-side is that is was kinda cold. But we would just sit up and talk and the couselors would go to sleep. They really trusted us and that was way cool.
Oh, and also, the one-day-trek was AMAZING. Each group had to hand-carts to pull and at first it didn't seem that bad cuz the entire trek is only four miles. But we got half way and the boys were told to leave and run the rest of the trek. That stunk to have them go. But my group of girls all got together and just had a great big group hug. We only had six girls in our group so that meant we only had three girls per cart. When we started it didn't seem that bad, but then the hill started slanting and there were huge cracks in the road, not to mention a TON of rocks. So we pulled and pushed as much as we could. At one point the cart infront of us got stuck so my group quickly (and I mean REALLY quickly) had a water break. At that time I asked my counselor how much further and she said we still had half way to go. I thought I was going to collapse and just cry right then. But we all got up and kept going. Carts kept getting stuck so two of my cousins and I put our cart down and ran to help. Before any of us knew what happened a girl fell under the cart. It was so scary. But she was ok. Then we went back to our cart and I fell on my knee and scratched it up. It hurt. Then I looked back and saw my other cousin who was pulling the other cart and she was almost in tears. I felt so bad. (Later I found out that the cart had basically run her over.) We were almost to the top and started helping another group with their cart when we saw the boys at the top. They were just standing there silently. My cousins and I ran back down to our cart and pulled it up singing 'Choose the Right' (because we had to stay to the right side of the road or we would have fallen into a divet) and finally we reached the boys. We walked right past them and they just stood there. I wanted to cry, then before I realized what had happened they had taken the cart from us and I was just standing there in awe. I almost collapsed but didn't.
Later that night our whole group wrestled and talked. It was SO fun. Then we went to bed. Friday morning I woke up and realized I had to go home soon. I didn't want to at all. We had an hour of time to just sit by ourselves and think and do whatever we wanted. I wrote in my journal and the whole time the song 'Joseph Smith's First Prayer' was going through my head. I have never felt more at ease. We walked back down the path with our carts and I rolled my ankle at the very bottom. (I'm so glad I didn't roll my ankle earlier in the week, cuz it still hurts.) We had the award ceremony, and our group won house cup. Then we got on the buses and went back to BYU-Idaho. After that my cousins and I rode the bus back to Salt Lake.
OYA was truly amazing and I wish I could go back. The counselors were awesome and motivated me all week. Even though we would go to bed at midnight and then wake up at six I never felt tired, I didn't even care that every one smelled terrible (probably because I had gotten so used to it. haha) But I am so glad I went. And it was truly remarkable. Coming back to reality was definitely not easy.