Each time I step outside of my comfort zone and explore new outdoor experiences, I am overwhelmed by its profound impact on my mental well-being. Overcoming challenges alongside others — especially those whom I may not have known well previously — improves my self-esteem drastically and forms unique connections otherwise unattainable.

It was with this in mind that I decided to forgo a restful week away from “Work Forest” in favor of embarking upon a physically arduous backpacking trip led by Outdoor Pursuits along the Georgia coast this spring break.

Trips vary by year, but this year’s included a backpacking trip to Catalina Island, Calif., Joshua Tree National Park, Calif. and Cumberland Island, Ga. I chose the Cumberland Island trip due mainly to its lack of airplane travel (I have had horrible luck with planes lately) and its relatively inexpensive price tag.  

Cumberland Island is a National Seashore located just north of the Florida-Georgia border (or line, if you’re the band). It features towering trees covered in Spanish moss, the remains of burned nineteenth-century estates, armadillos rustling in the woods, wild horses and a preserved Southeastern coastal landscape unlike any I had ever seen before, even though I frequented the North Carolina and South Carolina coasts throughout my childhood. 

It was cold and pouring rain at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 9 when I and 11 other Wake Forest students departed from the Outdoor Pursuits garage on the bottom floor of the Sutton Center. It was a less-than-ideal start to a trip that was set to consist of surfing, backpacking and almost total immersion in the outdoors. 

That afternoon we arrived at a campground on Tybee Island where we would spend the next three nights. After setting up our tents, we huddled around picnic tables and munched on Goldfish. We walked ten minutes to the beach, where we partook in a rousing round of hacky sack despite the wind and cold.

On Sunday, a few of us braved the morning with a frigid swim in ill-fitting, sleeveless wetsuits designed for whitewater kayaking. We lasted 10-15 minutes in the water before braving the even colder land again. We returned to the campsite for lunch before heading off on our second activity of the day: biking. 

Biking was a replacement activity for what was initially supposed to be a surf lesson. A complete and utter lack of waves along the shore that afternoon completely squashed that plan and led us to a haphazard but adventurous bike ride along the busy highway on Tybee Island. Cars whizzed past our group of eight (three people chose to hike instead of bike) at 50 miles per hour while we trudged along. 

On our way back toward the bike shop, we stopped at a craft market where we watched a man paint impressive scenes of Savannah using only a pallet knife and perused between booths of handmade jewelry.  

Monday was spent in the city of Savannah, which is located just over the bridge from Tybee Island on the mainland. It was my first-ever visit, and the epiphytic Spanish moss blanketing the city’s trees didn’t disappoint. Our fears that the plant was invasive were unfounded, and a quick Google search confirmed that its presence was actually an indicator of a native species thriving in a clean-air environment. We reveled in its presence even more after that.

In Savannah, a group of two friends and I walked from Forsyth Park through downtown and toward the banks of the Savannah River, which separates Georgia and South Carolina. Along the way, we enjoyed our first non-bagged coffee in days, browsed inside a bookstore, visited the historic Catholic Cathedral and took a mid-afternoon taco break. After meeting up with the rest of our troop for dinner, we headed back for an early night to prepare for our departure for Cumberland Island. 

The drive from Savannah to St. Mary’s is around two hours long, and we were booked on the 9 a.m. ferry to the island. To avoid missing the boat, we left Tybee Island at 5:30 a.m. As they graciously drove the vans toward the Florida border, many of us napped in the backseats. 

Arriving on Cumberland Island was an end to the anticipation we had all been holding onto for days, and it did not disappoint. 

Sunny skies and warmer weather greeted us as we left our packs at SeaCamp and walked a mile toward the ruins of the old estate. The history buffs among us were entranced by the structure, but the bugs in that area near the river were rampant — this wouldn’t be the last time we encountered their wrath. 

We walked back to SeaCamp, ate lunch and departed upon our backpacking adventure. Tuesday was our longest day by far, clocking a lengthy 7.5 miles along the Parallel Trail and toward Yankee Paradise — our first campsite. 

The walk was stunning albeit somewhat uneventful. The trees reminded us of our guest status on an island where nature abounds; we pointed out armadillos left and right, and I fell back into my age-old habit of questioning if a small green crust at the bottom of a tree was lichen or fungi . 

Upon our arrival, we took a short-lived break before leaving our packs to walk a mile to the beach. Although I was a bit exhausted, and my feet were already screaming in pain from a long day of walking, the trek was worth it when we arrived and found we were the only people in sight. The broad strand of beach was flanked by dunes that led back into the forest, creating a landscape that was both a marvel and a reminder to me of the value of protecting native areas. 

Wednesday consisted only of a brief three-mile walk northward to Brickhill Bluff, a campsite next to the river. The sunset that evening was stunning, but the bugs forced us into our tents early. In our haste to get away from them, we left our trash bag on the ground — a mistake that led to some frightful sounds that evening as raccoons helped themselves to our leftovers. The next morning all of our trash was splayed out in the woods next to the campsite, and a small hole emerged in the only trash bag we had on an island with strict pack-out rules.

On Thursday we were supposed to walk around 5.5 miles back southward to Hickory Hill, a site just south of Yankee Paradise where we stayed the first night. After a couple of hours of hiking, however, we arrived and decided to keep walking another two miles southward to Stafford Beach. 

We arrived at the Stafford Beach campsite and quickly realized that our permit wouldn’t allow us to camp there. Still, the temperature had warmed up significantly and hovered around 80 degrees — perfect beach weather — and we were determined to make the best of our trek. 

The vibes were at an all time high that afternoon despite our exhaustion; we lounged for hours, went for a swim, ate dinner, had dance battles and played hacky sack. As the sun began to set, we set off along the beach toward Hickory Hill farther north. My legs were lead, but golden hour kept morale high through the longest two miles of my life.

Friday morning we struggled through our final five miles back to SeaCamp. Upon arrival, we secured a spot on the earlier ferry back to the mainland, took a group picture and hobbled onto the ferry. 

We spent our last night in a cozy Airbnb and took our first showers in days. Dinner that night was luxurious, and I’ll never forget when we were sitting on the roof playing a round of hot seat when it suddenly began pouring rain. 

In the days since our return to Wake Forest, I find myself eternally grateful for my time in Georgia alongside my fellow students– despite the nine blisters I acquired on my feet in the process. We tackled challenging situations and laughed together even though many of us didn’t know each other’s names at the beginning of the trip. 

Despite its challenges, I never regret the time I spend outdoors and my trip to Cumberland Island was no exception. For those considering it, I can’t recommend Outdoor Pursuits trips enough. Whether you go on a day trip during the semester or a weeklong spring break trip, you are bound to make countless unforgettable memories.