My Junior Year At Culver Creek
by Miles Halter
A Great Perhaps
As I left my parents' home to head to Culver Creek, I said to them "I go to seek a great perhaps". And a great perhaps I found. I was so used to my daily routine that I was not aware of what the world had to offer. Culver Creek was a life changing experience. I would have never expected to see the things I saw, or meet the people I met. I went to seek a great perhaps, and a great perhaps I found.
My year
My junior year at Culver Creek was all about meeting new people & being able to experience things that I hadn't been able to before. Back at home, I don't have many friends. I knew that there had to be more to my boring life, so I gave Culver Creek a chance. While there, I met some amazing people, including the Colonel, Takumi, Lara, and Alaska. They are all amazing people. Towards the end of the year, however, Alaska was in a horrible car accident which resulted in her death. After her death, I spent what remained of my junior year trying to figure out what exactly happened to Alaska. This was an unhealthy way to deal with Alaska's death. I found out that the only way to truly cope with death is to forgive, so I did.
What I took from my stay:
Aside from the tragic death of Alaska, I had tons of fun at Culver Creek. Some of the people that I met there are people that I will never forget. While there, however, I realized the uncertainty of tragedy. Just before finding out about the accident, I'd come to the realization that life was perfect. You never know what might happen, and that's one of the scariest things about tragedy.
The Labyrinth
A person's last words before death have always interested me. Alaska's favorite last words were "How will I ever get out of this labyrinth!" by Simon Bolivar. This quote was one which I spent the school year exploring. What was the labyrinth? The answer depended on who was asking the question. To me, the labyrinth was suffering. After Alaska's death, I found out things about her that I didn't want to be true. I made her out to be the perfect person, but in reality, she wasn't. And I had a hard time dealing with that.
Forgiveness
Forgiveness. The only way out of that labyrinth was to forgive. I suffered so much before coming to that realization. I had to forgive Alaska, even though I knew that she hadn't done anything wrong.
Love at first sight?
One of my biggest regrets while at Culver Creek was letting myself fall for Alaska almost immediately. I wish that I would've gotten to know her before developing feelings for her. The whole act of it felt rushed. I got so caught up in "looking for a girlfriend" that I didn't let it happen naturally. I'd say that this was one of the biggest things that I would have changed about my year at Culver Creek.
Culver Creek
I think that deciding to attend Culver Creek was one of the best decisions that I've ever made. The memories that I made while there will stick with me forever. From the moment you get there, you feel at home. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for the adventure of a lifetime (but watch out for the weekday warriors).