It is not everyday that I am able to escape the stresses and responsibilities of the normal day. The colossal amount of daily homework mixed with the normal teenage activities makes for a hectic schedule. But when the chance comes for me to leave behind my work and worries, I will take it with out hesitation.

The mountains provide a perfect place away from the commotion of the city. There are no people other than a select two or three friends or family, and the closest technology is the car left back at the trailhead, three days ago. In these serene, natural conditions is where the best contemplating can be done. No distractions but the birds, and the air as fresh as the clear, crisp, rushing stream surrounding me.

My most recent trip to the mountains was very meaningful. I went with a few of my closest friends. It is very easy, while in the mountains, to enjoy the time I have to spend with my great friends. However, time to myself is quite easy to come upon when I have nothing planned the entire day. That leaves a slew of time for thinking and considering things that I often overlooked in the bustle of everyday life. Whether it is the decisions I have made in the past that I think about, the complexity of my future, or something on a simpler level such as the great feeling of the laying out on a rock in the sun, my thoughts are most complete and sensible.

I can enjoy my time away from the chaos I call normal, and I can share great moments of my life with those I care about. I can take a nap in the sun, without being late to something, and I can think about whatever may be on my mind. The mountains offer the simplest of life styles, with the best circumstances anyone could dream of. They are where I feel I can relax, and enjoy the absence of worries.