— By Ash O’Rourke ‘24
This is Ash’s fourth year at Watershed and they’re in 10th grade. Ash originally wrote this piece as an assignment in their Photo Journalism course this fall.
Capturing shadows cast from the sun
It’s freezing out. 7 am at Goblin Valley State Park in Utah, December 2020. My mom and I are on a road trip in the midst of winter break. We reluctantly leave the van and venture out into the cold. It’s still very dark, but there’s a little bit of light against the horizon—the sun won’t rise for at least another half hour. A short walk down a dirt path and we’re surrounded by unique rock formations. This is by no means the most breathtaking place I have ventured to. It certainly is beautiful but cannot compare to the likes of The Great Wall or Angkor Watt. Nonetheless, as the sun makes its way over the horizon, we are bathed in stunning light.
A few hearty plants growing in the dry desert
This is our second trip in the midst of the pandemic and once again, we are logging miles on our van. In some way, this trip feels far more significant than any international trip I’ve been on because of its novelty: travel in the midst of a pandemic. Our family, like most, was in lockdown for a majority of the year and have started to go stir crazy. Luckily, because it is safe, we have chosen to leave the confined space of our home to search for room to breath and recover from the last year. We moved to Boulder in 2018 so I could go to The Watershed School. Since then, the constricted life that often comes with city living has made it difficult to find natural spaces that are quiet. Escaping people in the front range requires venturing out to the remote and backcountry sections of our nearby peaks, and it is not always an easy task to get out there. This morning restored me with some time in my favorite place—the desert. I’m very privileged to be able to explore and spend time in places that allow one to refocus and ground themselves. I didn’t I realized how much lockdown and quarantine affected me until recently. While I am a very introverted person and getting time alone is a positive thing, being indoors and staring at a screen for the majority of the day started to wear down my mental health. One easily forgets the value of spending time engaging in the outdoors. It is a massive pain to prepare for trips and my family’s ability to run between activities has decreased drastically. While the initial push to leave on our trip was tedious, I was quickly reminded of their value once we left. These experiences help remind me of our primal need for connection. They give us space from the everyday to remember and honor that which we value.
My. mom enjoying the sunlight as it crosses the horizon line
The last year in the pandemic has muddled that. Spending every day with your family can easily desensitize you to the importance of making memories and savoring time with them. I’m certainly not suggesting you shouldn’t spend time with friends but I want to highlight the meaningfulness of growing bonds with your family.
After all, you might be stuck with them again.
