Just Believe!

  As a teacher, I often hear my students grumbling about how school is like climbing a mountain. Little did they know, I took that metaphor quite literally last weekend and decided to go on a hiking trip to the mountains. It was supposed to be a relaxing getaway, a chance to clear my mind and forget about grading papers and parent-teacher meetings. What I got instead was a series of misadventures that would make any sitcom scriptwriter jealous. First, let me set the scene: It’s 6 AM on a Saturday, and I’m standing at the base of the mountain, equipped with a backpack that could double as a small refrigerator and a pair of hiking boots that I swear were designed in the Middle Ages. My fellow teachers, Mr. Johnson and Ms. Smith, look equally out of place. We are the embodiment of “city folks” attempting to blend in with nature. As we start our ascent, Mr. Johnson, who’s been teaching gym for 20 years, takes off like a mountain goat. Ms. Smith and I exchange a look that says, “We’ll c...