I enjoy hiking, but I would not call myself an avid hiker by any means. I usually stick to short hikes. However, last fall, Mr. Mike convinced Ms. Nelson and I to join him on an overnight 18 km hike up Jirisan. I had psyched myself up to do the hike and had prepared my gear. Then, 2 days before the scheduled hike, I got sick. I went to the doctor, who gave me medicine and told me to get rest. I rested for two days, but was stubborn and wanted to complete the hike. Even though I knew that the hike was going to be difficult, I really wanted to meet my goal and finish the 18 km journey. Accordingly, at approximately 9 pm on a Friday night, Mr. Mike, Ms. Nelson, and I began our journey to Jirisan.
Rising Action:
We began the hike up the mountain in the dark, intending to make it to the summit by sunrise. As I hiked, my lungs began to feel tight. I started coughing and struggled to breathe. As my legs dragged along, I suddenly wondered if taking this hike was a good idea. Ms. Nelson and Mr. Mike were patient with me, encouraging me to stop as I needed to and to drink lots of water. However, I was really nervous that my cold would make it so that I could not make it to the summit. Several hours later, we paused for breakfast and a break. I knew that most of the hard work was done, but still had about an hour hike up the mountain. “What if I can’t make it?” I thought to myself.
Climax:
The last kilometer up the mountain was incredibly difficult. I silently cursed my cold and longed to be back in my bed. At moments, I wanted to stop and turn around. However, just after sunrise, we finally arrived at the summit. At first it was cloudy, but as the wind lifted the fog a beautiful sight 
met my eyes. Silhouettes of mountain after mountain emerged from the white blanket that covered the valleys. As I looked out over the sprawling mountain range, I suddenly forgot the cough that had been plaguing me. Instead, I saw only beauty, a beauty that made the whole ordeal worth it!
Falling action:
Our journey was hardly done, though, as we stood on the peak of the mountain. Albeit the most difficult leg was over, but we knew we still had about 10 km to walk down the mountain. Yet, we were refreshed knowing that we had made it past the strenuous uphill climb. We started our weaving descent with enthusiasm. We passed waterfalls and gorgeous fall foliage. We paused to photograph the winding stream and fall colors. At moments my legs shook from the steep decline and occasionally I began to cough again. Yet, I was confident that I could make it.
Resolution:
Finally we made it back to the bottom. We were exhausted and hungry, but satisfied that we had accomplished our goal. As we sat on the bus ride home, we looked at each other and made a pledge: “same hike next year.” Then we all fell asleep.
The end J
Conflict: I was sick and struggled to make it up the mountain. Exhaustion and sickness made it difficult for me to meet my goals.
