This past spring break, my family and I made a tiny slip-up: our initial plan to take a half mile hike through the mountains turned into a ten-mile excursion.

My family was hiking through Zion National Park in Utah for two days, and on our last day, we decided to start out with a slow, short hike to warm us up for the upcoming day filled with more hiking. We reached the base of the mountain, and we began our journey. For about an hour, we climbed the bumpy, steep path all the way to a fork in the road, where we were met with a sign reading “Observation Point,” followed by an arrow pointing towards the seemingly steeper part of the trail. My family agreed to keep trekking on, given we had already come so far. So, after a short break, we were off.

After approximately another hour, we realized we were nowhere near our destination. Confused and 4,000 feet above sea level, we turned to other hikers for guidance. With their help, we discovered that the entirety of the trail was a whopping five miles, which was ten times longer than we originally planned on hiking. After the initial shock, we groaned and continued forward, for we had already made it so far.

The trail took us through a river, and up the side of a mountain which meant we got to see the whole park from 6,000 feet up. It was breathtaking, which helped ease the pain our calves were feeling. Finally, three hours after initially departing, we had reached the fabled Observation Point, and the view was more than I could have ever imagined.

While I was climbing, there were random thoughts flying through my mind, given I was trying to keep myself occupied during my three hours on the side of a mountain. Most importantly, I dawned upon the fact that sometimes, the best things in life come to you by mistake.

Sometimes, it is impossible to realize the greatness that an accident can hold until the event passes. That’s the glorious part of life– there is absolutely no way of knowing what is coming your way, nor do you know if it’s going to be good or bad.

Another parallel to life could be found within my surprisingly long journey; no matter how horrible or unthinkable the situation life put you in may be, you always have to keep going, because there is always a reward waiting for you. Even though my legs were screaming with pain and my brain was begging me to just turn around, I kept venturing forward. I persevered through the pain, I conquered the mountain, and I was rewarded with my view. Life will give you the amazing view you deserve, it just may take a long, painful journey before you see it.

Perseverance is the thing that will get you to the top of your mountain. Through what may feel like the hardest, most grueling journey, you will eventually reach your breathtaking view. One day, you will reach the top of your mountain, and you will be able to relish in every moment you have at the top. Not to mention, the best part of reaching the top of a mountain is the journey down, which is undoubtedly much easier than the excursion up.