The Sand Dunes
Hello everyone!
Times have changed. Because of this, I have been given more time to reflect on my life and the various adventures that I have taken. Unfortunately, I cannot share the details of these adventures face-to-face with very many people. This blog has become the perfect mode to tell my stories. So...enjoy!
The U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials (2016)
The U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials took place in July of 2016. My high school cross country coach, his wife, and I went out to Portland, Oregon to watch the events.
The Trails were on a 10-day schedule, and on the 6th day there were no events scheduled.
So, my uncle, aunt, and I rode over to Honeyman State Park to spend the majority of the day.
Honeyman State Park
Honeyman State Park is pretty close to the West Coast, and Coach told me that there were sand dunes at the park. I didn't really know what sand dunes were because I had lived near the Gulf Coast (which is about 2,000 miles from the West Coast) for most of my life. There are no sand dunes on the Gulf Coast.
Based on Coach's explanation, I gathered that sand dunes were huge mounds of sand that a person could walk and run up.
It took us about two hours to get to Honeyman, and when we got there, I was in awe of the landscape. There was sand everywhere, and a lot of it was piled 40-50 feet high! The sand stretched out for many miles towards the coast. I had never seen so much sand in my life.
Coach told me I could run in the sand, which made me even more excited!
So, the plan was for them to walk around the park while I explored the sand dunes for 45-60 minutes. After that, we would eat lunch and visit some other places.
It was the perfect plan. I didn't think anything could go wrong, and Coach agreed with me. His wife brought up the possibility that I could get lost, and Coach and I scoffed at the idea. I would be fine. I would just run in a straight line for about 30 minutes, turn around, and come back. What could go wrong?
Exploring the Sand Dunes
After taking a few pictures with them (which I can't find), I ran out into the wide expanse of sand dunes with a simple stopwatch on my wrist (that was the only thing I took with me).
I ran up and down the huge hills of sand with no destination in mind. Running up the sand dunes was more difficult than I thought, but running down the sand dunes was so cool. I would almost slide down. At the bottom of some sand dunes, there were pools of water. I did not drink it, but I did touch it. It was cold, just as I expected.
I was also able to run along the top of the sand dunes. That was difficult because the sand shifts along with you, but I was able to get a great view of the world below.
I was having an awesome time.
Turning Around
So after 30 minutes of running/walking/jogging/crawling, I decided to head back to Honeyman. I turned around and walked for another 15 minutes before realizing that the landscape did not look familiar. At first, I assumed that everything naturally looked a bit different when you turn around; but after I crested about three sand dunes, I saw nothing that resembled a park--just more sand.
Side Note: While I assumed that I was running in a straight line for 30 minutes, what really happened was that I wandered in almost every direction. I went to the right, the left; North and South; East and West.
I continued to walk and pretend like I wasn't lost. If I accepted I was lost, I would have a small panic attack. So, I continued to try and find my way back.
After more minutes of wandering, I finally opened myself up to the idea that I was lost. Once I did that, I began to worry and become afraid.
Side Note: You may ask, "why was I worried and afraid?" I'll explain. I was in a place I did not know, I was alone, and I DID NOT HAVE A PHONE. Yes, I left my phone at the park because I knew that I wouldn't get lost, and I did not want to get sand in my phone. That was a huge mistake.
So, after wandering around some more just because I didn't to commit to the reality of being lost, I sat down in the sand. I was tired and afraid, and the wind had started blowing pretty hard. The sand stung my skin, and everything started to look less awesome.
After about three minutes, I realized that I was pretty helpless. I was also sure that I was going to be stuck in the sand dunes for the rest of my short life (yes, I thought I was going to die, because food does not magically sprout up from the sand).
Receiving Help
I prayed, asking God to help me get back to Coach and his wife, and then I waited. I assumed that maybe help would come in a few hours or days. I did NOT expect to get help in about three minutes.
As I stared out into the great expanse of sand, I noticed a dune buggy driving along the tops of the dunes. It was big and it had about 10 people in it. After driving for about 30 seconds, it stop about 75 feet away from me.
It didn't take me long to start walking over towards it to ask for some help. The whole time I walked, I was pretty terrified. I did not know anyone in the dune buggy, and I did not like asking for help. Regardless of how I felt, I knew that this was an answer to prayer, and if I did not approach this dune buggy full of nice-looking people, I would have to wait until the next one (and I did not know if that would ever come).
I walked up to the driver as he was talking (apparently, he was giving a tour of the Sand Dunes) and waited for him to finish. Then, I ask him if he knew where Honeyman State Park was. He politely pointed towards to some trees far off in the distance. I tried not to act disappointed. I was hoping for a more detailed answer (maybe even a map, or a ride). I said thank you and started to back away, but then he stopped me. He told me that I could ride along in the dune buggy with the rest of the tourists back to the dune buggy station. I think he realized that I had no idea where I was (I also looked a little exhausted and covered in a thin layer or sand).
I was elated. I hopped in the back of the dune buggy, near a very nice woman. She offered to let me use her phone to call my Coach and his wife. I accepted her offer, but as I attempted to dial my Coach's number, I realized that I did not know it. So, I had to call my mom ask her for Coach's number. This would not have been a big deal if my mom was not 2,000 miles away in South Mississippi. When I called her, she was pretty calm about my need for his number. I briefly explained the situation, and she sent me the number. Then, I called Coach and told him where I was.
After about 45 minutes, we all returned to the Dune-Buggy tour bus station, and I was able to ride with a small family back to the entrance of Honeyman State Park. I had to use their phone to call my Coach again to let him know where I was. This meant I had to call my Dad (who was also 2,000 miles away) to get his number because I had forgotten it again.
Eventually, I was reunited with my Coach and his wife. Praise the LORD! I almost kissed the car seat as we drove away from the park.
Conclusion
This was a very fun and terrifying adventure for me. I did not expect any of that to happen when I woke up that morning. I learned a lot from that experience, but the biggest thing I realized was that God answers my prayers. I might not always get what I thought I needed or wanted, but in this experience, His answer was evident and quick. He helped me and protected me. This was reassuring to me, and it changed my relationship with Him. I think I even matured some after this.
Thank you for reading my blog!
Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced (1 Chronicles 16:11-12, NIV),
The Trails were on a 10-day schedule, and on the 6th day there were no events scheduled.
So, my uncle, aunt, and I rode over to Honeyman State Park to spend the majority of the day.
Honeyman State Park
Honeyman State Park is pretty close to the West Coast, and Coach told me that there were sand dunes at the park. I didn't really know what sand dunes were because I had lived near the Gulf Coast (which is about 2,000 miles from the West Coast) for most of my life. There are no sand dunes on the Gulf Coast.
Based on Coach's explanation, I gathered that sand dunes were huge mounds of sand that a person could walk and run up.
 |
| Some of the Sand Dunes from Honeyman State Park |
Coach told me I could run in the sand, which made me even more excited!
So, the plan was for them to walk around the park while I explored the sand dunes for 45-60 minutes. After that, we would eat lunch and visit some other places.
It was the perfect plan. I didn't think anything could go wrong, and Coach agreed with me. His wife brought up the possibility that I could get lost, and Coach and I scoffed at the idea. I would be fine. I would just run in a straight line for about 30 minutes, turn around, and come back. What could go wrong?
Exploring the Sand Dunes
After taking a few pictures with them (which I can't find), I ran out into the wide expanse of sand dunes with a simple stopwatch on my wrist (that was the only thing I took with me).
I ran up and down the huge hills of sand with no destination in mind. Running up the sand dunes was more difficult than I thought, but running down the sand dunes was so cool. I would almost slide down. At the bottom of some sand dunes, there were pools of water. I did not drink it, but I did touch it. It was cold, just as I expected.
I was also able to run along the top of the sand dunes. That was difficult because the sand shifts along with you, but I was able to get a great view of the world below.
I was having an awesome time.
Turning Around
So after 30 minutes of running/walking/jogging/crawling, I decided to head back to Honeyman. I turned around and walked for another 15 minutes before realizing that the landscape did not look familiar. At first, I assumed that everything naturally looked a bit different when you turn around; but after I crested about three sand dunes, I saw nothing that resembled a park--just more sand.
 |
| Just a Picture of Some Sand Dunes |
Side Note: While I assumed that I was running in a straight line for 30 minutes, what really happened was that I wandered in almost every direction. I went to the right, the left; North and South; East and West.
I continued to walk and pretend like I wasn't lost. If I accepted I was lost, I would have a small panic attack. So, I continued to try and find my way back.
After more minutes of wandering, I finally opened myself up to the idea that I was lost. Once I did that, I began to worry and become afraid.
Side Note: You may ask, "why was I worried and afraid?" I'll explain. I was in a place I did not know, I was alone, and I DID NOT HAVE A PHONE. Yes, I left my phone at the park because I knew that I wouldn't get lost, and I did not want to get sand in my phone. That was a huge mistake.
So, after wandering around some more just because I didn't to commit to the reality of being lost, I sat down in the sand. I was tired and afraid, and the wind had started blowing pretty hard. The sand stung my skin, and everything started to look less awesome.
After about three minutes, I realized that I was pretty helpless. I was also sure that I was going to be stuck in the sand dunes for the rest of my short life (yes, I thought I was going to die, because food does not magically sprout up from the sand).
Receiving Help
I prayed, asking God to help me get back to Coach and his wife, and then I waited. I assumed that maybe help would come in a few hours or days. I did NOT expect to get help in about three minutes.
As I stared out into the great expanse of sand, I noticed a dune buggy driving along the tops of the dunes. It was big and it had about 10 people in it. After driving for about 30 seconds, it stop about 75 feet away from me.
It didn't take me long to start walking over towards it to ask for some help. The whole time I walked, I was pretty terrified. I did not know anyone in the dune buggy, and I did not like asking for help. Regardless of how I felt, I knew that this was an answer to prayer, and if I did not approach this dune buggy full of nice-looking people, I would have to wait until the next one (and I did not know if that would ever come).
 |
| More Sand Dunes at Honeyman State Park |
I walked up to the driver as he was talking (apparently, he was giving a tour of the Sand Dunes) and waited for him to finish. Then, I ask him if he knew where Honeyman State Park was. He politely pointed towards to some trees far off in the distance. I tried not to act disappointed. I was hoping for a more detailed answer (maybe even a map, or a ride). I said thank you and started to back away, but then he stopped me. He told me that I could ride along in the dune buggy with the rest of the tourists back to the dune buggy station. I think he realized that I had no idea where I was (I also looked a little exhausted and covered in a thin layer or sand).
I was elated. I hopped in the back of the dune buggy, near a very nice woman. She offered to let me use her phone to call my Coach and his wife. I accepted her offer, but as I attempted to dial my Coach's number, I realized that I did not know it. So, I had to call my mom ask her for Coach's number. This would not have been a big deal if my mom was not 2,000 miles away in South Mississippi. When I called her, she was pretty calm about my need for his number. I briefly explained the situation, and she sent me the number. Then, I called Coach and told him where I was.
After about 45 minutes, we all returned to the Dune-Buggy tour bus station, and I was able to ride with a small family back to the entrance of Honeyman State Park. I had to use their phone to call my Coach again to let him know where I was. This meant I had to call my Dad (who was also 2,000 miles away) to get his number because I had forgotten it again.
Eventually, I was reunited with my Coach and his wife. Praise the LORD! I almost kissed the car seat as we drove away from the park.
Conclusion
This was a very fun and terrifying adventure for me. I did not expect any of that to happen when I woke up that morning. I learned a lot from that experience, but the biggest thing I realized was that God answers my prayers. I might not always get what I thought I needed or wanted, but in this experience, His answer was evident and quick. He helped me and protected me. This was reassuring to me, and it changed my relationship with Him. I think I even matured some after this.
Thank you for reading my blog!
Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced (1 Chronicles 16:11-12, NIV),
Even your parents grew from this experience!
ReplyDelete