I would have never gone on that hike if it were my choice. Back at home, I thought seeing natural hot springs would be an additional thrill to the trip. It was surely a gloomy experience! My family wanted to check it out so it looked like we were going on a hike. I tried to talk my family out of going but it didn't work. My dad said I was the only one who was able to complain about this hike. I never complain much on hikes, so my thought was to just complain, and complain. The hike started nice, walking on a paved path. I began to think to myself “Great, if this is the path there will be nothing for me to complain about!”

Then we turned and started walking on a dirt trail!  This was perfect for complaining, I thought to myself, so then the chatter started. I kept complaining and started to get irritable. We were walking mostly uphill on a dirt path that was very rocky and right next to the river. I made another complaint almost every 10 steps. Then my mom, who was sick of my complaints, told me to do the hike for her and not make her and everyone else miserable. I still did some complaining but not as much because I was hiking for my mom. I was clueless at the moment but realized later that I was making the hike miserable for everyone else. I was crabby and it was starting to affect me. I stopped complaining and just didn't say anything to keep my family happy. 

My sisters were so happy when we finally arrived at the hot springs. They hopped right in and my parents followed soon after. I took the backpack my dad was wearing and then headed up the hill to sit under a tree. I decided to take out a snack and watched everyone in the hot springs below. I was so furious I didn't want to get too close. I ate a snack and watched my family soak in the hot springs. 

My dad came over, sat down by me, and started talking. I didn't say much, just stared, watching the people in the hot springs. I remember him asking if I was alright and why I was acting like this. I just shrugged at the moment. I didn't know why I was so crabby. He got up and went back to the pools of hot springs. I noticed some darker clouds up above. I finished up my snack and wandered down to my family in the hot springs and asked them if we could get going pointing at the sky. 

We started our long walk back. I could feel a cold breeze, then the sky turned angry just like I was. Thunder started and then the rain started coming down all around me. It started as a couple of sprinkles and turned into pouring as time went on. I was getting mad wishing we left those pools sooner or didn't go at all. I never wanted to go on this hike! We finally made it to the paved road and I was just as angry as before. My sisters started running and then my parents soon followed. I walked. I was too mad to run. 

The car ride home was when I realized what I had accomplished. The hike was supposed to be a  4.5 mile round trip, but we ended up walking 8 miles round trip! I felt accomplished but was still not my joyful self. After hiking those long 8 miles I realized how important it is to persevere when you don't always want to do something. I ended up making it through that hike because I started hiking for my mom. Sometimes you have to persevere for others to enjoy things. I realized I lost my opportunity to swim in natural hot springs. I made the 5th Water Hot Springs hike a miserable experience for my family. The chance to see natural hot springs is rare, and I messed it up because I was too crabby to enjoy it. I miss that opportunity looking back I was stuck in a mindset, in which I needed to prove a point. I discovered at that moment that having a positive attitude is one of the most important things ever, and perseverance has helped me become the person I am today.