The winding mountain roads less traveled

Spring break 2000 has sweetly arrived and, as always, has stubbornly left. Many flocked to the sandy shores and crystal blue waters of the Ba- sight.

Along with my Cabrini group, I spent my days enjoying all that Union had to offer. One day, I assisted in painting a school room. Although I ended up wearing more paint on myself than what I actually put on the wall, I relished in the triumph of completing the job with a group of four other students. Chopping and stacking firewood was another task on our agenda. I used muscles that I never knew that I had while helping to complete that task. The labor was hard, but I proudly dealt with my pain as one would a battle scar.

We also learned another valuable life lesson. They taught us how to relax. We live in a hurried society. They live their lives at a slow pace. This enables them to enjoy the little things more. Rush hour is non-existent in their little world. Enjoying nature to the fullest, they take time to relax m what is offered. For instance, how many times have you stopped to watch the clouds roll through the sky during rush hour? It's a beautiful sight, but one that is commonly overlooked in our fast paced daily routine.

=== hamas. I am sure that much fun was had at this and other resorts. We also learned a new sense of the term community. I wished that I could have saved that vacation for a latter day, much like the great poet, Robert Frost. Instead of traveling to the shore, however, I took the vacation less traveled by.

Along with eleven other members of the Cabrini community, I was packed like a sardine into a white Cabrini van. I then happily journeyed on the seven-hour ride to spend spring break in Union, West Virginia.

Nothing can top the natural beauty of the countryside. Serving as the backdrop for the workdays were high mountain peeks dotted with green trees. A clear blue sky lay over the terrain. During the night, there were more starts in the sky than there are girls in Woodcrest. Falling starts were a visible treat in the mix of the heavenly

My nights were spent getting to know the wonderful people of Union. Many showed us a little southern comfort by opening up their homes and their hearts to our group of hungry students. They not only nourished us with great food (damn, that cobbler was sweet) but also with fresh new insights on life, Appalachian style. We learned that prosperity does not always mean how much money is in your bank account. Prosperity could represent the happiness achieved through a large family, or the joy of assisting in the birth of a baby goat. Prosperity could be represented by the time and dedication devoted to making sure that your farm is in perfect shape. Instead of climbing up the corporate ladder, prosperity could mean climbing a mountain that sits in your backyard.

This small community works for each other rather than against each other. Building on the lessons in community, the trip also taught valuable lessons needed in communal living. Showers must be kept short so every one can quickly lather up in hot water. Most importantly, vanilla scented Lysol is the single most important possession needed when twelve people share two bathrooms for one week.

Union, West Virginia has made a new friend. I learned a lot from the trip about life and about me. It's all because I took that vacation less traveled. And that, my Amy Gassen is a staff writer for Loquitur. She wanted to bring home a goat, but there was no room in the Cabrini van.