I’d never been happier than when we emerged from the jungle back into the citrus groves. Relief flooded over me as the thick jungle air loosened up to reveal and crisp breeze. I’d never been so happy to see oranges in my entire life.

In that same breath, I felt a deep sense of accomplishment. This was my first time hiking and it was extreme. Every step I took through the jungle and through that cave, I’d told myself I would never go hiking again. But suddenly, I had a change of heart. I liked how it felt to face my fears and conquer them. There was something powerful about completing a feat I believed I could not do. I’d found a newfound love for hiking and the mysteriousness of the jungle.

Seeing the ripe oranges were like laying eyes on the gates of paradise. I was covered in sweat from head to toe and the air-conditioned van waiting to pick us up beckoned me. However, there was a longing feeling for the cave, like I’d experienced something I’d never get to experience again.

I looked back over my shoulder one last time as the van drove off and wondered about the Mayan people, the moments they’d had there, and all the blood spilled there with hopes the rain would come. It was an awakening moment that grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me until understanding became clear. For the first time in my life, I realized how large and how small I was in the grand scheme of life; in history. And I smiled at the thought of having walked through the Mayan Underworld and survived.

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