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By day four, we were already a team. One formed not through deep talks (at first; that would come later), but through soaked socks, trail sweat, and post-dinner dish duty. We didn’t have our phones. I didn’t miss mine. Mornings started early, calm. It wasn’t my Penn life, but I was getting used to it. Time was slow. Trust came fast. It didn’t feel rushed. It felt earned. 

Pumalín Douglas Tompkins National Park, January 2025
Daniel B.