College Stuff

Isaac Korce

College Essay Prompt- Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you?

Colleges I am applying to . . .

·        Colorado State University

·        Colorado University

·        Western State University

·        Fort Lewis College

·        Northern Arizona University

·        Colorado Mountain College

·        Evergreen State College

A San Juan Morning

The San Juan Mountains stand out among the rest for their steep peaks and beautiful fish. Very first cast the tension in the line is evident as the brook trout struggles to avoid capture. I quickly release the trout and look at my fly to see how it faired from the vigorous thrashing. As I raise the fly in front of my face, I look up to see the face of another one of my backpacking comrades.

She was from Florida and was not in her element among the mountains. I beckon for her to approach, to see if she wanted to try fly fishing. As she approaches me, I order “catch a fish”. To this she hesitantly replied “I don’t know how to fly fish”. I quickly slipped the rod into her hand before she could refuse and gave her some basic pointers. Her first cast struggled to leave the shore; I decide to assist her by pulling more line out of the reel. The second cast came and she snagged a bush directly behind her, I quickly unhooked the fly and made a joke that the fish were in the water. I could see her embarrassment so I explained how if she cast parallel to the shore, she couldn’t snag her line. As she reached back in preparation to snap the line back towards the lake, the sun was well on its way to surpassing the peaks that blocked its sparkling rays. The fly landed with a burst of ripples, the sign of a novice caster, not a second after the fly landed a fish quickly took the line and dove back under the water. I watched her face as I excitedly yelled to keep tension. As if she were an experienced mountain angler she rinsed her hands in the water, grasped the fish, and let it go.

Experiences that I have had in the majestic San Juan Mountains have influenced my life. I have a certain belonging in the peaks; experiences like these solidify my attraction. Watching my fishing comrade I saw her staring up at the mountains. The sun slowly made its way over the top of the peaks and stared her in the face. I understood this exchange; it was an adaptation that defined my sense of contentment. This ritual is the beginning of a lifelong lust for cold winds and crystal clear water. This experience is one of many that have shaped my definition of contentment. As the last of the June snow reluctantly melts into a small teardrop lake, I too realize I must move downstream. I remember my experiences in the isolated San Juan Mountains, but wait eagerly to find my next experience, a chance to change what and where I find contentment.