The main obstacle in the life of senior, Esmeralda Martinez, an adventurous student who loves to explore and be in nature, is being around new people. Martinez sees nature as a place that can help you connect to yourself, but with people around, it can take her away from the experience.

“She’s not shy, but she has a fear of being herself and being with people she doesn’t know,” senior, Raquel Hernandez said. “I think she is just scared she won’t have anything in common or anything to talk about.”

However, Martinez still loves to spend her free time exposing herself to new environments.

“I love meeting and opening up to new places,” Martinez said, “but I hate meeting and opening up to new people.”

It is not that she is scared to have people around, but the idea of opening up to a stranger is not easy for her.

Ever since she was a baby, Martinez and her family have traveled. She describes her parents as “modern day hippies” and says that they encourage her to be expressive and try new things.

“I believe I am on the same page as my fellow classmate Esmeralda,” senior, Mehak Khan said. “Although I love to go out and experience new things I can also relate to her tendency to become shy when meeting new people. Maybe with the help of experiencing new and exciting things Esmeralda and I can both overcome that fear.”

Although discovering nature with friends can be a pleasant experience Martinez prefers being on her own and discovering herself with no distractions.