6 Hilltop by Johnathon Barthel

I was released from prison on September 28, 202, after serving over six years. It wasn’t a rough transition, but it also wasn’t without some speed bumps and stress along the way.

Since I had saved the Covid stimulus payments I received while I was in prison, I was able to buy an old 1994 Jeep Cherokee. When I wasn’t working or fulfilling my other obligations, I loved to drive around. I wasn’t very familiar with the Boise area and loved to explore. Even more than driving around town, I liked to get out of town, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

One day, it must have been in early October because it wasn’t very long after I got out, I went for a drive. It was a beautiful fall day, and the weather was perfect–not too hot, nor too cold, and just the slightest breeze. I drove north on Eagle Road and just kept going. I went past the town of Eagle, past some neighborhoods on the outskirts of town, and past some ranches along the way. I just kept going and going until all the houses and ranches had fallen away.

I ended up on a little trail and had to engage the four-wheel drive. After a while, I came upon an even smaller trail that branched off and went up a hill. As I drove up the hill and crested the top of it, I found one of the most breathtaking views I had ever experienced.

From the top of this hill, I had an incredible 360-degree view all around me. As far as I looked in every direction, I saw nothing but nature. Other than the small trail I had come up on and my Jeep, I saw nothing manmade. No other roads, no houses, not even power lines. There were just hills, trees, the clouds in the sky, and a river in the distance.

I also couldn’t hear anything manmade. No chatter on a correctional officer’s radio, no keys jingling, or steel doors slamming. No playing cards slapping on a steel table or my cellmate snoring. All I could hear were the sounds of nature–birds chirping and the leaves rustling.

I got out of my Jeep and jumped up on the hood. As I sat there, leaning back against the windshield, I was at complete peace. Prison was behind me, and my future was ahead of me. I didn’t have a care in the world and had never been happier than in the very moment. I sat there for at least an hour, just soaking it all in. The experience was so simple, yet one of the memorable moments of my life.

Unfortunately, I found my way back to prison. But I’m convinced that when I leave this time, it will be for good, and I know that hilltop is out there waiting for me to visit again.