the trek

joshua heard his friends discuss the upcoming hike. joshua's friends had decided to go on a hike to the mountains on the outskirts of their town, and they planned on having an overnight camp there. while joshua's friends couldn't be more excited about the hike, joshua felt his heart flutter nervously. he had never been on a hike before and the thought of being in a forest at night, climbing steep rocks, and probably seeing insects and animals made him want to back out of the plan. joshua's friends knew that he was terrified and tried their best to soothe his mind by promising that nothing would go wrong and he would enjoy the experience.
that night, joshua was about to call his friends informing them that he wouldn't be joining the hike. but his parents stopped him and encouraged him to be brave and try to face his fears. joshua hesitated but half-heartedly agreed to go.
on the day of the hike, joshua silently trembled. i have to be brave, he kept telling himself again and again. the hike began, and in the beginning, joshua struggled to keep up with his friends as he was too busy stopping every now and then to ensure that nothing crawled around or near him. however, after a while, he began feeling more relaxed. the fresh aroma of the soil and the quietness of the forest calmed him, and he began to enjoy the hike. joshua and his friends came across patches where they had to carefully climb rocks. but joshua's heart no longer fluttered nervously. instead, he was now filled with excitement.
in the evening, when they camped at a barren patch, joshua his friends find wood to build a fire. he looked up at the glittering twilight sky in awe, and he felt relieved and grateful that he had looked past his fears to live this amazing experience.

what is the theme of this selection?
a.
new experiences can lead to new kinds of fear.
b.
hiking is the best way to relax the mind and body.
c.
friends support each other during tough times.
d.
being courageous opens doors to new experiences.