Standing at the top of the cliff looking down at the river, my head is filled with thoughts. Should I take a risk and jump? Will I get hurt? I can’t do this, I’m afraid of heights. It’s a long way down. These thoughts were running through my head during my family vacation to Bar Harbor, Maine. Vacations are to be worry-free and filled with relaxation, but this vacation did cause some worry.
The trip started horribly. First I got carsick, then the luggage carrier on the top of our car leaked so after it rained, everything was damp. Once we got to our campsite, it began to rain, so we had to set up camp in the rain.
After everything was set up, we did the usual tourist activities: we went on a lobster boat, went to lighthouses, took way too many pictures, and went on a whale watching tour. During the whale watching tour, we were on this boat that had three different levels, and we started on the upper deck. After we left the dock, my mother began to feel seasick. I offered to take her to the restroom, so my mom and I headed down to the second deck where there were bathrooms. There was a line at the bathroom. So we waited and we were given “vomit bags” by the attendants. I went to the concession stand and bought a set of wrist bands that were to help with the seasickness. Then, I began to feel sick, so I sat down beside her on the stairs. We both ended up throwing up and were clutching to the staircase railing till the end. The boat tour was the worst three hours of that vacation, but I am proud that I was able to take care of my mom.
The last day we went white-water rafting. We were in one raft with our instructor. We were in a group of five rafts with other inexperienced rafters. It seemed a little dangerous on such a fast-paced river. I was nervous until we went through our first rapid. We made it through successfully and my nerves disappeared. Then we were led to the riverbank. The instructors explained that because of our inexperience, we had to hike until we passed an extremely difficult rapid. We hiked a little ways when we stopped on a cliff 30 feet above the river. The instructors explained that we could jump in and the current would carry us to the nearby rafts, or we could hike down to the rafts. The instructors told everyone how to jump and that it was safe for us to jump. People began jumping, floating down to where they were helped into the rafts by one of the instructors. People continued jumping, and then everyone had jumped except the guides and me. I didn’t want to jump because of my fear of heights, but I decided to take a risk. I jumped, screaming until I hit the water. Then I floated to the rafts where I was helped in the raft. I realized that even though it was scary, it was fun. Jumping off of the cliff into the river helped me get over my fear of heights, and was my favorite part of the trip.
Although we went through some obstacles during our trip to Bar Harbor, Maine, it was still one of my favorite family vacations. Even though we were cramped in our car, I can look back and remember how much fun I had laughing, sharing stories, and just spending time with my family.
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