Can one simply be at peace? Some may believe that this question might lie deep in the cryptic mountains and far away from society. I, for one, have discovered the presence of peace and tranquility. Who could’ve imagined that I would come across this state of mind while on vacation?
The day we have eagerly waited for was here. The polished bright sun guided our way into the over-advertised minivan to head out into the unknown and begin our daylong journey. Languages here and there leapt expectantly as I concentrated on decoding their meaning.
â–º QUARTER FINALIST 2012 TEEN TRAVEL WRITING SCHOLARSHIP
The two Croatian drivers took us out of our vacation spot, Omiš, and we traveled almost a half hour to reach our destination. Once there, breathtaking views enveloped our eyes, rich scents coming from the forest pierced our noses, and voices shouting commands were heard. Right away, we were thrown our lifejackets, all the while, voices shouting to quickly put them on. Words like confused and dazed could explain my growing excitement. Our selected rafting skipper positioned my family into one group photo, clicked, and the scramble for who gets the better seat on the rafting boat began. However, little did we know that our rafting skipper was the one who prearranged the seats for us! As names were shouted, quite similar to a teacher calling out names for attendance, each one of us was supposed to sit in their designated spot instead of saying that repetitive “here” as in a classroom environment. One by one, my relatives struggled to get a grip on the boat, and I still wasn’t called in! Turns out, I was the last one picked, awarded a seat next to the rafting skipper, and suddenly hired as the translator to our group. How easy was that?
Thus, our voyage on the Cetina River began as we pedaled too quickly on our blast-off moment. We were in Dalmatia, Croatia, a hot vacation spot for any valiant adventurer out there. As we pedaled our way through the lazy river, my chances of ever reaching a wild ride deemed down each and every minute. Little ducklings greeted us on the sides of our boat, I made sure to send my warm welcome too by tossing bits of bread pieces into the water. An hour into our hard work, I noticed some pedals moving fasted than the others, thus, causing a rupture in the whole process of a well-exercised process of keeping the boat stable and moving at a stable and well-mannered pace. Pointing this out to my group, they immediately settled down and actually listened to my commands! As I looked over at their pedals now, the sight of them moving in synch with each other brought out that hidden evoked emotion that I for so long have waited to witness. Back and forth the pedals moved, like the perfected moments of when a youngling learns to first ride a bike. Suddenly, I was washed away into an unruffled daydream. It was finally summer, and all my worries of schoolwork and grades swept away like the wind. My mind was cleared of everything, only my hands were moving in a melodious manner, back and forth. Have I suddenly discovered the true sense of peace that so many dedicate their lives to finding? No longer did I care about the past and the future, I was living in the present, enjoying my young freedom.
Free from any grasp, life was finally being lived, no matter how big our problems were. After all, everyone only lives once.
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