Nonfiction Story

Small Moments

A hot and restless day it was on that late afternoon of August 17, 2019. Traveling up the side of a steep mountain was not what we had signed up for when we decided to visit a place called Blair Lake. My family and I had wanted to spend the day somewhere new and exciting but so far all we got was new and terrifying. The road was all gravel, causing our car tires to slip and send fear into our minds. As we climbed farther and farther upwards, the side of the road became more intimidating as we neared the edge of it. There was no railing to stop us from flying over the side, just steady steering was what we depended on.

Now, my Mom and I have never enjoyed driving up large, steep roads which made this drive especially long. Feeling the car turn side to side as it slipped every once and awhile did more than push our minds to overthinking the worst of what could happen. My Mom liked to express her worry with verbal opinions while I stuck to clearing my head of any thoughts related to that moment. As we both sat there with our eyes shut I began to wonder what the top would be like. I knew there was a campground and lake but what would it look like? Would there be a lot of room? Were the camping spots nice? These were all thoughts that were flying through my mind which managed to calm me down a bit. Little did I know that I would be very glad we drove up there because of what I would see in the end.

I managed to open my eyes and look around outside. It was a lovely day and I could see trees for miles and miles. The sky was a stunning baby blue with a few clouds lingering overhead. I heard my Mom continue to tell us how much she hated this drive while my little brother laughed at her. I smiled and knew that this would be something we remembered for a long time. My Stepdad, who was driving, laughed at my Mom’s commentary as well and tried to ease her mind by assuring her we would be fine.

I could feel the nervous pit in my stomach while we continued on the nerve-wracking road. Not only was the lake waiting for us but so were the snacks that we packed in the trunk. My nervousness turned into my stomach reminding me of my hunger, which didn’t make me feel better. Eventually, I managed to settle down and really enjoy the ride. Soon enough we were welcomed by the sight of a parking lot.

We pulled in and got out, taking in all we could see. The sun’s rays warmed me up as I fished out the food we brought. Opening a can of sparkling La Croix water I looked around, eyeing all the trees along with a path in front of us leading to the camping spots. We stood there for a few minutes more, finishing our lunch until we headed on our way down the dirt path.

The path took us through a beautiful section of vibrant bushes with small purple flowers on them. We continued on and I saw many more beautiful scenes but when we got to the lake it was breathtaking. The silence there was so unique that I welcomed it with open arms. I heard the occasional bird chirps and trees swaying but I didn’t mind because they only added to the wonderful moment. As I stood there looking out at the gentle ripples of the water, I felt serenity flow throughout my body making me want to stay there all day.

We stayed for a while longer, exploring all the corners of the campground. I found different nooks and crannies in the water where logs piled on top of each other making all the colors of nature compliment one another in a refreshing way. I took many photos so I could always have those special memories with me. As I took my last few looks at the smooth, clear lake, I could feel the sun beating down on my neck and face, and I longed to jump into the body of water that was teasing me with its subtle movements. Finishing our day off with a couple more bites of food, we hopped in the car and drove off down the much hated road.

Sitting there with a very satisfied experience, I wondered when the next time would be that I was in a moment as precious as that one.