It was the summer of 2009. I have never been one to ponder the future that sudden opportunities bring. Such an opportunity knocked, and I greeted it enthusiastically. I felt like I had the world in the palm of my hands and I could do anything that I set my mind to. And so, not even a week after graduating high school, my bags filled to the point of bursting and I was on the red-eye flight …show more content…
Most people think of the MTV show The Jersey Shore, but the part that I lived in was nothing like that or even remotely close to that area. I lived in Kinnelon, New Jersey; it is in the north-eastern part of the state and it is a stunning environment. Back home in Arkansas everything was flat, and unadorned farmland was in every direction. Unless you were traveling northwest towards the Ozarks, where the beauty of the state can be truly seen. Northeastern New Jersey surpassed my expectations, there were these enormous, vibrant, dark green trees that seemed to brush the sky with their cloud-piercing tops. Lakes so clear that you could see the pebbles sitting at the bottom, beckoning to be picked up. Whichever direction you looked, nothing appeared the same. There were hills, valleys and cliffs scattered throughout the state. So different from the place I knew, and this area was my new …show more content…
The sun had just risen, tendrils of sunlight peeked through the veil of clouds that filled the sky. The air sent chills through me, maybe I was just unaccustomed to the temperature, but I remember it vividly, my flesh pebbled in goosebumps as I put my earbuds in preparation to jog a mile to the lake from where I was residing. I left the house and started running, the feeling of being free coursed through my veins. Mist rose from the rapidly warming asphalt as the sun began to rise and welcome the beginning of a new day. That was when I stopped in awe of the beauty around me. Toxicity by System of a Down quietly played through my earbuds and I stood there, enchanted, taking in everything new. I remember my thoughts being scattered as I looked around: I was so far away from my parents, but I was excited for this change. My trance was soon interrupted. There was this small squirrel-like creature sitting on a rock eating something. I wanted to get a closer look at this creature. It was charming and I tended to let my inquisitive nature get the best of me. I started toward the little creature, but it scampered away, chittering at me like a mother scolding her child for misbehaving. Nevertheless, me being the lighthearted person that I am, shrugged it off like it was no big deal and continued my way to the lake. Once I reached the lake, I stopped to take a drink from my water bottle and the sudden