The first vacation I vividly remember was one of my family’s international trips in 2014. This time, it was a completely new place for my sister and me: the Bahamas. More specifically, Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas, the extravagant ocean-themed resort housing more marine animals than I could count and the astounding water park.
Although I don’t know the exact point in time that I became practically obsessed with all things ocean-related, I do know that in Aug. 2014, I was well on my way to becoming a junior marine life expert. So, as expected, walking into the Atlantis resort was like a fever dream. It was everything I had ever wanted it to be; each new corner turned was brimming with imaginative surprises such as a large rock pool with crystal clear water that held about 10 rehabilitated nurse sharks and a colossal waterfall where four green sea turtles swam around in the chaotic pond at the end of the fall.
My family often tells me I was an exuberant kid, full of passion and wonder. I had an endless thirst for new experiences; nothing ever satisfied my voracious appetite for travel. From Vietnam to California, I was skipping my way through the sunny days full of an admiring attitude toward a national park or a historic carousel. Even now, the same could be said for my adoration for finding something new every day. Just last weekend, my dad and I went to a new coffee shop and took a new street home that we had yet to drive down. It always thrills me when I find something not yet discovered in my life.
However, something has dimmed inside me as I’ve grown. With each day passing by in a blur, the light of my youth has been slowly diminishing. Even though the unexpected moments in a day make my outlook a little brighter, I can’t help but feel I’ve been moving forward with no direction. I’ve been looking forward to the future so eagerly. I remember thinking on my first day of freshman year of high school, “Just wait a little longer. Soon enough, I’ll be in college and in a new state with cool restaurants and things to enjoy.”
Looking back, I cannot believe how naive I was. I honestly thought my four years of high school would be near the worst of my life. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Sure, many days at school have been soured by my judgment and unsatisfactory test grades, but along with that, I’ve found a place where I can feel comfortable and accepted. Over the past two years, I’ve founded relationships with people I never thought I’d talk to. I’ve felt emotions that I never thought I would feel again in a school environment. So far, high school has been good for me.
A newfound experience will brighten my spirits like nothing else ever will. However, I’ve also learned that while I anticipate the future, it’s best to settle into my current situation and appreciate the joy I feel each day. I have finally learned to love the present because whether I want to believe it or not, I will never get back each moment I experience once it’s gone.
