Friend adventures

I ended up going to Wisconsin again with Jackie’s family. Luckily I didn’t crash into anything and I just had fun riding the ATV. I did a whole lot more with her family this time around besides riding around the track.


Jackie’s brother Ronnie brought his friend Peter along and all of us hung out with each other. There were some pretty crazy times when we were messing around in the motor home. Jackie and Ronnie would get into fights for no apparent reason. Somehow I took part in this fight. They kept chucking things like boxes or food across the motor home and screaming at each other. I tried stopping them from throwing things, but Ronnie threw a box of fruit snacks and it hit me right in the face. Jackie and Ronnie both shut up after that. I wasn’t angry about it. I simply smiled and laughed. Now that I look back at it, I think it scared them.


When we weren’t in the motor home, we would be exploring. Besides the dirt track, we were also located by a farm and a vast field. All of us were walking over the tall grass. Peter and Ronnie would lead. We made sure we didn’t go too far from Jackie’s parents. We went back eventually before the sun went down. It would have been easy to get lost in the dark. Jackie’s dad was starting a bon fire when we made it back. The flames rose higher as Jackie’s dad kept adding wood to it. All of us circled around the fire to warm up our bodies. Jackie’s mom brought out chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers to make s’mores. All of us were so excited and we had to go find sticks to put the marshmallows on. Jackie was crazy when she was roasting her marshmallows. She would set them on fire on purpose. They would look like charcoal when she was done with them. I just shook my head in mock shame. The only thing I really cared about is that I was eating my own s’mores and not hers.


My favorite part of being in Wisconsin was being able to see the stars. The night was so clear that I was able to see the Milky Way. I never saw it before and I caught myself gazing at the sky unblinkingly. I relaxed on the grass just enjoying the stars. I wouldn’t have minded to fall asleep beneath the stars, but Jackie’s parents didn’t like that idea and I was eventually pulled out of the grass. I haven’t seen the Milky Way since then, but that image has stayed with me. The memory of being in Wisconsin will always be funny to me. I’m still good friends with Jackie’s family and maybe I will be able to spend a trip with them again in the near future.

Ride or Die

I go on adventures with people other than my family. When I was 12, my best friend Jackie invited me to go with her family to Wisconsin. She wanted me to come with her to ride ATV’s and motorbikes that she was bringing up to Wisconsin. Honestly, I was nervous at first. I had no idea how to ride. Her dad just smiled at me and said that he would teach me how when we got there. We were getting there by motor home so I thought that was fun. My friend and I messed with each other a lot. We played games on the trip, but it was hard since the game pieces would shift whenever we were on a curvy road, but it was fun all the same.


When we actually got to Wisconsin and to the place we were going, I was surprised. There was a huge dirt course to ride on. There were even some man-made hills to do tricks on. In my mind I thought, “How am I going to learn how ride on this course?” I would answer my question soon enough.


When we got settled and got the ATV’s and motorbikes out, Jackie’s brother and his friend went on the track right away. I stood still not having a clue what to do. Jackie’s dad reassured me that I would be able to do it. He sat me on an ATV and showed me the gas and brake and told me time and time again not to press the gas hard or I would accelerate way too fast. Well, I learned that the hard way. I meant to press the brake, but instead I pressed the gas and headed straight into a shed. Somehow I stopped myself with my feet. It wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but it stopped me from smashing into it. I scared Jackie’s dad senseless because he surely thought I was going to hurt myself. I did a lot of crazy things riding that ATV.


I eventually got used to riding and then started to ride on the course. It was really fun for me. I went up hills and made sharp turns and I really had a feel for the course. Jackie and Jackie’s dad were impressed that I got the hang of it so quickly. I was able to do it faster and faster. I wasn’t afraid anymore, but I did something a little insane. I was so happy I had a helmet on for this.


I went around the course again like I usually would and I was going up a steep hill. I was doing it fine before, but something went wrong. I was pressing the gas, but the engine was stalling. It was a good thing I had fast instincts. I let go of the ATV because it was starting to flip backwards. It almost flipped on top of me. If I didn’t move I would have been crushed. Jackie came running to me, but I was just laughing on the ground so happy that I didn’t hurt myself. She smiled at me saying that was the coolest wipe out ever. I will never forget that day. I would do that all over again and I got the chance the next time she invited me.

What a long distance

With this trip, it was a road trip. We were going from Chicago all the way down to Orlando, Florida to go to Disney World, another one of my childhood memories that never escaped me. I never got used to falling asleep in the car. I was wide awake while my siblings we knocked out. It didn’t bother me that they used me as their pillow…except when they drooled….


I ignored the fact that I would have to change my shirt the next chance I got. My eyes were too busy with getting engrossed with the imagery outside of my window. For the most part we were on the highway and I would usually catch myself in a daze by all the cars that streamed from my vision. There was the occasional farm and I would see cows just grazing away or horses minding their own business. My eyes would get a treat once we had to go through a city. I believe it was Indianapolis. I easily get distracted when I look up at Skyscrapers. Hearing the sounds of busy streets excite me instead of aggravate me. No matter how old I get, I will still feel like a little kid staring up at shiny buildings as the sun reflects off them. I’m not sure if I will still like busy streets, but I like them now.


The road trip repeated that pattern. Continuous strips of highway, towering skyscrapers, and knocked out siblings. I continued to be the silent observer. I looked up at the brilliant blue sky on occasion. There wasn’t a single cloud in sight and I would find myself get lost in the vastness of it. A smile slipped across my face once I realized we made it to our destination. I slapped my siblings’ silly to wake them up. Their grogginess faded instantly once I told them we were in Orlando.


We wasted no time to get ready for Disney World. I think my siblings we more excited than I was. They wanted to go right away, but we situated ourselves in the hotel and rested first. Disney World was amazing when we finally got there. We took a lot of pictures while we were there. I’m not exactly sure where those pictures are now but the memories are imprinted on my mind. I remember when my sister almost took out Minnie Mouse. She was so excited to see all the characters walking around. I was mostly excited when night time came and a parade was going on. Everything was lit up and the princesses were waving at the crowd. I remember Cinderella the most. Fireworks were being set off when I was looking at her. I smiled happily as I watched her disappear from my sight


Back then I still dreaded rides. I never wanted to go on one until I was dragged into the line. It was the last thing we were going to do before we were going to be on our way home. My fear heightened as we drew nearer and nearer to the ride. The ride was called Splash Mountain. I should have been excited to go on this ride because of my lover for water, but it didn’t ease my fear of drops at all. Before I knew it, I was strapped in and on my way to a very cold splash. Shrieks came from my mouth, but I didn’t cry. I was actually enjoying it. My whole body was soaked after it, but I came out with a laugh. It was a good way to end Disney World. I haven’t been there since then and it has been nearly a decade.

For your amusement

My thoughts usually drift to the ocean or some kind of form of water, but that’s not the only thing that interests me. I remember going to Ohio on the spur of the moment with long time friends. This was actually fairly recent, not like my childhood years. I was around 15 at the time, not really sure what the purpose of going here was, but I didn’t mind. I thought of it simply as an adventurous weekend with childhood family friends.


We explored different restaurants for the variety of different foods. I can’t necessarily remember what exactly I ate but that wasn’t the point. It was getting lost trying to find the places that made it interesting. My parents tried to follow the directions, but it just led us to dead ends. We couldn’t really figure out why. The GPS failed us miserably. We were pretty much exploring Ohio blindly. It must sound a little insane that I find my parents frustration amusing. My parents eventually just went to the first place they saw we could eat at since they were so fed up with the technology they had at their disposal. Using their eyes was more useful. Where we ended up was actually really cool. We had the whole restaurant to ourselves and the people weren’t jerks. I remember that the table settings were very intricate. So many spoons, forks and knives were at our grasp. Now that I think about it, my surroundings of where I was at were a blur. All I cared for really was the people around me. My family enjoying themselves and having the chance to converse with my friends, but this wasn’t my favorite part of the trip. Screaming at the top of my lungs was.


Our last day in Ohio, we went to an amusement park that I can’t seem to remember the name of, but that didn’t matter. I was amazed by how short the lines were. I was standing there 15 minutes at most, a definite improvement from hour lines at Six Flags. This was the day where I completely knocked out my fear of roller coasters. I went on every ride possible. I can’t really explain how my fear dissolved so quickly. It might have been because I didn’t have that much time to think about it. I was on the ride in a matter of minutes instead of waiting nervously in expectation for the shrieks to echo in my ears. All I really heard was the sound that was coming from my mouth as I dropped and went through the loops and turns of each ride. I was surprised I still had my voice. It was an intense way to end this little adventure. I was dazed out of my mind after all the rides, but it was worth it. I take on a roller coaster without a second thought knowing that I am in for a thrill.

water water water

So many thoughts and mixed feelings are floating around in my mind. The Philippines had its moments that will forever be imprinted in my memories. There is another place that I found to be so different from where I am from and that is in Ixtapa, Mexico.


I remember sleeping right through the plane ride. I was a little person when I visited there, around when I was in fifth grade. I only woke up when my brother nudged me to look out the window. When I looked down, at first I only saw huge masses of clouds that filled the sky. It was only when the plane started to descend that I saw where we were going to land. The scenery was so cool to me. The Gulf of Mexico looked so blue and there were so many palm trees. Houses could be seen all around the mountains. I couldn’t wait to land and get off the plane to explore.


The weather was really nice there. I didn’t feel cold at all and it wasn’t humid. I remember that I spent most of the time in the water. At the hotel I was staying at there was a pool and volleyball net set up in the middle of it. My siblings and I were always playing with a ball or splashing each other. Our mom would always laugh at us saying that we should be at the beach playing. The beach was only across the street. We eventually went over there and attacked the sand.
We spent hours in the sand. My sister and I buried my brother in the sand. The only thing you could see of him was his head. My family just laughed at him because it was so hard to get him out. He pretty much ripped himself out and ran into the Gulf to wash off all the sand. I ran after him and attacked him in the waves. It’s just how we were. We always battled each other for no apparent reason, but it was fun all the same. I went back onto the sand after my brother and I got tired of battling each other and the waves. Both of us just stared up watching the sun descend making the sky an orange hue.


My favorite part of being in Mexico was when my dad rented a golf cart and we were driving around Ixtapa in it. We were visiting all the different kinds of beaches looking for sea shells. I have those sea shells to this day. I even have a piece of coral I found that washed onto shore in the mess of rocks that I venturing in. The shells I found were so smooth. Some of them had rough surfaces that I found interesting. I could only pick a few of them which was very heart breaking to me at the time, but it was a sacrifice. I laugh at it now because it’s a fun memory and I was and still am a silly person. The days I spent in Mexico was so exciting and my love for water has definitely grown since then and I bet I would love it even more if I went there again.