Experiencing the View at LaDue

We got out of the car and started loading the kayaks into the water. People were all around us bustling their boats into the lake and struggling not to get their fishing poles tangled. The parking lot was full of cars and looking out at the shining lake, there were tiny specks of people sprinkled about. We quickly got into the shallow water, which was quite cold, but refreshing to get into our kayaks. Some slimly algae got on my leg in the process. I paddled about 50 feet offshore to get out of the way of the larger motorboats and wait for my siblings. We paddled a little further towards the middle of the lake. I put my feet in the water and I immediately felt a wave of refreshment run from my feet to the rest of my body. The sun was shining bright and hot. My hat shielded my face from the sun, but I felt a droplet of sweat run down my face. I splashed some water on my arms and legs in the hope it would cool me off. Then, a swift summer breeze brushed past me. Miniature waves formed on the lake, but under the surface, the water was still. The breeze also blew a cloud over the sun, providing us with some shade. To the right, there was a bridge that split the lake in two. We paddled over to it and began to drift underneath it. The shade felt amazing. Here, the water was dark brown and the only disturbance in the water was our paddling. The constant noise of cars bumping over the bridge surrounded us and filled the silence. After a while, we reentered the sun and softly drifted with the waves. I had a short conversation with my sister, which ended as an argument. Frustrated, I paddle away. While I was alone, I decided to paddle to the other side of the lake to explore the forest. About halfway through my paddle, I realized that I have been so focused on the conversations playing through my mind, I wasn’t even noticing the nature around me. I stopped paddling and listened to the echoes of birds’ chirps against the trees, the swishes of water against my boat, and two medium-sized birds sitting in the water. They looked very dark from far away, but when I tried to get closer they flew away. Slowly drifting in the water, I felt the calm presence of nature encompass me. It was very peaceful.

As I reached the shore, I saw the leaves glinted in the sun and I noticed the many different shades of green among the trees. I turned around and saw that the cars were tiny and the people were even smaller. At that moment, I realized how far away I was from my family. A sense of panic and urgency rushed through my head, as I envisioned my family wanting to leave in the parking lot and being angry I was so far away. I began taking big strokes quickly, but it felt like I wasn’t moving. The further and further I paddled, people started coming into view. After paddling for what felt like forever, I recognized my family in the same place I had left them. With a sense of relief, I slowed down and paddled back to them. When I returned, we made our way back to shore and ended our lake adventure.