Caught in a Riptide Whoosh! A phenomenal wave flew over my head, pulling me down with it. Next to me, to pull me back up was my brother, Matthew. Whoosh! Then came another wave, dragging me down again. My brother pulled me up once more. At that point I could see the haven-like shoreline becoming more distant; however, I was only ten at the time and did not understand why I was being pulled further away from it. I did not realize it at the moment, but a riptide had caught me. For spring break of 2011, my family decided to go to California on vacation. Matthew served his mission there, and he wanted to show us Southern California. Of course, since the closest we had ever been to a beach was Jefferson Lake in Rigby, the first thing we set out to do upon landing in Los Angeles was locate a beach on the ocean. We parked our rental van at Manhattan Beach and ran to the clear water. The cool water felt very refreshing on a warm spring day; however, anything over 50 degrees felt warm to our family who had traveled from the icy Idaho weather. My dad and we five kids waded out to where the water reached my belly button. My mom stayed on the beach. Those of us in the water splashed each other, at moments sucking in some of the salt water. To me, it tasted as if someone had poured gallons of table …show more content…
Divine intervention, a miracle, or just mere luck, it was; I was just grateful to be alive. Death had seemed so near, but life pulled out the victory. I felt the grainy California sand against my skin. No movement seemed necessary; it was perfect enough just to breathe in the humid air that moments earlier I had so dearly craved, and nearly lost. Still, in shock, I spread out on the sand like a beached whale. My mother laid next to me in tears, muttering, “I thought I lost you.” She was not the only one who thought I would die; I was the
As my family and I sped along the coast, the sour smell of sulfur vents and sea salt pungently gusted through my nostrils. My clothes were damp from the constant spray of seawater. My sense of balance was overcome by the sequential hop from wave to wave and – combined with the
It was a very cool day, overcast with a drip of rain here and there. Waves were vicious, water was as cold as the arctic, and my weak body was always being compared to a pencil. I began my swim as I attempted to avert the waves but, I seemed impossible. They kept pushing me back, yelling at me to go back to the beach, today is not your day. The waves, they swept me away with ease. I was a squirrel in a dog's mouth, a ragdoll, being tossed every which way. Tossed off balance underwater, I was baffled. My lungs whimpered for air, my body slowly drifting away. The aspect was blackening, the whole world spinning in circles, then, I felt weightless…
...n. When a sting ray swims past you or a jelly fish is there in the water beside you, again there is a realization of just how much is going on under the water that is not seen. The waves can make you feel so insignificant when you get tumbled head over heels in the water and you have no control over yourself. Only after experiencing this can the powerfulness of the waves be realized.
In the blink of an eye your entire life can change drastically. You could be going North at 90 miles an hour and then before you even realize what is happening you are headed South at 180 miles an hour. You never know when something is going to happen and you have no clue what that something could be. Situations pop up in people’s lives all of the time and turn their life around whether it be for the better or for the worse. The situation that really “switched the channel” (Kirszner, 121) of my life was the night that I heard my older sister’s screams coming from our answering machine late at night.
The smell of the restaurants faded and the new, refreshing aroma of the sea salt in the air took over. The sun’s warmth on my skin and the constant breeze was a familiar feeling that I loved every single time we came to the beach. I remember the first time we came to the beach. I was only nine years old. The white sand amazed me because it looked like a wavy blanket of snow, but was misleading because it was scorching hot. The water shone green like an emerald, it was content. By this I mean that the waves were weak enough to stand through as they rushed over me. There was no sense of fear of being drug out to sea like a shipwrecked sailor. Knowing all this now I knew exactly how to approach the beach. Wear my sandals as long as I could and lay spread out my towel without hesitation. Then I’d jump in the water to coat myself in a moist protective layer before returning to my now slightly less hot towel. In the water it was a completely different world. While trying to avoid the occasional passing jellyfish, it was an experience of
At the age of seven, my life changed forever. I was no longer living in my native country; I was now a fragment of the millions of immigrants who come to the United States in search of the American Dream. At the time, my father had recently lost his job and my mother was unemployed, which caused incredible financial stress for my family. My father decided to risk his life crossing the Rio Grande River for our family to have a better life and greater rewards.
The water felt really good because it was really hot.
Immediately, I angled my position and went for a dead sprint toward the water. I jumped off the cliff. I never felt anything like it; the trajectory had me flying through the air for longer than I expected. A surge of adrenaline pulsed through my body, bringing a new sense of life to me. The scorching heat went away as gravity pulled my body toward the water, bringing me a pleasant breeze through my fall. Then, I finally hit the water. I didn’t stick a solid landing, as I went head first into the water. I panicked and opened my eyes under the murky water, only to see nothing but dirt and sediments float around me. I kept sinking and saw a monstrous fish swim right in front of my face. At that very moment, my body went into overdrive, and I managed to project myself back up to the surface.
When I was a Child, I have never stopped wondering what it would be to fly in the sky. I had tried to jump from sofa or bed with an opened umbrella in my hand，and imagined myself as a flying bird. As I grow up, those wonderful fantasy become faded in my brain. I still like flying, and I had experience something like helicopter tour, but never a real fly. I always have the thoughts to explore life, to experience
As we pulled out of my parents driveway, the circumstances seemed very surreal. My entire way of life had been turned upside down with only a few hours consideration. I was very much “at sea” in the ...
Most times we want more than we can have. Appreciate the time you have with your loved ones, because one day they 're here and the other they 're not. "I 'm really trying to make it more than what it is, because everybody dies but not everybody lives." -Drake.
This lukewarm water was deceiving though, because it only seemed lukewarm due to the drop in temperature and misty rainfall. The waves were rushing toward me like a bull to a matador’s red flag. My mouth tasted as if someone dumped a whole shaker of salt on my tongue. The wave pushed my further and faster as it I could feel the wave breaking on my body and there I was back at the shallows again floating in with the white wash and was ready for another wave. As I stood back up and ran back out to the deep water I saw one of my surfing mates catch the most perfect barrel it was rad. It would have been a great snap shot. I caught another wave, this one was even bigger. The thrust of the wave was twisting my body and I was pulled towards the sea
My toes burrowed into the damp sand and I was relieved to realize that the water was warmer than I had expected. As I stood there and breathed in, deeply, the moist salty air, allowing my heart to fill with the vigor of the ocean and releasing the thoughts of the boy from my past with each exhale, a ball hit my feet and a man ran to get it as his friend yelled “you’re welcome!.” Were they trying to get my attention? I thought as I simply walked away avoiding eye contact with the man who collected the ball. I wandered along the water’s border allowing the water to cooly kiss my feet. the water hit my feet. I smiled as I looked at all of the young surfers attempting to catch the two foot waves. I amused myself by pondering what their future would look like and if I was witnessing the start of a surfing legend. I envied their potential, the years they would have to master their art to acquire their dreams, whatever they may be.
During the long summer vacation, I went back to Korea. It was the best time, and I enjoyed every moment there. However, if I need to pick one event that affected me the most, I’d choose ‘Climbing’ without any hesitation. It was one of the exercising programs we had in our Substitute School. We all went to a climbing lesson and we found ourselves surrounded by a wall. The walls weren’t ordinary walls. There were holders stuck on the wall.
Rolling waves gently brushed upon the sand and nipped softly at my toes. I gazed out into the oblivion of blue hue that lay before me. I stared hopefully at sun-filled sky, but I couldn’t help but wonder how I was going to get through the day. Honestly, I never thought in a million years that my daughter and I would be homeless. Oh, how I yearned for our house in the suburbs. A pain wrenched at my heart when I was once reminded again of my beloved husband, Peter. I missed him so much and couldn’t help but ask God why he was taken from us. Living underneath Pier 14 was no life for Emily and me. I had to get us out of here and back on our feet. My stomach moaned angrily. I needed to somehow find food for us, but how? Suddenly, something slimy brushed up against my leg and pierced my thoughts. I jumped back and brushed the residue of sand of my legs. What was that? As my eyes skimmed the water in front of me, I noticed something spinning in the foam of the waves. Curiosity got the best of me and I went over to take a closer look. The object danced in the waves and eventually was coughed out onto the beach. “Emily!” I called to my eight-year-old daughter who was, at that time, infatuated with a seashell that she found earlier that day. “Come here and see this! Mommy found something.” Although I had no idea what that something was and I definitely didn’t know it would change my life forever.