Period 2
October 26, 2012
Stepping out of comfort zone The warm summer breeze swept by bringing with it the delicious smell of hamburgers, hot dog, and chicken being grilled out in the backyard. As I ate my enormous hamburger, I sat still amazed at what I had accomplished that day. This was one of the best summer vacations I had spent with my cousin and it was one day that I would never forget. Beep! Beep! Beep! I opened my eyes and turned to look at the alarm 4:15 AM, just fivsse more minutes I told myself sleepily. “Come on wake up so you can eat something before you leave” yelled my mom from the kitchen. The morning felt cold so I put on some sweat pants and my favorite black and white long sleeve shirt. Half asleep I ate a warm, toasted, raisin bagel with a glass of milk. By 4:50, everything was packed in the car and we were ready to leave. My sisters, Patricia and Priscilla, half asleep wrapped in their blankets, walked to the car. The cold, fresh morning air hit my face as soon as I stepped out and I was suddenly wide awake. We were now on our way to Los Osos to spend the summer at my cousin Noah’s house. We entered the 10 freeway and it was completely dead, no cars were driving about it. After about an hour of driving the sun began to rise and it seemed to give life to the freeway, cars began driving onto it and before we knew it were stuck in traffic. My sisters woke up about nine so we took the next off ramp and went to nearby Denny’s to have breakfast. We all ordered chocolate chip pancakes with bacon, sausage and a glass of orange juice, except that my mom and uncle ordered a cup of coffee instead of juice. Once we finished we continued our long drive. Finally after seven hours of driving we reached my cousin’s house. I was the first to get out of the car not only because I was excited but because I needed to stretch. “Hey! You guys finally made it” a deep voice called from behind me. I was startled by my uncle Alfonso’s voice and especially startled to see how tall he was. My aunt Mary, cousins Noah and Christie followed him out to greet us. They helped us take our luggage into the house. As soon as the door opened a mouthwatering aroma of enchiladas hit me. I suddenly became very hungry. After settling in my aunt served us a plate of seven chicken enchiladas. I seemed the only one who was truly hungry because I had a second serving. My cousin Noah then asked me if I wanted to ride bikes with him to the park. “I didn’t bring my bike with me” I replied. “I have two bikes, you can borrow one if you want” answered Noah. We go outside to get the bikes, “bet I can I can beat you to the park” Noah said in a cocky manner. “Alright your on, let’s see who’s faster” I replied. He gave me directions on how to get to the park and once I memorized them, we got ready to race. Although I had never been to my cousin’s house and occasionally let him pass me, when I forgot which way to go, I still beat him. He said he let me win and if I really wanted a race, I had to ask him the week that I leave. The park was huge. The smell of freshly cut grass, kids playing on new looking equipment, the nice basketball courts and two soccer fields were amazing. Noah took me to bike trail that he said led to another half of the park. The trail was in between enormous pine and oak trees and along the way we saw squirrels jumping from tree to tree collecting food. “We are almost there” Noah yelled from in front of me. We finally reached an area of the park that was filled with kids riding their bikes up a trail that led to the top of a hill. And at the center of this area was a section that caved into the ground, that some of them used to race down one side and jump out the other and do some amazing trick. Next to it stood a half pipe where only older kids seemed to be at. From where I stood the concave area looked like a giant bowl until I got closer and saw that I was split into two halves. The right halve was all smooth so that bikers are able to out the other, but the left side was a bit more complex. Within it was a smaller concave circle with two small ramps parallel to the right half and opposite from each other. Noah told me to go in but I refused because I was afraid of falling and breaking a bone. While he went in I rode up the hill, which turned out to be a lot more tiring that I had anticipated. From the top of the hill I could see Noah doing a tree hundred sixty degree spin in the air and landing it perfectly. On the way home I asked him how he was able to do all that without being afraid. “I am scared of messing up and falling to the ground but if I let fear take control of me then I will fall to the ground. Don’t let fear take control of you because you it may cause you to pass up some amazing opportunities” he told me with such confidence that I became inspired. The next day we went back and still inspired I raced into the concaved area but I gained speed and saw that I neared the edge I began to feel fear creep into me and I quickly hit my front brakes and I flew off my bike. My scream broke the laughter and joy and turned it into silence. Noah quickly went in to help me up. “Can we go home now” I asked him once we were out. For the entire ride home all I could think of was me falling off my bike. The following day I didn’t go with him to the park or the next day or the day after that. “Don’t let fear take control of you” Noah yelled from outside just as he was getting ready to go to the park. “Wait for me” I called from the door just as he was about to leave. At the park I stand looking at the concaved area for a while before steadily starting to pedal. Just before going fear crept into me and I hit my brakes. Each and every day for a week the same thing happened I was not able of letting go of the fear of falling and breaking a bone. The next day I ask Noah to teach me how to do a mid air trick on the ground, so he did. That day instead of going to the park I stayed home and practice that one trick. For a week I did not go to the park with Noah so that I could practice that one trick. On the final week of our stay my uncle decided to grill some hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken. That day I asked Noah to go to the park and so we did. That day I felt confident and determined. At the park, I stood staring at the bike and focusing on nothing else but what I was about to do. I start pedaling, gradually gaining speed and I neared the edge I felt fear start to creep into me but this time I didn’t stop I repeatedly told myself that I would not let fear take control. Before I knew it, I was nearing the other side and I started to pedal faster and faster and then I was in the air doing a three hundred and sixty degree spin. This was only half of what I needed to do now I had to remain focused and make sure to land it. I closed my eyes. “You did it!” Noah yelled from behind. I opened my eyes. I see myself stopped at the center of the bowl and looking around. “YES!!” I screamed from the top of my lungs. The first thing I did when we got back home was tell everyone what I had accomplished. As congratulations, my uncle Alfonso gave me the first hamburger and stacked it big with two patties, lettuce, tomato and cheese. I sat eating my hamburger amazed at my accomplishment. “You were right about not letting fear take control of you” I told Noah as he entered the living room with his hamburger. “I knew that by the end of the summer you would have been able to do something. Now about that race.” “What about that race” I asked. “I think know it will be a lot more interesting, don’t you” he said jokingly. We finished eating and went to grab the bikes to have one last race before I left the next day.