My Summer Vacation Essay, Research Paper

Some people are lucky enough to have already experienced an event in their lives that completely overshot any expectations. When my friends first started talking about going on a senior trip, I never could have dreamed about how much fun it would be. Some people may think of a senior trip as a time to spend with their friends before everyone scatters to different schools. To me, it will always be considered as one of the best times in my life.

My friends and I decided to take a senior trip last summer. For months the trip was the topic of every conversation we had. Normally, seniors look forward to the prom and graduation, but I couldn?t wait for the trip.

In the middle of June, my friends and I finally said goodbye to our boring hometown and set flight for South Padre Island, Texas. This trip was the first taste of freedom for many of my friends and I. We were on our own. There were no parents or curfews. It was just absolute freedom.

After two long plane rides, we finally arrived at our destination. After everyone picked up his or her bags from the luggage claim, we got to step outside into the blistering Texas sun. By this time, everyone was ready to go to the beach and relax, but we still had to take a thirty-minute long shuttle to the condos.

The atmosphere on the bus seemed to explode as we passed through the small towns on the way to South Padre. After the long day of traveling, we knew we were just minutes away. Then all of a sudden, the scenery turned from cactuses and big open plains to this giant mass of water with beaches as far as the eye could see. Everyone stared out of the windows until the driver yelled to us that we were there.

We had three condos reserved for eight people in each. I was worried that there wouldn?t be enough room for all of us, but when one of my friends turned the key to the condo and I stepped inside, I couldn?t believe how big it really was.

Each condo had four huge bedrooms with a television. Also, each had a kitchen equipped with everything you would need, such as an oven, microwave, refrigerator, and a breakfast nook. The living room had a mini bar, and a balcony that overlooked the Gulf of Mexico. Mirrors surrounded the dining room, which really was a sight to see.

I was totally taken by surprise because all I saw before the trip was a little brochure that briefly described the condos and the local attractions. For the first time in the four years I knew my friends, everybody was getting along. I can?t remember ever feeling so close to them.

After everyone unpacked and got something to eat, we all met on the beach as the sun was setting on this long day. Most of the afternoons I spent on the beach or at the pool recovering from the night before. Occasionally, I would join my friends in a game of sand football or toss a Frisbee around with them. After a day of boogie boarding, I was so sunburnt that I could barely move my arms. I had to dump almost a gallon of aloe on my back and arms just so I could sit in a chair. I suffered through a day of dreadful pain before I started to peel. Then I was back to the beach and the waves.

Some of my friends spent hundreds of dollars on souvenirs. Others got body piercing or tattoos to remember the trip. The most memorable and terrifying experience I had on the trip was when I went bungee jumping. At first, I wasn?t going to do it. I?ll admit, I was scared, but I knew that it was a chance of a lifetime. If I didn?t do it, I knew I would regret it for the rest of my life. So I made the choice to do it.

This was no ordinary jump though; it was the second highest in the United States. After the instructor strapped me up, I had to sit and wait for my turn. Everyone around me was shaking. That was when I noticed I was shaking too. All of a sudden, I heard someone call out my name. At that moment, my mind went blank. I don?t remember stepping onto the crane, but somehow I was on it and it slowly started to rise. On the way up, the instructor started telling me what to do after jumping, but I didn?t understand a single word he said. A sudden jolt shook me as the crane came to a stop. I looked down, barely recognizing my friends as they yelled words encouraging me.

When I stepped to the edge of the crane, I looked down at the little air cushion that supposable would save me if my cord would break. I finally realized how high I really was. The instructor counted down from three and I dove headfirst from a crane elevated one hundred and fifty feet. Within seconds it was over and I was back on solid ground. I had survived and was left with a life time memory that was more priceless than any souvenir I could have bought.

Eight days seems like a long time when planning a vacation, but I only wish it hadn?t go by so fast. The day we had to leave seemed like forever. The shuttle back to the airport and the plane ride seemed to be in slow motion. Everyone was quiet because they knew that the trip we had earned for four long years in high school was over. I just consider myself lucky for being able to spend a week in a great place with friends I?ll never forget.