The sun shined, we smiled,

gravel crunched under our muddy boots.

Bees buzzed, mosquitoes murmured in our ears.

Cracks of the sun peered through the gaps in the trees.

My dad and I puffed and wheezed, exerting ourselves up and down hills.

Hiking, our meditation, secluded our minds from the rest of the world.

Tranquility swept over us as we trudged up the dirt paths in Northern Wisconsin.

The sun shined, we smiled,

thundering noises surrounding us, unable to hear our own thoughts.

Water crashed into the river below, powerful as the heartbeat of the world.

The beat of our hearts synced to the rushing water, pulsing with our breaths.

My eyes glistened like stars on a summer night, taking in the hidden masterpiece.

Inhaling the noise, exhaling worries, experiencing serenity,

we approached the waterfall.

The sun shined, we smiled,

our legs pedaled, forcing us up and down every hill.

Sweat glistened on our faces, breathing like dehydrated dogs.

The trees engulfed us into a tunnel, unaware of other people zooming by.

Every downhill we flew through the trees, able to escape our thoughts.

Innocence coated our minds like we were little kids biking to get ice cream.

The chaos of the ride was structured with seclusion from the rest of the world.

The sun shined, we smiled,

in front of me, my dad turned around, mystified.

My heartbeat fluttered like a hummingbird's wings.

A momma bear and its cub, stationary in the middle of the road.

Scared yet curious, mysterious yet mystified.

Vulnerability showed in my eyes, like a turtle without its shell.

A smile spread across my face in wonder.