Personal Narrative: The Rafting Event

The Rafting Event

I believe that life is short, and one should live each moment with purpose. I do not want my last moment to be something I regret. The famous quote by Amelia Earhart, “Adventure is worthwhile in itself.” sums up my belief. My belief is a constant motivator to continually push me to want more, expect more and do more. In school, work and play, I want to always be discovering or experiencing something new.

Several years ago, during the summer, I went white water rafting with my dad in Moab, Utah on the Colorado River. In the past, we have gone on trips where the rapids were a frothing and writhing mess. On this trip, however, there were almost no rapids at all. As we progressed further down the river, we approached a rapid called White’s Rapid. This rapid was much more active. It was whipping the water into a froth over the top of a large rock. I watched as each of the rafts ahead of us hit the rapid the same way. The front facing left and the back facing right. Our guide declared that we were going to “Hit it big!” Unlike the other rafts, we would hit the rapid with the front facing right and the back facing left. I thought that this would really spice up the excitement level. The slow ride down the lazy river so far, had actually started to lull me to sleep. Of course, I did not expect what would happen next! We slammed into the rapid hard, getting that promised big hit. I closed my eyes, expecting water to wash over me. Instead, when I opened my eyes, we were still on top of

It never fails to deliver some excitement and adrenaline rush. I have learned to appreciate the beautiful nature surrounding the furious waves of the rapids. No matter what happens on these adventures, there is always something to discover and appreciate. It reminds me that life is short. I need to make every moment count. These moments are what make our lives unique, fun, and