Finally. Mel thought to herself as she raised her head towards the sun and closed her eyes. All her life, she had dreamed of travel. The movement and collision of people and places made her feel alive and connected to a world full of opportunity. And finally, she could experience Sicily in real life. She could taste the tomato sauce with her tongue, feel the sunshine on her skin and climb mountains with her un-tested hiking boots. Though she was here with her family, she was determined to break away from them at some point and experience this place without looking over her shoulder to make sure her younger sisters and parents could keep up with her pace.
“Mom, can I skip out on the children’s museum today?” Mel asked with her “I’m more mature for this family vacation” voice.
Her mom sighed and said, “When did you grow up so fast?” She was counting receipts, and looking over their budget for the rest of the trip at the kitchen table of the house they rented out for the week. Moving from the table, she sat down next to Mel on the couch and held both of her hands together. “You are old enough to spend the afternoon on your own. But, darling please be safe. And please don’t miss anymore of our family activities. The girls look up to you, you know?”
“I know. Especially Sarah, she looks at me for approval of everything she does. But I think it is good for them to have an independent role model. I shouldn’t still be going to children’s museums at nineteen. At this point, that’s just unnatural.” Mel meant what she said. She understood her responsibility as an older sibling but even as she sat talking to her mom, she saw the breeze blowing outside and the vast, new world called out to her.
“Okay, so the deal is, you can skip this museum but for the rest of this vacation, you are going to help me rally the troops and foster your love of adventure in your sisters, but in a safe and educational environment.”
Every instinct in Mel’s body told her to roll her eyes at her mother’s insistence that everything was “educational.” But she resisted and stared right back at her mother’s deep brown eyes. “Thanks a ton, mom!” She said as she jumped off the couch, grabbed her backpack and shouted goodbye to the rest of her family.
On her own, she made her way downtown. Earlier in the week, she had decided that if she could escape her family’s schedule, she would catch a bus to the closest mountain and hike all the way to the top. No need for stupid hiking trips that cost you an arm and a leg, she would do this alone. Henry Thoreau spoke straight to her heart and she believed the best way to experience beauty in nature was alone and without distraction.
The climb to the top took several hours, buckets of sweat and many “just turn around” thoughts. But she made it. She sat down at the top, hugged her knees to her chest and concluded she was not content with her life. This was living, on top of a mountain, not going to University of Maryland in the fall. That school, that town would just continue to trap her. She would climb down this mountain and tell her parents she wanted to take at least one gap year, and experience the world on her own. Resolutely she stood up and began the descent. Darkness had fallen and her footing was shaky. A few rocks fell from her current foothold and she slipped down a few feet. Her heart was pounding inside her shirt as she gripped the rocks with desperate fingers. This was not the kind of adventure she had sought. Her legs hung, unable to find a new foothold and she looked frantically around, there was no one and nothing but the earth, far, far below her. It was only a matter of time before her fingers would lose strength and there was nothing else she could do. Slowly, cautiously she released her grip.
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