“Are we there yet?” The sound of Katherine’s whining ripped through the silence of our upward journey. I turned, half expecting to see her eyebrows furrowed, face turned in a frown or a grimace. Instead, she was all smiles. She was a head shorter than me, although she is a year my senior. Her long black hair danced around her in the subtle breeze, mimicking the tall wheat stalks and beige field grass that surrounded us. My attention shifted past her wispy ebony hair and billowing ivory dress. Behind us was the distinct path we had trampled out to reach our current point. Where we had walked, wheat stalks had parted-- as if we were Moses, and the grass, the Red Sea. With every step we took further up the hill, the further we could see. I was nearly positive that at that point, I could see my house… but what could I tell? Everything behind us had blended into a sea of lush trees and unidentifiable houses. It was as if every step we took up the hill, the further we would leave our troubles behind.


My thoughts began to swirl in my head as I was taking in the scenery around me. The sun that was high in the sky when we began our journey was now beginning its descent towards the horizon. An orange hue was cast over the wheat stalks and ourselves, enveloping any visible surface. The slight rustle of the field grass around us and our steady breathing were the only noises to be heard. I began to reminisce of a time when I was young, living in the quaint town of Pocatello, Idaho. Our backyard resembled this tall hill we were now climbing, complete with the tall wheat stalks and the swaying field grass. So taken by the atmosphere, a squeaky voice interrupted my thoughts and brought me back to the present time. “Come on, if we lollygag too much now, how will we have time for anything else later?” Ronnie’s squeaky voice was followed by a chain of giggles before he offered me his hand. The obsidian mop atop his head, which he liked to call his hair, swirled with the breeze. His expression was pure bliss: his mouth curled into a goofy grin, displaying his dimples, his olive eyes crinkled at the corners. His lanky, tall form was clad in a loose fitting white tee shirt that slapped against him with the breeze and form fitting jeans. He carried his acoustic guitar, whom he had named “Lucifer”, in one hand, while the other was outstretched to me. I paused to take in the picture: Katherine running around in the tall grass, arms stretched like a bird, white dress billowing out behind her like a sail, and Ronnie, goofily grinning whilst clutching his acoustic guitar. These are my best friends. I take Ronnie’s hand in one of mine, Katherine’s in my other. We set off waltzing up the remainder of the hill, linked by our hands and our hearts.



Several minutes and breath shortages later, we reach the summit of the hill. The sun is now skimming the hills, partially showing its glowing, golden magnificence. Beams of light cut through the sky above, causing luminous streaks in the brilliant orange sky. Next to me, I hear Ronnie and Katherine let out a deep sigh. I follow their eyes to not the radiant sunset, but to a beautiful pond surrounded by trees in the clearing ahead. We slowly turn to look at one another before deciding to race to the pond. Exhausted and out of breath, we plant ourselves at the base of a towering tree, merely feet away from the sparkling waters of the pond. Looking straight up, all one can see are the twinkling ruby leaves in the light of the sunset. They dance and frolic every time a breeze comes by, swaying to and fro to nature’s inclinations. For the next few hours, we are silent as we allow nature to exhibit its many beauties to us. We hear the soft rustling of the leaves oscillating in the evening breeze. We hear Ronnie plucking simple but soothing lullabies on his guitar. We watch the sky change from brilliant orange to soft pink, to subtle purple, to calming blue. We watch the sun resign from its daytime position, allowing the moon to display its radiant beauty. We watch darkness fall like a heavy curtain as stars bashfully appear from their hiding places. As Ronnie’s last lullaby comes to an end, we all turn to look at one another. Even though no words escape our lips, we know we all have the same thoughts. The most beautiful elements of life are simple-- they are found in nature. As our eyelids grew heavy and warmth began to stir in the air around us, we resigned ourselves to the ground and merely spent our time gazing up at the twinkling stars. The scene was as if one had carelessly strewn shimmering diamonds across the night sky, creating stars for our viewing pleasure. Just as I was positive that Katherine and Ronnie had fallen asleep on either sides of me, Katherine whispers, “You know, this is kind of one of the best days of my life.” Although neither Ronnie nor I respond, I know we are all thinking the same thing.