A Story from the Summer

          This past summer I took a vacation to the Carribean. Although I had stayed in the Virgin Islands for most of the time, I also visited Puerto Rico for a few days. During this time I had one of my most thrilling experiences in recent years: jet-skiing. I had never jet-skied in my life before, so this was a completely new experience for me, but I do not regret it at all. Although I generally avoid water sports, being in a tropical setting for the first time in a few years had allowed me to open up more. I am not sure if I'll ever do it again in my life, but given the opportunity again, it is likely that I'll take it.
          My story begins on the beach. My mom, my sister, and I walked along the sandy shore until we came across a small wooden stand, paint still peeling off from its sides. After talking to the employee from the company who owned the jet-skiing service, we set off towards another nearby beach. We walked along the relatively narrow beach until we reached the furthest boundary, leading to a narrow, quiet street. Making our way through a maze of cold concrete alleyways was not the easiest challenge that we came across, but we still found our way in a matter of minutes. Soon, a second, much larger beach came into sight. Relieved that we could finally walk on soft, smooth sand again instead of rough stone and concrete, we quickly made our way there. After a short walk on the gleaming, hot white sandy path, we found a stand similar to the one we encountered at the first beach. We talked with the employees of the jet-skiing service, and then my sister and I prepared ourselves for the ride. Since I was not 16+, I was not able to drive, but my older sister could. We started slow, allowing ourselves to adjust to the uncomfortable seating and cold water. Soon, as my sister gradually built up the skill and courage, we found ourselves speeding along the blue water of the Atlantic Ocean. Water sprayed up from our sides and targeted our eyes as we made laps around the shore boundaries. Time quickly passed from our overwhelming thrill and adrenaline of the ride, so we disembarked back on the sandy shore. We descended from the jet-ski, handed our life vests over, and promptly left the large, busy beach. As we moved on with the rest of the day's activities, I could not help but think that I should have never left that jet-ski.