Nostalgic Destination
Isaac Armenta Perez
Known by nearly everyone yet unknown to some was the smell of fresh and new air. A slight breeze that felt new and refined by the natural earth. It was a long travel to the old area full of trees and wild animals. I remember that it would always feel like a ten-hour drive from my home, but it was only a two-hour drive. We had gone to the area multiple times before my favorite visit there. My near favorite moment after reaching our destination would always to get off the car and stretch my body while getting hit by the refreshing air.
The air always felt new and refined, mainly because of the trees and plants in the area, but it felt different and the same with every visit. The area was a vast field of grass with its own share of pits and hills that always stayed the same. My family and I, a family of six, had always went to the area for spring break after school finished. Also, with nearly every visit was my dad’s friend’s family, which varied of around three to five depending on their mood, I guess. I know that my family and the other family trust each other and have probably known each other for as long as I could remember, maybe a few months after I was born. They are the same as family to my dad and we could depend on each other for nearly everything. However, we always did bring our own tents to sleep in. I would mainly be the one helping my dad and mom set them up, which was enjoyable sometimes and spent my time doing something. Although, it would always be a struggle to remember the steps to set it up. Setting up the tents was a series of steps like having to get the pieces from the car, bringing them to the set area that my parents chose to set up, and helping my parents figure out the steps with no instruction. But with hard work comes a reward and, in my case, it was food. I would sit back and watch as the food was made, maybe just smelling the aroma to guess what was being made.
I and the other kid, nearly the exact same age as me, were going to the same school, which could be a reason why our parents would hang out a lot but for us everything always felt awkward. The awkward part about it was that we ignored each other at school, but while camping we were forced to interact and do some activities. Nearly my least favorite, yet fun part of the trip was a one or two-hour game of uno. This game would last so long that I forgot about our surroundings, there would be screaming, excitement, hate, and all sorts of emotions from a single game. I do remember that once we finished the long game, we played another one which was extremely short and bored me, so I left to go do something else. I do remember that this visit to the field was weirdest that I had been. I nearly did not speak to anyone, including my family, and just watched everyone. Normally, I would sit down on the grass or a chair that we brought with us and just closed my eyes to feel the air and sense the world around me. I can vividly remember the wind through my hair, the trees’ leaves shaking, and the graceful birds singing. When I was on the ground, I would lay down, lay my hand on my chest, and shut my eyelids. I could see the light of the sun through my eyelids, feel the warm heat on my skin, and at some moments the grass slightly tickling my skin.
Unaware of our plans, I was forced to explore the empty field for an unknown distance that lead to my favorite yet short moment. It all seemed the same with green grass and hills with a large amount of pine trees surrounding the field, until I was asked by my sister If I wanted to toss baseball with the other kids, around 5, while our parents talked and explored more of the area. It may be a different trip, but I know that on a camping trip everyone agreed to explore the forest and we ended up finding a carved trunk in the shape of an animal. I do not recall what the animal was, but it could have been the head of a bear or wildcat. Upon them finishing their long talks, we went back to camp and prepared to eat. The food was always good, at least for me, but after eating I just kept to myself unless I was forced to take care of my younger brother.
The trip, or camp, was just a short two days or maybe three but it felt like a week with all the sleeping that I did. The sleeping was amazing at times it would be perfect, but sometimes it did get cold. I do not think that my memory has failed me, and I am pretty sure that one night, I got cold and woke up to get a blanket. As I was attempting to take a blanket from my brother, as he hogged most of them! I heard a noise and that kept me up for another 10 minutes in the middle of the night freezing. I always regretted not doing something with everyone and right now I regret not taking advantage and using the large field to run and explore the area alone. The thing that I do not regret is sleeping randomly. If I did not want to do anything or was tired, I would lay or sit down anywhere with sunlight and just shut my eyes for a few minutes. Sometimes I would go into a deep sleep and wake up because one of my brothers would be messing with me and making fun of me, but the trip was always fun in the end.
The air always felt new and refined, mainly because of the trees and plants in the area, but it felt different and the same with every visit. The area was a vast field of grass with its own share of pits and hills that always stayed the same. My family and I, a family of six, had always went to the area for spring break after school finished. Also, with nearly every visit was my dad’s friend’s family, which varied of around three to five depending on their mood, I guess. I know that my family and the other family trust each other and have probably known each other for as long as I could remember, maybe a few months after I was born. They are the same as family to my dad and we could depend on each other for nearly everything. However, we always did bring our own tents to sleep in. I would mainly be the one helping my dad and mom set them up, which was enjoyable sometimes and spent my time doing something. Although, it would always be a struggle to remember the steps to set it up. Setting up the tents was a series of steps like having to get the pieces from the car, bringing them to the set area that my parents chose to set up, and helping my parents figure out the steps with no instruction. But with hard work comes a reward and, in my case, it was food. I would sit back and watch as the food was made, maybe just smelling the aroma to guess what was being made.
I and the other kid, nearly the exact same age as me, were going to the same school, which could be a reason why our parents would hang out a lot but for us everything always felt awkward. The awkward part about it was that we ignored each other at school, but while camping we were forced to interact and do some activities. Nearly my least favorite, yet fun part of the trip was a one or two-hour game of uno. This game would last so long that I forgot about our surroundings, there would be screaming, excitement, hate, and all sorts of emotions from a single game. I do remember that once we finished the long game, we played another one which was extremely short and bored me, so I left to go do something else. I do remember that this visit to the field was weirdest that I had been. I nearly did not speak to anyone, including my family, and just watched everyone. Normally, I would sit down on the grass or a chair that we brought with us and just closed my eyes to feel the air and sense the world around me. I can vividly remember the wind through my hair, the trees’ leaves shaking, and the graceful birds singing. When I was on the ground, I would lay down, lay my hand on my chest, and shut my eyelids. I could see the light of the sun through my eyelids, feel the warm heat on my skin, and at some moments the grass slightly tickling my skin.
Unaware of our plans, I was forced to explore the empty field for an unknown distance that lead to my favorite yet short moment. It all seemed the same with green grass and hills with a large amount of pine trees surrounding the field, until I was asked by my sister If I wanted to toss baseball with the other kids, around 5, while our parents talked and explored more of the area. It may be a different trip, but I know that on a camping trip everyone agreed to explore the forest and we ended up finding a carved trunk in the shape of an animal. I do not recall what the animal was, but it could have been the head of a bear or wildcat. Upon them finishing their long talks, we went back to camp and prepared to eat. The food was always good, at least for me, but after eating I just kept to myself unless I was forced to take care of my younger brother.
The trip, or camp, was just a short two days or maybe three but it felt like a week with all the sleeping that I did. The sleeping was amazing at times it would be perfect, but sometimes it did get cold. I do not think that my memory has failed me, and I am pretty sure that one night, I got cold and woke up to get a blanket. As I was attempting to take a blanket from my brother, as he hogged most of them! I heard a noise and that kept me up for another 10 minutes in the middle of the night freezing. I always regretted not doing something with everyone and right now I regret not taking advantage and using the large field to run and explore the area alone. The thing that I do not regret is sleeping randomly. If I did not want to do anything or was tired, I would lay or sit down anywhere with sunlight and just shut my eyes for a few minutes. Sometimes I would go into a deep sleep and wake up because one of my brothers would be messing with me and making fun of me, but the trip was always fun in the end.
Going to NMMI is a great experience. I made many friends and fought through multiple challenges, but I know that I have gained one thing for sure and that is a tan line from the mask.