Heaven on Earth

There are times in each one of our lives where we come to a point where we are so stressed out and burdened by all we have to go through in life. Sometimes there a huge problem and it stresses us out to the point where we feel sick. However, that isn’t always the case. Don’t you hate it when there is nothing major going on but there are so many little things that you are stressed out about that all of them piled together drives you to the point where you want to scream and punch something? It’s times like these where we need something to help vent out all that stress and frustration and just ease our nerves. For me, that is the lake.

Smith Mountain Lake is my favorite place in the world. I go with my best friend, Jared, and his family when they go and, to me, it’s heaven on earth. Even the drive up to the lake is enjoyable. I love flying down those country roads that make you feel like you’re going faster than you really are. The anticipation of the awesome time I will have builds up inside me and I just want to get there as soon as possible. After about an hour of driving, I finally pull up to their place and they all welcome me like I’m their son. The lake is one of the places I feel like I am home away from home, so I always feel very comfortable when I am there. Not only am I best friends with Jared, but I am also good friends with his younger brother, Josh, and I even have fun hanging out and talking to their parents as well. They treat me as their son, and I see them as my second family. They always ask me what I want to do, what I want to eat, where I want to go, and let me make many of the decisions. Basically they like to put me first which makes me feel special, even though many times I don’t like to make the decisions. Whenever I come down to the lake, they always make sure I am well fed. It’s like a joke between us that they have to go to the grocery store beforehand every time I come because of how much I eat, but they cook the best food so it’s hard not to be a fatty. An hour or two after I finish one meal, they ask me if I want more food or ask what I want for the next meal.

After sleeping in a little on a Saturday morning or whenever, we often go out on the lake and do what I like to do more than anything: Jetski. There is nothing more relaxing and stress relieving to me than to be out on the lake on a Jetski. When it’s a warm, sunny day with just a few clouds in the sky, the lake is absolutely gorgeous. When I’m on a Jetski, I feel so free; I love to watch the scenery as I drive by. The mountains and the water meet each other, and I feel like I’m surrounded by a view that could only be seen on a postcard. On days that are really hot, it is so refreshing to fly across the lake on that nimble watercraft with the wind whistling past my ears and the spray (or occasional dousing) of water against my face. So, the scenic drive is nice, but what’s a Jetski drive without going hardcore and being crazy right? My favorite thing to do on a Jetski is to jump boat wakes. Windy Saturdays are the best days for jumping wakes because the water is ridiculously choppy from all the commotion on the lake and that is when it is most crowded. When I see a nice wake, I get an eager, excited feeling and I drive at full speed toward it, hitting the wake at an angle so I get the most possible air. For the two or three seconds that I am in midair, I get a huge adrenaline rush and landing a particularly big jump is extremely satisfying. Not to mention, the occasional donuts or cruising the lake while standing on the Jetski is exciting as well. I will have to say going 70 mph on a Jetski is one of the most thrilling things I have ever done. There is no seatbelt, no speed limit, no lines to stay in; all it is is me and the Jetski with the water disappearing in a heartbeat behind me. When I get back, I am completely exhausted and sore (and occasionally bleeding) but it was definitely worth it.

Besides the Jetskis, there are many other activities that we do at the lake that is so relaxing and makes me forget about everything I am dealing with. Reclining on the motorboat is a prime example as well as fishing, tubing, or laying out on the lake on an inflatable raft. A couple years ago, Jared, Josh and I floated across the cove in rafts to the other side and found a particularly big rock which we called “Plymouth Rock.” We enjoy doing the simple, dumb things like that and we have remembered it and laughed about it ever since. Near their place, there is a facility that has an indoor and outdoor pool as well as a hot tub inside and out. There is also a sauna and a weight lifting room that we take advantage of. Finally, after a long but fun day out on the lake or at the pool, we come back to their place, eat a large meal of course, and find something lazy to do. Sometimes we will drive to the theater in Westlake to see a movie or just watch a game on TV. I may be sore; I may be bleeding; I may have a massive headache; I may be straight exhausted; but all those things are good feelings because they distract me from all the school and drama and everything else that I would have had to deal with if I was in Roanoke or here at Tech. The lake is my ultimate stress reliever, and it is the place where I am most happy.