Nature Journal #2: Benbrook Lake

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 Last Tuesday, our class ventured on a journey to canoe in Benbrook Lake. I was nervous for this trip, as I have never canoed before and do not believe I have upper arm strength to control a canoe. As we jumped out of our van loaded with canoes, I was mesmerized by the vastness of the lake. I became eager to canoe as Ciara and I buckled our life vests, but we struggled to carry it down the hill towards the edge of the lake. With some help from the recreation center staff, we pushed off into the lake. 

Suddenly, I felt as though our survival was completely out of our hands. It was a scary feeling to think that Mother Nature would determine our outcome. She certainly did not take it easy on us, either. As I tried to steer from the back of the canoe, the wind overpowered us and pushed us the opposite direction. We were taught never to go parallel to the waves, but this was inevitably our fate. Ciara and I laughed out of self-entertainment and fear.

When I veered my focus away from our situation and onto our environment, I noticed all that I had been missing. The wind made for the perfect weather without excessive heat. The murky, seafoam green water made symmetric, even waves that appeared too perfect for nature. The sun was so bright, reflecting strongly off of the water. Just as I was taking in my surroundings, our canoe fell over along the shore, resulting in soaked clothes, hair, and phones.

After we laughed it off, we jumped back in our mud-caked canoe and paddled back to our starting point. As we struggled to carry the canoe back up the hill, I was met with a beautiful sunset accompanied by pastel colored clouds. Following an evening of struggling to stay afloat fighting against nature, I was ironically met with a serene scene. Spending time in nature, even under these circumstances, led to great class bonding outside of the classroom. I myself experienced the bonding and power that nature can have over people.

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