By Preethi Ravikumar

Beads of sweat running down

my face. The hot California sun

shining down on me like a spotlight

I could hear the murmur of my father’s

voice saying, “We are almost there!”

My tennis shoes are tinted with a light brown

shade from the dirt trail. I look up and see

the cool cotton candy skies of Yosemite and the

gigantic rock formation. I say to myself,

“Beautiful.”