Essay on Water Rafting.

Sense of suspense and anticipation as we rafted down the Nantahala River. I recall in vivid detail the scenery around us as we embarked on our perilous journey down the Nantahala. We arrived at the drop-off point in the early afternoon the next day. The sweet smell of fresh pine trees was floating in the air and a soft midsummer breeze was brushing against our faces. After receiving directions and safety precautions from our rafting instructor, we geared up, boarded our raft, and set out for our voyage down the treacherous Nantahala. Sharing the experience with my friends and cousin along with out rafting guide. We were all ready for a fun and safe ride down the Nantahala. As we started to slowly drift down the river, seemingly inch by inch, I began to have feelings of disappointment. I had been planning on a more hazardous and fast-paced ride. The water was crystal clear and almost as flat as a sheet of glass. There was only a very mild current and being as impatient as I was, it appeared to me that we weren’t even moving. Eventually, the current became a little stronger and the ride a little swifter. My feelings of disappointment slowly vanished and feelings of excitement and exhilaration took their place. As the terrain surrounding us became more rocky and rough, so did the river. It was no longer calm and clear like a mountain lake, but more white and frothy like sea foam and rough like a white squall. We passed many small falls, being splashed and soaked from all directions at the bottom of each one. The water was icy cold, cold enough to make you tremble to the bone. I don’t think water surrounding an iceberg in the arctic could have been any colder. Each time I was splashed, thoughts of hypothermia flashed through my head. Our raft almost sank a few times because of the constant splashing of water into our raft. Each time we passed a stretch of rapids, and especially when we made it to the top of each fall a sense of anticipation would come over me I didn’t know what would happen next. There was always a chance that our raft might hit a boulder and flip, or that someone might fall out. 

                                                                                                                 -Alirah Zaidi *-*