My Watermark is Lake Ontario.

I was born in Singapore, and immigrated to Canada at the age of ten with my family. I am a fourth year student at the University of Toronto, and this is my most memorable experience with water.

I went camping for the first time during my senior year of high school with my class. We visited Sandbanks Provincial Park. As an outdoors type of person, I had tons of fun with my fellow classmates and teachers. Every night, there would be a campfire circle and all of us would gather and sing traditional campfire songs, share any scary stories that we know, and eat warm chocolatey s’mores. I remember one specific day where we decided to hike to Outlet Beach, located within the park. We all woke up bright and early at the crack of dawn, and set out around seven in the morning. The hike contained many uphill trails and I remember it was also rainy that morning. Despite the unfavourable conditions, it was still lovely exploring different parts of the park. I also had the privilege to learn the vast array of trees and plants that we came across during our hike.

After about an hour or so of hiking, sweating and slightly dreaded in the rain, my class and I finally reached the beach. The weather also started to clear up, and the sun was beginning to show its presence. I will never forget climbing up the last uphill trail that was fully covered in sand and contained sharp twigs, and witty leaves to see the beautiful clear water of the beach. It was breathtaking. The beautiful waters definitely made the difficult hike worthwhile. I was speechless for the first few minutes, as I could not believe that such clear water exists in our planet. Looking at the waters felt surreal; I felt like I was looking at a CGI image from my computer screen. When all of us finally settled down, we started to have lunch on the sandy hills of the beach. My camping group and I packed ravioli, it was my first time having ravioli, and I have to say it tasted pretty darn good. Eating our ravioli while looking out at the mesmerizing view of the water is a moment that I will always remember and cherish. To me, it is a view that is hard to forget. After finishing our lunches, all of us, both the teachers and students, started to play in the water. We played a variety of water games, and I remember being so soaked by the end of it. This hiking trip brought on many smiles and laughs, and helped us to further strengthen our bond with each other. Playing in the water with my class taught me that water is not only a basic human necessity but can also serve as an emotional connector between individuals, in this case, my class and I. The waters brought my class together as one unit; it allowed us to relax and have fun with one another. On a more personal level, the water was also an escape outlet that allowed me to clear my mind from the struggles I was experiencing during that time, and reflect on nature itself peacefully. Through my own personal reflection, I had gained a greater sense of appreciation for nature – on a whole new level that I did not think was possible. I highly recommended this place to anyone who wants to escape from the busyness of the city, and reconnect with nature.