Every weekend, my family and I go up to our cottage in Orillia, Ontario. During the summer, when the blistering hot sun is shining brightly in the sky, the lake looks absolutely beautiful. It shimmers and glows under the golden sun, making an almost magical effect.

The water at the front of the cottage is almost always calm with gentle waves from boats or jet skis occasionally breaking the surface. However, the water in the back has almost constant waves because of the strong, chilly, winds disturbing the water. The big waves falling over each other and onto the shore and rocks over and over again makes a gorgeous sight.

I have been coming here for 6 years, so I have had many adventures on this lake. I’ve ridden on an ATV over the frozen surface, sat in the front of a boat and watched the calm waves slowly move toward and away from me, and played in the murky water with my friends. One experience that stands out in my mind is jet skiing with my dad. I remember looking side to side and seeing the rapidly moving water surrounding me. It looked a bit terrifying but enchanting at the exact same time. The wind whipped around me and pulled at the hair coming out of my helmet, causing it to fly crazily and knot together behind me. Sometimes, we rode in a straight line very quickly or made sharp turns back and forth, causing the jet ski to fly over the waves. It can be a bit of a challenge to stay on the jet ski while it tilts this way and that. Meanwhile, I could see the water spilling in and out of the sides of it and splash onto my legs and arms. It was exhilarating and so much fun. This lake is important to me because I feel like I grew up on it and I will always remember the fun times I had on it.