When I was young at the lake, I remember sitting on the end of the dock at my grandparents' cottage. I always fantasized jumping into the water for the first time each summer. I remember the first touch of the water being so magical, the cool refreshing feeling, watching my cares melt away. Back then, nothing could ever be better than that exact moment, every summer.

When I was young at the lake, I would always smell the beautiful, fresh, pine filled air. I remember hearing the birds chirping and the loon calling and the calming breeze. I could smell the pine and the flowers, along with a fresh pumpkin pie being baked up at the cottage by my grandmother. Everyone in the family would always come up for that one week in the summer. That was the spot everyone had no worries and got to catch up with each other and have fun, and to me, nothing could ever be better than that.

When I was young at the lake, I always felt completely relaxed and all my cares floated away whilst I was in the water. Swimming in the lake used to be my favourite part of the day back then. I was a curious child and every time I would get in the water and, I swam further, and further out. My parents often times would come with me, it eventually got to the point where I would stay in the water all day, and they no longer had energy. I was constantly told to come back closer to shore because I was too far out, but I never listened. I had no care in the world.

At the lake, I would always jump off the rock ledge tucked away in the trees. It had a perfect view of the water. As far as I was concerned, it was my ledge, and forever only mine. It always took awhile to get up the hill to get to the ledge, but I remember thinking every time, it was all worthwhile at the lake.