There’s no place better to spend your Saturday evening than with screaming moms, crying babies and blistering heat. Lucky for me, the Pecos River in Carlsbad, N.M., offers all of these subtle nuances or do I mean nuisances.
Last Saturday my friends and I decided to load up the car and head to Carlsbad to spend the day at the river. Little did I know that there was more in store for us than a relaxing day by the water.
After riding in the car for over two hours, we finally arrived at the river. I was so anxious to start swimming that I spent less time putting sunscreen on and more time telling the others to hurry up. I would end up regretting this decision when I later realized I had only covered a quarter of my back with the sunscreen.
When the others were finally ready, we headed to the water, and I was met with rude awakening. The water was so cold I thought that I was going to freeze on the spot. Spending the day in the water wasn’t going to be as exciting as I imagined.
Everyone else jumped in quickly, so I suppressed my cowardice and built up the courage to follow them. I finally adapted to the freezing, negative 50 degree water and was faced with a new dilemma.
We drifted farther and farther away from shore, and a school of giant fish decided to swim around us and keep our feet company. From the way they circled us, I could tell we looked like oversized fish food to them.
Of course I began whining and begging to go back to shore. Because of my endless barrage of pleading, I finally persuaded everyone to go back to the beach.
If the fish weren’t enough, the beach held even more excitement. A red-faced mother began to scream at her young daughter while dragging her along. The girl began crying uncontrollably, causing a huge scene and signaling every child within a three-mile radius to do the same.
The day progressed in much the same fashion. As the day wound down, we finally loaded the car and left. The ride back, however, wasn’t any better than the giant fish and wailing babies. When I tried to sit back in the seat, it felt like stinging wasps had decided to cushion me.
When I arrived home, I realized my mistake with the sunscreen (I’m no bronzed wonder in the first place). I had only covered a small portion of my back with sunscreen, making me look cherry red…kind of like a candy cane.
Through the experience, I learned to expect the unexpected on a trip, and never, ever forget to sunscreen your WHOLE back.