First Draft- Personal Experience Essay

Every year since my parents were young, my extended family on my dad's side has traveled to Ocean City New Jersey once a summer where they have spent a week renting a beach house. Once I was born, I was taken along and have many many good memories of our crazy outings to the beach, boardwalk, our favorite restaraunt The Crab Trap and spending quality time around the house with each other. Most of my memories with my cousins from little on up have been made on such trips. My ninth trip there was in 2001. This was just like any other trip to the beach filled with treasure hunts, sun burn, and aloe. However, it was one of my older cousin's birthdays while we were there, so we decided to celebrate with something extra special.

My cousin Caleb was about to turn fifteen so we planned a day trip to a water theme park on the boadrwalk. This was a very exciting new concept for me since I had never been to a real waterpark before. We spent the day swimming in the pools (similar to the ocean, minus the seaweed, salt, and the occasional syringe) and dodging manmade waves. There were some water rides that I found frieghtning at first but then grew to love.

It was an amazing day and everything went well except for one aspect; the waterslide. My four older boy cousins as well as my older sister were tall enough to ride a six-story waterslide. I, however, was not. Once I found this out, every positive aspect from the day was completely gone from my memory. It was as if nothing good had happened all day. In fact, I was officially the least fortunate person in the world... for the time being. I watched my cousins ride the slide time and time again, and grew more and more impatient as they seemed to be having the time of their lives. Soon my parents said it was time for the eighteen of us to head over to the Johnson's Popcorn stand where we always but the world-famous caramel corn, and then go home and clean up before dinner.

Although I had been having what I thought was a miserable time, I did not want to leave. I would not admit it, but I was enjoying watching the waterslide activity. The cousins all prepared for the walk back to the house but I stayed at the entrance to the waterpark. There was one little girl who looked to be about my height but that's not possible because she was on the waterslide and I wasn't. The family threatened to walk away without me, but I knew they couldn't just leave me there. So I stood right where I was like the stubborn little girl I had proved to be. The girl flew over bumps and splashed around turns along the way down the slide, laughing all along the way. Once she was done with her joy ride, I turned around knowing I would find my family patiently waiting for me. But they were gone.

I couldn't believe it! Two minutes ago they were right by my side. Now there I was, nine years old and stranded alone in Ocean City in the middle of July. Needless to say there were a few emotions running through my mind. My first instinct was to retrace my steps, but they were nowhere to be found. My next idea, to cry. I sat down right then and there and waited for someone or something to come save me. I said a little prayer and soon enough an employee of the park came up behind me.... to be continued.