The Mountains, Trees, Lake, and I.

Rising early in the morning on a summer day, my only plans stand between me and the road ahead. The first step off the brittle, wooden porch stairs that are slightly dampened with morning dew is the first step towards what is the most beautiful, serene sight in all of my memories. Dried pine needles layered on top of dirt lead the way to my destination.

The road is parallel to a variety of tall trees, bushes, and wild life. Birch trees are my favorite. Peeling and white, their bark makes them unique to the trees around them. The tree's trunks grow high into what feels like a canopy of leaves above. The tree's leaves rustle with the wind. The sun shines through in the most magical way leaving droplets of warmth on my skin as I make my way towards my destination.

The road feels like a tunnel or a secret path. At night, the road is pitch black, darkness. Without a flash light or flame, your sight belongs to the night. During the day, the road feels like a beautiful nature walk.

The air is crisp with the smell of pine and wood chips. There is a slightly cool gust of wind that grazes my body leaving chills down my arms as I make my way down the path. Each step I take down the road before me, amplifies my excitement for the beautiful views ahead. The road reminds me of what it feels like to wait in line for an amusement park ride. Anticipation.

I hear the scattering of leaves to my right and see a squirrel navigating the woods. The sound of a boat's engine roaring lingers in the background.

The path of pine needles turn into a path of pebbles as we reach the slope of the road, I begin my descent towards my destination. The way the road slopes downward forces me to want to walk faster. I feel my body weight lunging forward as I make my way down the steep path.

As I continue along my journey, I can see where the line of trees ends and the fluffy, green grass begins. I'm getting closer. Dried pine needles turns to pebbles, turns into grass beneath my feet. I look up and pause at what's before me.

Up ahead, there is a circle of Adirondack chairs surrounding a flameless fire pit, but behind this man-made setup is the natural beauty of a body of water outlined with mountains covered in trees. I stare past the seats in awe of the view.

To my left is a picnic table with a deep, green umbrella situated in the center. Waves crashing into the small beach covered in sand beside it. Boats lined up at docks, slightly rocking with the motion of the water.

The sound of birds sing into the morning sun with the whisper of cicadas creating a symphony with the sound of the water. The feeling of serenity and being in a location so peaceful settles in.

A twisted, wooden bridge sits between the beach and the fire pit. It leads the way to the island of trees where the boats are stationed. Even more to explore.

As I step to the edge of the water, I'm met with large, sharp rocks and waves crashing against them as if they're greeting me, "Good Morning." The water is all shades of blue and clear as day. Peaking into the water you can see the bottom lined with vegetation and small fish swimming along.

The sun shines down on my face leaving a sense of warmth and happiness within me. Across the body of water are layers of mountains covered in trees and wildlife. They're contrasted with a bright, blue sky and the rushing water below. Clouds of all shapes and sizes line the sky.

This is my serenity. The mountains, trees, lake, and I.