Eternal Youth in The Lights of Adventure

My whole life my family never really went on vacations. We were +low income but not completely poor. Every year we would go to the county fair and I would always have so much fun looking at the animals and attractions while eating greasy food. My favorite part was obviously the rides as I am a thrill freak and nothing will ever beat the amazing view of seeing the place at night. When the sun goes down and the lights come out there is a whole new experience filled with magic as if the night would never end. Whether I was with friends or by myself I found myself sprinting from ride to ride to try and get the most out before we had to leave.

As I got older things in my life started shifting. Car rides aren’t fun unless I’m driving, seeing friends is no longer a daily activity, and suddenly politics are a scary subject because I realized it actually directly affects my life. It’s a point we all hit, adulthood sucks. However everytime I go to the fair I still feel the thrill and high energy I did as a child. In this setting nothing has changed, I feel like a kid again.

So as I got older my friends and I started planning out trips to amusement parks. In this specific trip it was to cedar point park in Ohio. We were on the road for many hours and it was so liberating to experience the freedom of being by myself with the people I grew up with. I felt like an adult. I didn’t have to worry about staying close to my parents or a curfew. There was nothing other than the law of the land, nothing holding me back.

When we got there everything was different this year due to world problems so capacity was limited and a lot of rides were closed. It was not as exciting as we imagined it to be but we were still going to make the most of it. When it started getting dark they turned the lights of the rides on and I felt the same rush of youth and energy that these lights have made me feel all my life. I actually sprinted across the whole park. I was filled with joy and energy and youth. It was magic.

These lights at night are one of the only constants from childhood to adulthood. My feelings and energy never changed and I completely forgot that I am an adult. These lights mean so much to me for that reason because it bridges the gap between all ages. People come together under the lights and share an experience that is a lifelong memory no matter how old you are. Whether you are a kid seeing it for the first time, a young adult going on a road trip, or an elder watching your grandchildren play and have fun. I want to come back to this place every single year to remind myself of what it’s like to be a kid. These lights hold my childhood, and to me, they will never burn out.

The picture:

This picture was taken on Thursday July 16th at around 8 pm. I used adobe light room to edit it and here is a complete list of edits that were done.

Light:

Exposure: +1.11

contrast : +7

Highlights: _47

Shadows: +49

Whites: +26

Blacks: -19

Color:

Temp: 5143

Tint: +6

Vibrance: +14

Saturation +75

Color mixer:

Green hue: +25

Green saturation: +14

Dark blue hue: +51

Effects:

Texture: +21

Vignette: -18

Detail:

Sharpening: 42

Noise reduction: 22