FREE SPIRITED WONDERS
Athena Koehler
Magical Dances

Looking up at the sparkly pink and blue castle, an energy ran through my body that could only be known as pure joy. As my ringleted blonde hair bounced behind me, my eager feet danced through the streets of Disneyland to the magical music playing in the distance or maybe even in my head. Dressed in my favorite light purple princess dress covered in glitter, holding my mom’s freckled hand, I freely sang the most recent Disney song that loomed in my little carefree mind. My cheeks creased with dimples, my joy-filled heart started to flutter, and my big blue eyes grew at the sight of my idol at the time, Princess Aurora, a strong woman who cared for the life around her. She greeted me with a joyful “Good morning, little princess,” making me light up with the feeling that I was the only little princess in Disneyland at the time. Disneyland acted as a safe place not only for my free spirited self but for all the children around me. It was a place where a child could be anything that their little hearts desired without having to worry about the harsh world around them. It taught them to be kind and reach for their biggest dreams that they never thought they could attain. For when a child is in Disneyland she always knew that she could trust the magical characters that surrounded her to help and protect.
Blue Saltwater

The glistening blue and green saltwater grew in swells of two to three foot waves coming in every 15 seconds. The waves crashed in front of me as I looked out across the vast ocean carrying my surfboard on top of my head, which ached from the weight of the nine foot board that had an ombré of red to yellow. Goosebumps ran over my skin, but soon disappeared as my blood started to circle while paddling out. Cool ocean mist sprayed my sun kissed, graham cracker freckled face, making me feel calm and excited at the same time. Diving under the waves, my highlighted hair combined with the salty water of the sea, making it feel like sand. My heartbeat quickened as I saw my prize, a perfectly crafted wave surging my way. Flipping around, paddling hard, pushing up, got it. Flying down the wave feeling free like nothing could touch or break my spirit. The ocean symbolizes a balance between fear and peace. It is a very dangerous place to share with things like deadly predators, freezing temperatures, and just the mass of water in it. But, it also brings feelings of peace and freeness when speeding down a wave or when calmly floating underwater hearing nothing but the slight swishing of the sea. The ocean is something that you can always count on to be there even when it’s not it’s normal happy sunny self, but when it is mean and ugly, raging with anger.
Easy Sunrises

Waking up in the morning to the sound of waves crashing and the smell of salt in the air. Stepping out of my bed in an oversized t-shirt and some shorts, I walk to the back doors of my light blue, single storied house, and push then open. The sand squishes between my toes as I step out onto the sun-soaked beach and take in the sight of the deep blue oceans waves. Surfboards rest against my house as if they were tired from all the surfing yesterday, and wetsuits hang over the fence still dripping saltwater. Seagulls flock around the beach in an attempt to find food that past people might have of left behind. Gazing out at the beach, watching my children run freely, kicking up sand and slashing into the water. My husband joins me, intertwining his hand into mine, while I gently rest my head on his shoulder. The future is ever changing and no one has any way of knowing what their future will be. But in my future I can only guess that I will live a free, easygoing life on the beach, surrounded by the people that I love. My life will be filled with lots of surfing and beach play along with having bonfires on the chilly nights that winter brings to the coast. Family time on the beach is a huge part of my life today and I will carry that on to my future life with my own family.