A Road Trip to Realization
By Angelica Gomez
Despite living on an island for my entire life, I never was really fond of the beach. The relentless pandemonium of people overpowering the whistling salty breeze prevented me from appreciating a feature of nature that was so accessible to me. However, that eventually changed. Years ago, I had the opportunity to participate in a beach clean-up to earn extra credit for my class. Fourteen-year-old me thought it would be a fairly easy way to earn some extra points and that its location meant that I could go on a mini road trip. The pros weighed heavily against the con of my dislike for the beach, and so I decided, why not?
As I have never been to Apaca Point, it was a place waiting to be discovered. All I knew was that it was a historical park forty minutes away from my home that tourists visited. A forty-minute drive may not sound that long to many people, but considering that Guam is only thirty miles long, it seemed like a long drive to me. As my mom drove, my eyes traced the route Google Maps told us we had to take. Blue Neighbourhood sang through the car speaker — a forty-minute album for a forty-minute drive. The end of a song gave way to the next, lyrics changed, and rhythms sped up or down. About thirty minutes into the trip, lined-up buildings gave way to a long stretch of a shoreline accompanied by coconut trees. That must be the right street. No, turn back. I think we are getting closer to our destination. After trials, errors, and hesitations, we arrived at a grassy land that sloped downwards. I got out of the car and warmly welcomed the wind and rustling of trees. Taking a few steps forward, my eyes caught sight of sand and water. Unlike the other beaches that attracted most tourists, this place was quiet and serene. With the event coordinator’s instructions, I grabbed a bucket, grabber, and gloves, and went to work.
I found myself near a pile of large rocks by the shore. The water sloshed against and away from the rocks with a steady beat. Sunbeams reflected off of the water, and there was no other person but me. Being alone with my thoughts, I realized, so this is the beauty I never noticed before. While marveled by the beauty I now acknowledged, I was also saddened by the trash scattered across the sand. Piece by piece, I picked up anything that did not belong to this place. I discovered a form of beauty in nature, but at the same time, I realized a threat to that beauty. Living within or near some feature of nature, whether it be beaches, lakes, gardens, or forests, bestows us the power over their fate. We can either protect that beauty or destroy it, and hopefully, it would be the former.
About the Author: Angelica Gomez is a freshman from Guam majoring in mechanical engineering. One of her favorite travel destinations is Osaka, Japan because of the opportunity to explore a variety of landmarks and food.
