Paradise by Emma Sears

The place I call paradise is far away, nearly 1,000 miles.

It takes a two hour plane ride, followed by five hours in an over-sized van to get there.

This journey is well worth it, no matter how many stops at filthy gas stations we must make.

They say nothing worth doing is ever easy. Maybe this is the proof. 

In this location, our worries are washed away by the relentless sunshine.

The ocean drowns our everyday anxieties, leaving only smiles and salty skin.

Here, I am untethered and can be wild and free: not a dedicated athlete or an honors student.

The only limit is the distance that the wheels of my bike can go.

The days go by quicker here, as the sun slips below the horizon as if an artist painted the sky.

I wish I could stretch out the week spent here, into an eternal serenity. 

But all good things must end, the same way the stars emerge every night.

While our tan lines will fade away, the memories in this place, this paradise, will always remain.