Soaring

As we walked onto the dock the anticipation crept into my veins. I knew what I had been looking forward to all week was about to take place. Katharine, my family friend of 17 years, and I walked ahead of my father, who was signing waivers and making payments. It was a few days after Katharine's 16th birthday and as my gift to her I was taking her parasailing with me. "Oh my God Kat, I cannot

believe we are actually going up. We've been counting down the days for so long!"

"I know I cannot

believe the day it already here. I'm so glad you and your family were able to come up to Lake George this summer."

"Same here! Its rough being away from one of my best friends 10 months out of the year. Lets go meet up with my dad, looks like he is through reading and signing all those papers."

The three of us climbed onto the shiny, white, high-tech boat and sped off into the middle of the lake. Once we were in position, we put on an approved life vests, stepped into the harness- which was constructed to hold two people, and we were hooked into the Parasail. I began to chew my finger nails and tap my toes as the seconds went by and our lift-off came closer. The security I felt when Katharine was by my side kept me from breaking lose from the harness and bailing. As the canopy of the chute was held up on both sides by the flight crew, and the signal was given to hit it, Katherine and I clenched onto each others hands and a scream escaped our lips.

Fast forward a few seconds and we were soaring high above the ocean laughing uncontrollably like giddy little school girls. While we were up there we both lifted our arms out to our sides and shouted, "I feel as free as a bird!" Gliding above the turquoise sea and being able to see the tops of the rocky blue mountains filled us with a feeling,