Big Bend Descriptive Writing

There are places in the world that take your breath away and make you feel alive all at once. Big Bend National Park is one of these places. Despite what many people think, Big Bend has more to offer than just deserts, cacti, and zero wifi. It is filled with beautiful wildlife and splendid mountains. My aunt used to live and work there as a park ranger and seeing her so little during the year made our visits over Christmas break that much more meaningful. One of those times sticks out in my mind more vividly than the others. The drive, though long, was worth every minute once we got far enough away from society. The road cut through small mountains, making it feel as though we were driving through a canyon. When we were only a few miles out from the town, I stared in awe at the sea of tall
grass and wildflowers on either side of the road. I saw a deer and some rabbits hiding in the brush, but I was really hoping to see a mountain lion stalking its prey.
In the distance the mountains rose above the earth and stretched into the clouds, reaching for the heavens. Every day we would hike along a different trail, each one unique in its own way. There was one that was a bit barren along the way, but at the end there was a colossal sand dune that stretched from the top a cliff to the river below. People would climb up the steep slope just to run back down, frantically trying to keep up with the momentum of their legs. As I trekked up the hill, I grew fatigued and had to stop to catch my breath, wondering how anyone could make that journey more than once. When I finally made it to the top of the giant slide, I looked down to the bottom where the rest of my family waited. Before I could second-guess my decision too many times, I took off down the slope, feeling the wind rush against my face and through my hair. Sand whipped my face like harsh ocean spray, an exhilarating experience with a slight sting. My legs threatened to outrun the rest of my body as I hurdled downward, praying that I would be able to stop soon
enough. I should have hoped for the opposite, because I stumbled and tripped, landing face first in the dirt while at the same time inhaling it. Gritty earth filled my mouth as my arms sank into the hot sand. Humiliated, I slowly gathered myself and stood up, shaking off and spitting out dust. In spite of my hurt pride, I began laughing and waving to my parents and siblings below, of course by that point they were all laughing so hard that they could hardly wave back. Looking back, I can see that this experience is more than just a humorous story to tell at family gatherings. The climb up the sand dune was difficult, and although I had to stop along the way, I eventually made it to the top. Instead of letting fear take over, I made the choice to take off down the hill, and after falling and making a fool of myself, I got up, shook off the dust, and smiled. In life, there are ups and downs, and sometimes you have to stop and regain your composure before continuing. You can’t always take the risk-free path; now and then you have to live a little and take chances. Failure is inevitable, but as long as you get back up again, nothing in life will hold you back. I’ll always have a lot of great memories from Big Bend: the natural beauty of the mountains and valleys, the scent of wildflowers, the stars at night that paint constellations in the sky. There is so much to learn from nature about ourselves and the world, and I’ll never forget the sand dune that taught me to keep moving forward.