The sky faded to yellow and sank into the horizon as navy blue pulsed across the oblivion. Little lights as small as needlepoints were sprinkled throughout the darkening sky, as the Milky Way weaved its way into view.
We reclined in our chairs and stared in awe at the stars above us. I immediately felt uncomfortable. My eyes stung from the harsh wind that blew in, my chair was leaning so far back I was convinced I would fall out at any moment, and despite having packed on all the warm, puffy layers I had taken with me… I was still cold!
My discomfort was eased as I sleepily stared at the brightest star that outshined them all. It winked at me and continued to twinkle. I glanced over to see my dad peering into the binoculars.
“Oh my god. Come look!”
I jumped out of my chair and stumbled over.
“It’s Jupiter and four of its moons!”
I took off my glasses and shoved my face into the lens of the binocular. The brightest star, which turned out to not be much of a star at all, shimmered. Two pinpricks of light flanked each side of the bright planet. The little dots were spaced evenly and though they had no twinkle, they were still as mesmerizing as the planet they surrounded.
I returned to my chair and scrunched my body as tight as possible, trying to trap the heat that circulated around me. Suddenly, a streak of light whizzed across the sky. That’s when I remembered that a meteor shower from the constellation Delta Aquariids was at its peak. My eyes widened as I searched the blanket of stars. More sped by. 5… 6… 7 … 8!
The cold became too much for us and we returned inside to warm up. My numb toes were not so numb anymore. The burned and stung as I walked down the hallway. It felt as if ice had already begun to frost over my feet. We entered the kitchen, which was lit with small red light bulbs, and dropped into chairs. The warmth seeped into my shoes and the imaginary ice slowly began to melt.
My dad came back, carrying a mug. He placed it infront of me and I stared. It appeared that the mug was empty. I looked closer and saw a layer of frothy chocolate with steam rising. My trembling hands lightly wrapped around the warm hard surface. My feet began to sting oncemore and I diverted my attention by delicately unwrapping a square of Ghirardelli and munching on the caramel that oozed out.
I began to squirm, thinking of all the meteors I could be missing by resting in here. When my dad asked if I was ready to return outside, I eagerly said I was and led the way outside.
The sky was even more dazzling than when we left it. It was as if silver glitter of all sizes had been dashed across it like another miscalaneous art project of a young child.
I wiggled back into my chair, frustrated by how often it disobeyed me! The wind was as harsh and unforgiving as ever. I was taken a back, forgetting how cold it was. To distract myself from the temperature I focused on seeing meteors and let my mind and eyes drift to the sky.
A large dot of light appeared and gracefully traveled through the stars trailing a sparkly tail, before twinkling out. I was bewitched, hoping to see one last meteor before retiring. That was the last shooting star I saw that night.
My eyes became increasingly heavy and drooped, weighing down my head. I mumbled something about going to sleep, and soon I was curled up in my sleeping bag, rubbing my recovering feet against eachother.
I awoke to the dorms filled with light. my legs and sleeping bags were twisted and I had trouble finding a way out of my bed.
My breakfast was bland scrambled eggs, bacon, and strawberries and bluberries. I sleepily pushed around the scraps, lulling in and out of sleep. Last night had been long, and despite putting in no physical effort, exhausting.
When the time came to leave, I asked to see Penny. She was called from herding big-horned sheep and bounded in. I scratched her chin and rubbed her head and she trotted into the kitchen.
The car jostled and twisted along the dirt roads, stirring up breakfast in my stomach. I moaned and stretched myself across the back seats. The ride was once again long and made me feel nauseous. My stomach was finally eased when we drove onto the paved roads and I could rest myself.
I was ecstatic when we arrived home, grabbing my stuff and dashing to the door. The night at Barcroft had been amazing and an experience I will never forget, but I was glad to be home.
Until next,
Cyanjasmine11
Tranquil & Tumultuous Travels 