Good Essay On My Night In The Forest

Growing up in a big family has its perks and disadvantages. You are aware of others, you do not grow up to be selfish and are protected in many ways. Although not a completely shelters environment where it is suffocating, the house was safe, comforting with people always aware of where I was or what I was doing. As a kid, it made me feel safe, loved and wanted. I lived in a huge house with my parents, siblings and my grandparents. There was also a steady stream of aunts, uncles, friends and other relatives who dropped by any time of the day and night. In effect I was from a household where there were people up and about throughout the day. Going out on picnics too was always a family affair. There were always 5-6 of us piled into a car wherever we went.
One summer, my parents decided we would go to a beach that was in the next state. That beach was fast gaining popularity among vacationers and my parents wanted to go and spend a few days there before it became too crowded. All of us were excited about the trip. Although we went out to parks and malls on a regular basis, this was going to be our first out of the state trip as a whole family. My parents were busy planning the trip, looking at the best route to take, the motels to stay in the night and the booking for the hotels by the beach. The kids were busy planning on what to wear and dreaming about all the adventures they could experience in the beach. Some of my cousins heard about the trip and wanted to come too. In the end, there were about 11 of us who ended up going for the trip. There was my parents, my grandparents, my siblings, me, an aunt and two cousins all packed into three cars and ready to go on a road trip. Although we had beached near my town, my parents chose this specific location because this stretch of beach that we were going to haaad a forested area nearby. The plan was to camp out one night.
It took us two days to reach the beach. It would have happened faster if us kids didn't want to go to the bathroom constantly and wanted to stop and eat at every fast food place on the way. There were also regular stops to look at the beautiful lakes on the way as well as the sunrise and the sunsets. The kids were also constantly moving and changing cars as a result of the constant shouting and bickering. The first night we spent at a motel midway and it went on without a hitch. We were too tired to try anything. The next day was gorgeous. We had started early to catch the sunrise and weren’t disappointed. The skies were clear and having slept the previous night, everyone were in great spirits. The fact that we would reach the beach in a few hours also put us in high spirits. We reached our destination around afternoon and could not wait enough to go out into the water. Ignoring our parents’ call to put on sunscreen we dashed across the hotel lawns to get to the beach and the water. The elders had to hurry after us, huffing and painting. Although they were mad that we did not give them enough time to relax, the day was too good for them to stay mad. I was very happy to run around, play in the water and find new treasures to take back home. I was already devising ways to smuggle shells and dead fish to the house. The first night was the night for camping. There was a campground and we had our allotted spaces. Although it was a fenced area and there was enough security, our parents wouldn't let us kids have a tent on our own. There was one adult for every tent. The night went great with a campfire, roasted marshmallows, peanuts and canned food. The only problem was that the night ended too quickly for us. By 8 everything was packed and we had to go sleep. The night would have gone smoothly if I hadn’t come up with the brilliant idea of exploring the campsite. We were four kids in the tent with my grandfather. My grandfather took no notice of our whisperings and soon fell asleep. After we made sure he was asleep and snoring, we silently crept out of the tent. The plan was that we stick together in our exploration and get back to the tent within an hour. Ten minutes into the adventure, my brother and another cousin opted out. They were too scared. It was just me and my cousin who bravely went ahead. Twenty minutes into the walking we realized there was nothing to explore in the campsite. We managed to hide whenever the security walked past. Although it was great in the beginning, we soon got bored because it was easy to hide. I then decided that we should probably climb through a gap in the gate and go to the forest. My cousin was completely against it. We had a major fight and she left too. It was just me now and I wanted to show them that I was not scared. I also needed a story to regale them the next day. I somehow managed to squeeze myself into the gate and started walking. I thought I would be safe as long as I could see the camp lights. As I kept walking I heard a growl that scared me. I stopped to look and saw a dog. I got scared and started running. It took me a few minutes of running to realize that the dog wasn’t interested in me and wasn’t chasing me. But running scared had taken me a little away from the camp and I could no longer see the lights. The trees were too thick.
I started panicking and crying. I tried to walk back and find a way to the camp but realized I wasn’t getting anywhere. After maybe an hour, I got too tired and scared to walk and sat down waiting to be eaten by a dog or monsters. The trees creaking, the wind, the distant imagined howling, everything scared me and I tried to hide inside the trunk of a big tree. I was too scared. By this time my cousins and brother were too scared that I was not back and finally after a few hours of tossing and turning decided to wake up my grandfather. All hell broke loose then. My brother later told me that everyone started crying and arguing at the same time. As this was happening, I was shivering in the dark, praying to god that it would be light soon. After what seemed to be ages and I had given up hopes of being rescued and was thinking of eating leaves to survive, I heard voices. I was still scared to get out of my hiding place as I did not know if they were friends or strangers. And then ten minutes later I heard my father shouting out my name. I was still scared to get out and prayed that he would come closer. He did. I saw him and leapt into his arms. His face was the best thing that I had ever seen. Although he was pretty mad, he hugged me, made sure I was Okay and carried me back to the tent. I got an earful from everyone and was made to sleep in the middle of my parents.
The next day was a continuation of me getting an earful. My poor siblings and cousins were made to hear it too. I made enemies out of them that day. My parents decided to continue the holiday in spite of the scare but I had effectively ruined it for myself. I was not allowed to play in the water and was made to tag along with my mother instead. It was the worst punishment. I have to admit that the few hours I spent alone had shaken me a little. But it also taught me a lot. It taught me that I should not be wandering alone in the dark. Anything could have happened to me. I realized I scared my parents and my grandparents. I let down my siblings and my cousins. The most important thing was that my family trusted me and I let them down. The incident also made me grow up. I was no longer the kid prone to childish pranks. I started listening more to my parents and I never again went out in the night to explore.