Writing Competition

So, inspired by some positive comments on my blog, I decided to enter a writing competition. It's the first time I've done something like this, so it was a bit nerve racking but ultimately a lot of fun. I just submitted my piece yesterday, and posted it here for you to see. The subject was an experience away from home.

Adventurous Beginnings

My first trip away from home was a week of overnight camp when I was eight. I had begged my parents to let me spend a week in the West Virginia wilderness, but as they took me there, I couldn’t remember why. I stared out the window, watching the major highways turn into dusty rural roads.

I had never been so lonely when my parents hugged me good-bye. That night I soaked my pillow sheet, dreaming of my room at home. The next morning, I opened my eyes and stared at the unfamiliar wooden ceiling. As I walked to the cafeteria, pangs of loneliness came with me. I tried to enjoy my meal, but the oatmeal was strange. I was used to cold cereal.
After breakfast I wondered over to consider the daily list of activities. I signed up for a nature drawing class and spent the late morning sitting near a brook sketching leaves. That afternoon, I went on a hike with a few other campers, fascinated as the counselors pointed out the different types of mosses. Still, before dinner I found myself thinking of my parents and brother.

I had many more tear-filled half sleeps and unusual meals. But there were also talks with new friends and campfires under the starry West Virginia night. Somehow I fell in love with the unknown that week. As I got older, I sought out more foreign adventures. Homesickness grew into a soft, comforting sense rather than a fierce bite.