The golden sun glistening down on the deep, blue lake. Speeding down the great, long body of water while getting the advantage of deciding where I want to go. Being in control of the big boat with a shining red stripe on the side as it skims easily across the water. I could not have done any of this if I did not try my very hardest to get my boater's license. 

       As I walked down the endless staircase late at night, I could hear the keys to a computer making a solid clicking sound. I was very interested, yet nervous. Who would be awake at such a late hour? I glanced down the hall from the middle of the staircase. It was my dad. He was taking some sort of test. The test looked lengthened and aggravating. I wondered, what could it be? He peered over at me and questioned my appearance. I asked him what lengthened and aggravating test he was taking. He told me that he was taking his boater's license test. My dad had been wanting to get his boater's license for what seemed like a million years now. Cruel covid stopped him. Fortunately, he found a test you can take online. Questions traveled through my head like an airplane flying through a cloud. How old do you have to be? Does the test only count for boats, or jet skis too? It just so happens to be I had just met the age standards, so that gave me some pleasing ideas! I wanted to take the boater's license test. I will be the first out of all my cousins to legally drive a boat. 

       Prior to covid, my family and I had been going to Lake George all my life and even before my existence. Lake George to me was like a voice calling my name. A voice only I could hear. ¨How often do you go there anyway?¨ I answered this question a lot. I used to be able to say too many times to count, but we then stopped. I missed it a lot. Every Sunday I spent home in the summer, I would lay on the bench right outside the back door of our house. I would be thinking. Thinking about what? I was thinking about what I would be doing right now if it were a normal day. I would be riding the waves on water skis and playing basketball with my cousins on the court. I had been reasoning about myself a lot and I knew all those Sundays I was being lazy. I had to do something about it, so I bolted inside, and I began my goal of achieving my boater's license. 

       Being caved in the walls of my home in fourth grade made this goal of mine feel like it would never end. Video by video, question by question, day by day. Warily and steadily, I took these quizzes like it was all or nothing. All of these limited videos and quizzes built up to the 60 question test. I took my time, worked at a durable pace and was simply dreading the day I had to take the huge and alarming test. That test would determine if I had passed, or if I did not pass.

       My hands were shaking, and I felt a shock run through my body. All I could see was the computer screen that boldly read, ¨Click start to begin.¨ I gradually moved my mouse to the start button, and I clicked it. Suddenly I was hesitant. I forgot everything that I previously learned. This was a nightmare come true. Boater's terms were rushing through my head back and forth. I had a troublesome time thinking. I then realized that I just needed to give myself a boost. I said to myself, You can do this. Quickly and spontaneously, all the negative feelings I felt were gone in a split second. I took my time and tried my best to answer each question precisely until the computer screen read, ¨Click submit once completed.¨ I was proud.

       Patience was not a characteristic of mine. Truthfully I don't think ever will be. Every afternoon, I had this instant feeling. Immediately I had to check the mailbox. I was waiting for the letter of truth to come and worried many of my days. Most of the time, that was all I could think about. I walked down to the mailbox with no enthusiasm. I knew that it would just be another day with a mailbox full of magazines. I tugged on the handle to the mailbox and slowly brought it down as slow as a turtle winning a race. I looked through the mail. To my surprise, there was a letter that said, ¨Alivia Sheridan.¨

       I sprinted as fast as I could inside and into the kitchen. I called out to my parents to come down and look at the letter with me. They did. Gently and easily I opened the envelope and pulled out the paper. I read it slowly and shouted with glee, "I passed!¨ I could not wait to inform my cousins about this achievement of mine. I felt like I just won the lottery.

       Looking back now, after getting the advantage to drive around the jet skis and boats in Lake George, I realize that all my hard work paid off.  It was worth it because I put my mind to it. Even though at times it was hard, I got through it. I just gave myself a positive boost! You can also do anything if you work hard at it and never give up.

-Alivia S.