The wind hit against my face like a hurricane. Birds flew above me while fish swam below me. The dazzling sun hung in the sky like a balloon. I knew if I leaned over, I'd be able to see my reflection in the water of Lake Cumberland. I was surrounded by some of the people that mean the most to me: my cousins. I signaled for the boat to pick up speed, and we flew across the water faster and faster and faster. A speedboat raced ahead. I leaned forward in anticipation, gripping the handles of the tube tighter until my knuckles turned white. A smile grew on my face as we approached the mountains made of water. Ahead of us, the boat crashed against the waves. The next thing I knew the tube turned into a kite, as the boat turned into a person. The only thing connecting us was the rope. My stomach was a revolving door, my eyes squeezed tight. One of my cousins screamed as we landed, crashing back into the water. The boat turned in a few circles, trying to throw us off. Our laughs rang through the air like church bells. We wanted more, but the boat began to pull into a cove so we could swim. 

As soon as we drifted into the cove, all I could hear was the crashing. Crash! Crash! It drowned out all the other sounds. I could no longer hear the birds, the motor, my cousins, my family back on the boat. 

“What's that sound?” I asked Cara, my older cousin who seemed as if she knew everything. She definitely didn't know everything, but she liked pretending that she was smarter than everyone else. It felt patronizing in a way, but she was my best friend. I didn't really mind. 

“A waterfall,” She replied simply, implying that I should've known that to begin with. She rolled her eyes, obviously annoyed. She turned away and stuck her hand in the water, creating a small wake trailing behind it as we slowed down. 

The waterfall was hidden by a curve in the cove. There was no way the boat could ever fit back there. I sighed in disappointment. Looks like we wouldn't be seeing a waterfall after all. 

At last, the anchor was lowered and we all got out to swim. Cara pulled Lizzy and I over. Lizzy, my younger cousin, had the blondest hair anyone could ever imagine. Her eyes always perfectly reflected the waters of the lake. A soft splatter of freckles danced around her nose. 

“I have a plan,” Cara whispered. I nearly rolled my eyes. Cara always thinks she has to be the boss of everything. I used to follow her around, but by now it was getting tiring. We looked “strikingly alike”, so says her friend. Our hair is the exact same shade of dishwater blonde. Our eyes had the same brown in them, close enough to be considered the same. 

“What is it?” Lizzy asked, her bright blue eyes filled to the brim with curiosity. Just from one glance, anyone could tell that she belonged to the lake. Her hair was always slightly messy from the wind, and her eyes sparkled with some kind of adventure. 

“The boat might have some extra oars. You know, in case the boat breaks down. We could take them, unhook the tube, and row ourselves to see the waterfall!” Cara explains. 

For once, I was kind of impressed by her idea. Her plans weren't usually this elaborate. We swam over to the boat to ask our parents. Once we got their permission, it was easy to jump into the tube and unhook it. Cara and I each took an oar. We began rowing the tube. The water seemed as if the last thing it wanted us to do was see the waterfall. I rowed hard against the water, but it pushed back even harder. The feeling was almost like wrestling against nature. It was harder than being forced to watch a sports game with my dad, but the current was on our side. It wasn't until we'd have to go back that we'd have the most trouble, and it was hard enough at this point. Lizzy and I alternated with the oars. Sometimes she'd row, and sometimes I would. When my turn came, my arms couldn't handle the strain. It was difficult to push against the water. Water flung up behind the oars, spraying me in the face. Cara didn't seem to be having any trouble. 

The waterfall seemed to grow louder and louder, although we hadn't moved very far yet. I wondered how big it was. The land around the lake was gorgeous. We always saw many beautiful plants and animals. I smiled as I thought of a blue heron. The bird's beak pointing ahead of them with confidence. The heron's bright blue wings spread in flight. The way they dove down towards the water, only to level out at the last possible second. We often saw them around the lake. They were as beautiful as a full moon on a clear night. I loved the way that they could be free, do whatever they wanted, go wherever they wished. They weren't afraid to take risks. That's how I wanted to be. But my arms were aching. My muscles felt as if they'd never work again. I groaned. I'd never be able to have to have the same kind of freedom. My stomach fell into a pit filled with my deepest fears. I couldn't be like the heron. I'd never be able to be free. There was no point in feeling pain to witness more water. We were in a lake, anyway. What's the point? 

“Can we go back now?” I whined.

“No way,” Cara answered. “We haven't even seen the waterfall yet.”

There was no way the sight of a stupid waterfall could make up for the pain. It was too much for my tiny body to handle. I sighed and passed the oar to Lizzy for her turn. I leaned against the edge of the tube. I thought again of the blue heron. How could I ever be like a bird that was so free, with my parents always bossing me around? I mean sure, I was still young, but maybe if I had more freedoms, I'd feel like my own person. The slow pace of the tube wasn't helping. Neither was the fact that I had no patience. 

After ten minutes, we'd barely gotten anywhere. 

“Can we just please go back?” I repeated. 

“No! We need to see the waterfall,” Cara insisted. Lizzy nodded in agreement. She always agreed with Cara. Ever since Lizzy was born, Cara has practically claimed her as her own, excluding me. Sometimes I didn't mind, but it got annoying when Lizzy started turning into a mini Cara. 

I sighed and turned back to rowing. Five minutes passed, and we started to get better at rowing. Our pace continued to quicken. We were so close, I could almost see the waterfall. The smell changed slightly, the wind mixing in with the water. Birds squawked high up in the trees that reached towards the sky. I started feeling a little excited. Maybe this would've been worth it after all. The sound of it grew louder every second. I gripped my oar tighter, rowing with more confidence. We rounded the corner and my jaw dropped. 

The water crashed downwards, letting gravity do its job. It reached to the sky, wider than any other waterfall I'd ever seen. I almost burst with sudden excitement and energy. We'd won this. We'd gotten here on our own. This was our reward, and it was beautiful. It had to be nature's finest painting. The best gift I'd ever received. I wanted to reach out and touch it, but we couldn't get close enough. My heart broke when I realized why—there was litter surrounding the bottom. Plastic bottles, soda cans, and Ziploc bags piled up in the water. But then I looked back up at the water. The beautiful, magnificent water that left small splashes of water on my face. It crashed upon the litter, seeming like it was hitting it in the face. Humans couldn't destroy everything. We just weren't powerful enough, and for once, I was glad about that. My heart was filled with hope. If the waterfall could decide to keep pushing against pollution, then why couldn't I decide my own future? 

“We should go back,” Cara suggested. 

“Can we stay a little longer?” I begged. I didn't want to leave. I didn't want to abandon the new feeling of hope, the beauty of the waterfall. The freedom that I gave me. I couldn't throw that all away. 

If only I had a camera, I thought. If only I were able to capture this moment in my life forever. I can't leave something that made me find my freedom. 

We ended up heading to the boat shortly after that, but the beauty of the waterfall stayed with me. Rowing was harder on the way back, the current being against us, but we were filled with the joy of seeing such a beautiful thing. We'd won that, just like a sports team wins their game. We didn't have any help. No adults at all. Just us and our determination, our confidence, had gotten us to a waterfall. We could do it. We could make it there. So we did. All it took was a little trust in ourselves. My cousins believed in me, and projected their confidence into my soul. I will be forever grateful to them for giving me a little adventure, a spark of hope, and a sense of freedom and independence. 

After about 15 minutes, we made it back to the boat, buzzing with excitement. We told everyone else how beautiful the waterfall was. They were surprised we'd made it there at all. I beamed, my smile brighter than the sun. Without my cousins, I wouldn't have gotten anywhere. Without them, I wouldn't have been able to see the majestic waterfall. Without them, I wouldn't have been able to become the blue heron. 

The blue heron is a symbol of freedom for me. I got to choose my own path, find my own way. While rowing to the waterfall, I hadn't realized it, but I was on my way to becoming a heron. All I needed was a little push of encouragement. I will let my friends and family encourage me. I will push myself to my limits. I won't be afraid to find a little adventure. I will not be afraid to take risks. I will remember that there's a reward waiting somewhere, and I just have to endure the pain. I am a blue heron, and I will choose my own life.