I was alone in the cold and dark night with no moonlight to accompany me. I had known of this destination before and wanted to explore it. As the light came up and above the ocean’s horizon, I felt like a long-awaited gift was given to me. I found my way near a lighthouse where there were hundreds of thousands of rocks and the bay that was still and silent. The view was stretched out and I could see miles worth of land all around me because of the clear sky. Considering this peaceful moment makes us realize how this lighthouse has saved many people from blizzards and raging storms.
Bodies of water can separate two different worlds. We can see this by how oceans separate seven continents and on each continent, different types of people with differences in culture, styles, foods, and traditions exist. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine how this Earth occupies seven billion people and how we are separated through land and water.
When taking this photograph, this phenomenon hit me. This lake which runs under the Golden Gate Bridge separates two different worlds. One is suburban and the other is a city with busy lives and tall skyscrapers.
The land is just a few miles away from one another, yet the atmosphere is completely different.
After a long wait, I was ecstatic to go into the Canyon and explore what it had to offer. When I walked into it, it felt like I walked through a portal and stepped into a new world. The shapes my eyes had ever seen or imagined appeared in front of me with different colors and textures. As the sun shifted throughout the day, different hidden shapes could be seen and different colors were intensified whether it be this canyon’s reds, yellows, oranges, pinks, or purples, the colors were extraordinary. One of the tour guides had told me that it takes an imagination and an open mind to explore this canyon because it speaks to people and reveals itself as long as you listen. I was intrigued and as I looked at the canyon with this new perspective, a hidden bear formed in front of me, molded between the canyons rocks.
As I was chasing the winter storm, the striking and powerful views of nature made me stop in my tracks. I was immediately focused on the quiet and desolate forest, where my eyes slowly were drawn to the small-scale island in the center of the bay surrounded by the deep blue and riveting waters. The strong smell of pine overwhelmed me with feelings of nostalgia and security as I waited for the clouds to shift, finally creating a pattern that would encompass most of the sky.