Finally, it is seventh hour, which means it is time for me to go home. As I am walking out my car, lanyard swinging in my hand, I look down at the shining G keychain that I bought as a souvenir on my trip out west. When I catch a glimpse of the keychain attached to my lanyard, memories of my summer vacation out west that my family and I took together two summers ago all come flooding back. It is as if I can smell the fresh morning air from the top of Pikes Peak, where I got my keychain. All around is the sound of heavy breathing due to the cold, thin morning air at the top of the mountain. Everyone is scattered around the edges admiring the view, and as I overlook the beautiful scenery from the top of the mountain, I am in awe of the glimmering snow towards the top that slowly fades into dewy grass and dark green pine trees. Even farther below is a dark blue lake sparkling in the morning sunlight. I cannot see it from the mountain, but I remember passing over it by a bridge on our way up and recognizing how beautiful it was.

   Another memory of the Old Faithful geyser jumps into my mind. My family and I are patiently waiting behind the rope for the geyser to erupt. My impatience is getting to me because it has already been over thirty minutes of waiting. Then, all of a sudden, everyone starts pointing out the steam coming from the hole and we realize the geyser is going to erupt soon. Finally, two minutes later the steaming water explodes from the ground making a whoosh sound as the water vapor spreads throughout the air. It seems as if the water was never-ending. Eventually, the height of the geyser shrinks and bubbles down under the ground once again only to erupt later today and for years to come.

   A few days later we are in Arizona at the Grand Canyon. The most vivid memory of mine from this location is how tiny the Colorado River looks from all the way at the top of the canyon. I always thought it would be a wide, magnificent, blue river you could see so clearly, but it was quite the opposite. The Colorado River was hard to see, small, and brown. Since the river was not my main focus when viewing the Grand Canyon, I was able to see the small yet beautiful details surrounding and embedded in the walls of the canyon. Specks of green vegetation populated the walls from the top to the very bottom. On the plateaus of the canyon were dark shadows that I thought were pools of water but came to realize were shadows from the hovering clouds. My favorite part of visiting the Grand Canyon was standing at a vantage point that led me to think I was higher than the rocks and reaching the clouds. Directly in front of me, I could see the vibrant blue sky with bright, white clouds scattered throughout the sky and the jagged yet curved edges of the walls of the canyon.

   In one memory, possibly my favorite, I am on the bridge overlooking only a small portion of Yellowstone National Park. My brown hair is flowing in the wind as I am trying to tie it back so I can get a clear view of the beauty before me. My favorite aviator sunglasses give a tint to the mountains ahead and water below making the colors even more vibrant than they naturally are. My eyes are darting to the many details of the amazing view, not sure which to put my focus on. I enjoy being in nature, so I am instantly filled with joy when I realize I am entirely surrounded by it. Directly below me, I see the teal blue water rushing down a river that seems to never end. Scattered along the river are white caps produced from rocks penetrating the surface that the water breaks on. Thousands of trees hug the sides of the mountains, yet the mountains do not push them away, they embrace the trees and the two become one. A slight breeze kisses my face, and the breeze carries on to the nature below me. The breeze reaches each bristle of the pines along the mountains. The emerald green trees find a rhythm with one another and start to sway like a song in the wind. Mountains dominate the landscape for as far as I can see, each one seeming to try and peak higher than the other. 

   After imagining the beautiful scenery of these memories I long to be back out west, however, I know it is not possible. At least, not now, but that is what my memories are for. I hold on tight to these memories because I know they are a part of me and who I am. My memories help me realize where I want to travel and what I want to do in life. On my trip out west, I discovered a new part of myself that appreciates nature and loves being in it. At every landmark we visited I found myself marveling at the beauty of each creation. Now, because of this key chain, I will never forget what I saw and learned on that trip. Memories, big and small, are powerful, for they hold a piece of myself that I know are worth holding on to.