My Lake District trip

Silence. It was the kind of silence I could hear my heartbeat in. The sombre night sky made it impossible to see anything. The only thing that I can vaguely make out is the huge, desolate mountains, encompassing every inch of our surroundings.

The immense darkness made these mountains feel almost ominous, like there was no escape. As I gazed into the dark, I embraced this single moment of calm, a luxury I do not have in the hustle and bustle of London.

This fear quickly turned to awe, as I looked up to the stars. It might be a trivial thing for anyone else, but to see the twinkling sky, put a smile on my face. Suddenly all my worries faded away, as I breathed a single breath of fresh, cool air.

The Lake district is such a hauntingly beautiful part of England. It was a place like no other, and a place so different, to what I am used to. With no signal to contact anyone, I felt disconnected with the rest of world. For three days, it was just me and my companions travelling in the undisturbed terrain of lake district.

We had arrived after a 12-hour long coach journey with what seemed like a mob of a dozen people, from my local community.

The drive to our accommodation was agonising. The roads, if you can call them that, were extremely narrow and bumpy. I felt like I was about fly off my seat. I wondered if it was too late to turn back as I felt my Doritos that I had eaten, slowly rising up to my mouth.

During this short trip, I had the opportunity to do things I would not normally dare to. I am not the fittest person, so the idea of a hike up a mountain path did not appeal to me. But I reminded myself that I will never get an opportunity like this again and, started on the hike.

At first it was a brisk walk. However, as the path got stepper, and my panting got faster, with the sun beating down on my face, the hike felt strenuous. I could feel the sweat trickling drop by drop across my face.
But, the waterfall cascade at the end was worth the struggle. Before we even got to the cascade, I could hear the gentle splashing of the water against the rocks. These gentle splashes gradually increased into a booming rumble, as we got nearer and nearer.

I sat on the rocks, closed my eyes, and listened to the gushing of water filling my ears. I watched the water tumble down into a white abyss. The sun hit the water, making it glisten like tear drops. I reached my hand out and watched the water seep through my hand.

I could have sat there forever, but we had to make our way back down. By this point, I had worked up quite an appetite. I devoured a plate of Biryani, which was much deserved after the hike.

The trip also allowed me to truly appreciate nature. When we went to Ullswater lake, for example, the water was like nothing I had seen before. The water was like a mirror for the beautiful mountains in the background. There was not a ripple in sight. This moment of stillness was the calm that I needed to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of Lake
District.

During the trip I made great memories that I will never forget. At one point, my friend’s dad, got off the minibus after seeing a sheep standing near us. He attempted to coax the poor sheep by shouting “baa” in front of the sheep. Of course, this resulted in the sheep being scared for its life and the rest of us laughing.

We also had a little campfire one evening. We all huddled around the campfire like penguins, sticking our hands out and rubbing them to keep warm. Everyone was laughing, joking, and playing games in the pitch dark. I, however, was silent. I wanted to enjoy this moment of bliss.

I watched the flames dance and the sparks fly. I could smell the intoxicating smoke. I could hear the sound of the fire crackling as more sticks were tossed in to keep the fire going. Whilst we roasted some peanuts and corn on the cob, I watched the thick smoke rising up and smothering our surroundings.

When it rained in Lake District, I watched from the safety of our accommodation in Kentmere. I watched the fog rising from the mountains and I listened to the soft pitter patter of the rain on the roof. However, we did not let the gloomy weather dampen our
spirits

In Windermere we had a boat ride from Bowness to Ambleside. We glided softly and gently, bobbing up and down along the lake like a duck. It was still quite damp, from the rain but I decided to go outside on the top deck. It was the only way to truly appreciate the captivating view. I could feel the gusty air across my face, and I could smell the earthy, fresh rain.

A quick ten-minute walk along Bowness village, and we found a small gluten-free fish and chip shop. Despite the small size of the shop, all 13 of us were served fairly quickly even though there were only two people on the till.

We decided to eat the fish and chips in the van, whilst listening to the soft drumming of rain on the roof. And then we proceeded on the never-ending journey back home.

And that concludes our trip. It was not as long as I would have liked it to be, but I enjoyed it, and it was an experience that I will never forget. It taught me the importance of stepping out of my comfort zone, doing things I would never normally do, and learning to enjoy the little things that make me smile.