July 31st. One month until my supposed childhood was over. I was hiking on a trail with my family, surrounded by thousands of trees reaching up to the sky. The trail narrowed in some spots, forcing us to walk single file. It rained the night before, causing some spots to be muddy. The sun shone down, but the trees covered us,  so it didn’t offer much heat. A deep, rich smell of untouched nature filled the air. We walked on a downhill slope for quite some time, and the further along the trail, the cooler it got. An indication we were getting closer to the lake.

Eventually, we made it to Chapel Rock and saw the breathtaking view. The water that stretched on for what seemed like forever, was as blue as a Caribbean vacation commercial. The waves slowly crashed into the shore of Lake Superior. The bright sun lit up the clear sky. To the left of us, some boats lined the beach with people out in the sand. We took off our shoes and started to walk on the flour-like sand. It molded around every step I took and offered warmth from the sun shining down on it.    

Although we could see the cliff from the beach, we couldn’t get to it. We asked two people who were sitting on the beach if they knew. They told us they weren’t sure but earlier saw people climb up the side of what looked like a really slippery rock. We decided to give it our best shot. Small trickles of water ran down the side of the slanted rocks, making it hard to find sure footing. Eventually, the three of us helped each other up, and saw a small path that lead the direction of the cliff. So, we decided to follow it. Before we knew it, there was no going back.

On the cliff stood three outdoorsy guys who seemed to be in their mid-twenties. We talked to them and found out they came up from the Detroit area for the weekend. They told us they had came here multiple times before, but the first time were too scared to jump. They came back a second time because they regretted not jumping and then came back again today just to enjoy the view. And what an amazing view. It stuck out further from the rest of the cliffs giving a full view of the rest of the lakeshore. Some spots were rocky but other parts were covered with green foliage. On the edge of the cliff, stood a tree with its roots hanging part way over. The guys explained to us where to jump from and gave us some tips.

After talking for awhile, we decided we should jump. We walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down. My entire body shook and my stomach felt empty. I didn’t know if I wanted to jump anymore. Looking down made the water seem so much further away. I could see the clear water rushing its way into the cliff and then slowly back out again. Sam decided he would jump first, then I would, and then Zach. As Sam stood on the edge, a boat pulled up to the side with five people in it. They wanted to watch us jump and cheered us on. The guys counted down from three and Sam jumped. His arms did circles around him and he went into the water. When he came back up, he was smiling and said we had to jump too.

It was my turn.

I walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down. I couldn’t do it. How could I jump into the unknown? A supposedly 55 foot cliff, now felt like jumping from the tree tops. My legs felt unsteady as they shook beneath me. The water was clear and I but gave no idea of what I was jumping into. Around me, everyone encouraged me to jump. I stood at the edge for what felt like five minutes. Finally I heard something that made me able to go.

“Look ahead and jump. You’ll only have this chance once and you’ll regret it if you don’t,” one of the guys said. He wore a bandana around his head. I don’t know what it was about those two sentences, but I knew he was right. I willed myself to look straight forward, counted down from three in my head, and jumped.

I was falling.

Before I really knew what was going on, water surrounded me and my head popped up from the lake. I could taste some water in my mouth. Adrenaline surged through me, and I couldn’t stop smiling. Sam, who also knew how exhilarating it felt to be falling into the unknown for a short amount of time, smiled as well. Looking up, I realized what a far jump I just willed myself to do. The rocky, tall cliff that scared me before, no longer did. I knew I could conquer it. A cliff that previously provided no answers to my questions, now just did. I now understood that sometimes I need to take the risk to get the best results. We treaded water as we urged Zach to jump. He jumped not long after and joined us in the water. Smiles covered our faces from the thrill of what we just did.

The boat that watched us jump asked us if we wanted to get on and he’d bring us back to the beach. We decided to swim in to get the “full experience” as Sam put it. Being high from the adrenaline, the water felt warm and welcoming. After swimming for awhile, we made it back to the beach. The sure thing that I knew would still be there after the risk I took.