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Once upon a time, my family and I went on a cruise ship ride for a week to visit some islands. I’ve never been on a ship before so this would all be new and somewhat scary for me.

I didn’t know if I would get seasick or even like the trip. But I had to try new things. After all my grandparents spent a lot of money on this trip so I had to make the most of it.

I would feel terrible if I just didn’t go or I didn’t take advantage of what pretty view was in front of me.

I marveled at the vast expanse of the ocean. Each day brought new wonders as we docked at different islands. I soared through the sky on a 1,900-foot zipline on one island, feeling like a brave explorer.

The wind rushed through my hair as I gazed down at the lush greenery below. On another island, I embarked on a daring cave tubing expedition.

Gliding through the mysterious caves, I felt like a true adventurer discovering hidden treasures. As I looked at the rocks, I saw all the shiny crystals in them.

They were so pretty to look at. At one point we turned all our head lights off to see the total darkness. It was a bit weird not being to see my hands and feet on the tub.

But the cave was warm and of course wet from the water dripping down onto me. There were some small fruit bats, so we had to be careful going right under them. The bat was so small and cute I wish I could’ve held them in my hands right then and there.

But our journey took an unexpected turn one bright tropical morning when the huge ship encountered shallow waters. The ship came to a halt, stranded for a while. At first, I felt a twinge of worry gnawing at my heart.

What if we were stuck here forever? But I knew that wasn’t going to happen, but it was almost a gut feeling that couldn’t go away. But then I remembered something important that I should mingle with the kids that were my age one the ship.

Before, I was just with my grandparents and playing games on my phone. I couldn’t use the internet because paying for it was a lot of money for only being on the ship for a week.