I like going to the lake. 

Some people don’t like the lake because of the water or the bugs, but I like it. When I go to the lake, I like to go with my family because we relax and spend time together as a family. My family usually plans trips to the lake a day before we go. Before going to the lake we have to pack up everything we need like the food, the drinks, and take two inflatable boats.

As soon as I get to the lake I breathe in fresh air.

I see my little brothers’ skinny bodies running to the lake without helping us unpack. You don’t see them until the food is ready later on. My parents start to prepare the food – carne asada. You can smell it, which makes you hungry. My brothers get sodas as they wait for the food to be served. Once my parents say the food is ready, we run to it after the long wait. We get there and see the table full of food like rice, salads, meat, chicken, and beans. After we all eat, there is nothing left except the plates. After going into the water, we come back and enjoy time together. We also go walking around the mountains that surround the lake. This helps me forget everything about stress.

My favorite part of going to the lake is going to the middle of the lake on the boat and then jumping off to go swim. When I’m in the water, I imagine I’m somewhere in Europe swimming in the ocean where I forget about my problems and simply enjoy being alive and healthy. In the end, we just clean up after ourselves and pack everything up so that we could leave and enjoy the ride home.

In Manual for Self-Care, students in Ms. Contreras’ health class explore ways that they take care of themselves through all of life’s stressors, trials and tribulations. Through prose, poetry, and journal entries students write about moments they’ve faced adversity and still managed to remain positive.

Interested in helping students write stories like these? Become a volunteer.