Overcoming fears is one of the hardest things to do, whether your fears are to be alone, to be in the dark, insects, and it goes on as we are all scared of something. For me I am scared of being out in canyons without knowing where you’re going. Thanks to my ‘smart’ family I had to face my fears.

Last summer my mom thought it would be nice to walk our dog Herbie in the Ruffin Canyon. Since all of the family was home she thought it would be nice to see what’s really in the canyon. I on the other hand don’t like going to new places without a map.

So there we were me, my mom, my two little sisters, my older brother and my two cousins in the San Diego summer heat taking a ‘little’ stroll through the canyon, I brought some water but in San Diego a bottle of water can’t help you in this type of weather.

“Let’s go home it’s a dead end.” I said to my mom as we reached a pile of rocks and bushes.

“No, let’s keep going, there’s another trail.” She and the rest kept walking. I could have turned and went home, which is only up the hill from the canyon, but I figured I had nothing else planned that day. We kept on going until we hit some water full of moss. I had only worn ballet flats since I didn’t think that I would run into anything like this.

“Mom, I think we should go home now.” I said as I feared that those things in the water weren’t moss.

“Oh, don’t be afraid Bianca, it’s just water.” I used the small rocks in the water as my bridge.

“See that wasn’t that bad.” She laughed. I pretended to laugh too as I saw the trail went on. We hit a point where there were two paths. None of us were sure which trail led to the end, and we weren’t even sure where the end was. My brother Roberto (the smart one) decided that we go along the path on the right. My little sister Sofia clung onto me as the bushes closed in I was really afraid if there were any snakes or coyotes that would pop out. My mom had to carry Herbie since I think she was afraid too.

“You guys I see no end!” My mom called out to my brother and cousin as they were leading. I saw deodorant and sweaters lying around from either people who live there or people who never made it out. “I told you we should have turned back!” I called to my mom as I was dying from the heat. I didn’t know what time it was but the sun’s rays hit me more.

“Wait I see some stairs!” Roberto called out. He jumped onto these steep broken looking stairs. “Help your sisters!” My mom called to me as Sofia and my other little sister Elena looked scared. My cousins didn’t have a hard time going up and neither did Roberto. If anything I needed help going up as the stairs didn’t look stable. But I had to put on a brave face and help my sisters.

“We are out!” I cheered as I reached the last step. “But where are we?” My sister Elena asked my mom. “We are Taft Middle School.”

I finally asked my mom what time it was and it was 1 p.m. We started at 12. That whole adventure that felt like it took hours was only one hour. Plus I still had to walk home which took another ten minutes.
“Where were you guys?” My grandma, who was laying down watching her soap operas at my house ,asked once we came back. “You don’t want to know.” I went to go take a shower.

Now two years later my sister has to go to the canyon as part of a field trip at school. “Bianca doesn’t it sound fun that Sofia gets to go again to the Ruffin Canyon, I think we should all go again too.” My mom said as I flashed back on the experience two years ago. Yes it was a family adventure that I can laugh about now but I didn’t want to relive it. “Yeah, when you plan on going again, I’ll plan on being sick that day.” I smiled.