I stared at the clock mounted above the classroom blackboard. Time seems to have slowed down during the last half hour of the school year. I turned around to see my classmates. The mundane droning of Mr. Snorous has effectively put my friends into a deep slumber. Many had their books propped up in front of them as they hid behind the pages to catch forty winks.Looking at the time indicator again, I let out a sigh as I saw the minute hand just moved 6 degrees clockwise, signifying that one minute has just passed. Letting my head fall onto the desktop with a small thud, I inwardly groaned as I recalled our class’s theory that 10 agonizing minutes in ‘The World’s Most Boring Teacher’ ‘s class is equivalent to ten slow moving days. The hypothesis is proven once again true. I closed my eyes and recalled one of my fondest memories that I have experienced in my younger days.

 “Umma! Appa! Where are we going?” I remember my 5 year old self asking as I saw both of my parents putting away some bags in the boot of the family car. My father, who was twelve years younger back then, smiled and hoisted me up in his arms. I gave a shout of laughter when I suddenly felt weightless because of Appa’s actions.

“We are going camping with two of Appa’s friends. They have a son with the same age as you. Is that okay?” appa explained to me, pecking my cheek at the end of his sentence.

 I nodded my head like a bobble head doll, excited at the prospect of going off for a holiday and meeting a new friend. Ten minutes later, I looked back and waved the house goodbye as the car started its 5 hour journey to the countryside. I dozed off after sitting quietly at the back for quite some time while watching my mother talking to my father.

I was awoken by a kiss on top of my head and Umma’s voice calling my name. Rubbing sleep from my eyes, I got down from the car and my small feet landed on an emerald carpet of lush grass where an astounding view awaited me. I blinked my eyes, not believing what they were showing me.

I found myself standing in a beautiful meadow filled with all sorts of flora. Flowers of all colours, shapes and species imaginable bloomed in patches all over the place. Trees from all ages stood strong and offered a large amount of cool alluring shades at the edges of the field. I could hear the sound of running water that came from a small waterfall as a constant stream of clean unpolluted water cascaded down into a small pool. A gentle breeze always blew, carrying along the aromatic scents of Mother Nature. I looked up at the azure blue sky with a bright ball of light hanging over our heads and white fluffy clouds that shaded us from the full glare of the Sun.

 I explored a bit under the watchful eye of Umma as Appa set to work to put up a tent. Halfway through doing simple chores to help Umma to unpack for our 3 days, 2 nights camping vacation, another car showed up and parked right beside next to our car. Out came a man, a women and a boy looking no older than me from the black Honda Insight. Both of Umma and Appa stopped their work and went up to greet the newcomers. I was introduced to Mr. and Mrs. Son, Appa’s friends who were joining us for the camping trip. The boy and I quickly became friends and got along as if we knew each other for years.

There were never a dull second during the entire short but sweet outing as there were so many things to do in the great outdoors. We hunted for edible nuts, fruit and mushrooms to add into our meals as both pairs of parents imparted some knowledge about nature to the younger generation. Our male elders would go fishing and the river connecting to the pool always ensured us a fresh and bountiful supply of fish to be made into grilled or fried seafood. The six of us would bathe in the pool and have a splashing good time. My friend and I would pick large bouquet of flowers for our mothers and they would make them into circlets for the four of us.

Mealtimes, for me, were the best moments during the whole excursion. Cooking over the campfire, the two ladies would magically produce sumptuous servings of food from the ingredients available around us and the foodstuff that they brought from home. It was just heavenly to wake up to the smell and sounds of frying eggs, sausages and bacon sizzling in a pan over a wood fire first thing in the morning. Various dishes like soups, stews, rice and noodles would be served for lunch, dinner and supper. Snacks would consist of nuts, biscuits and fruits. We were so well fed and well watered during the trip that Umma complained that she actually gained some weight!  Our day would start at the crack of dawn and end with us lying down on the grass, gazing at the countless stars in the inky black night skies for a good hour or two before heading back into the tents to get some sleep.

I remembered how sad I was when the holiday came to an end. In a short matter of time, I have grown very much attached to the remarkable place and I knew I would miss it terribly. I bade good bye to my new found friend and to the place which have given me the reason to love the environment with all my heart.

I jerked up when a loud ringing ended my daydreams. Shouts of happiness followed suit and I realised that I was still in the classroom with my classmates rushing out to enjoy their three months of freedom which is also known as the school holidays. Mr. Snorous was nowhere to be seen and in a blink of an eye, I was one of the last two people in class. I began packing up my things into my bag as the other person who was still in class approached me.

“Are you ready to go home?” He spoke up and I turned to him, smiling and gave a nod. His lips curved a smile in return and we walked out of the class together. I was not only happy at the fact that the school year was over. In two days time, I would be returning to the place that has given me the most treasured childhood memories and a lifelong friend who is walking beside me now.

“I can’t wait to go back to our meadow, can you oppa?” I asked Dongwoon oppa witha smile.