Some people love the rain. In literature it symbolizes a cleansing, a washing away of the past to make way for some new future, some change in the lives of the characters or plot of the story.
I hate the rain so I think about that when I am forced to deal with it. It's just that I love the sun so much that when it's hidden by dark clouds and gloomy wetness soaking me from head to toe I can't help but feel just a little depressed.
We went to Peterhof on the morning of Saturday the 16th. Peterhof is home to a beautiful palace and huge garden with numerous fountains of varying shape and size scattered throughout. On a nice day one could spend hours wandering the grounds, jumping through some of the fountains and admiring the architecture and style of the others.
I wandered for a while in the rain, taking pictures of the various fountains and statues. I saw a path up a hill and climbed up to see what was on the other side. There was a parking lot. I frowned and walked back down the hill. The entire thing was a slippery muddy mess. I tried to go down slowly to stay steady but there's only so much you can do when you're wearing tennis shoes in inches of mud on an incline. I slipped and slide down. Literally just fall back on my butt and slid about ten feet down, covering the back of my shorts, my backpack, even my camera with the stuff. I sat in my filth for a minute and laughed.
Sometimes a little terribleness is all you need to feel better. I stood up and looked up at the sky. The clouds were breaking. I rejoined the group that was shocked to see me so dirty but glad I was in better spirits.
In the Peterhoff there is a statue of a man with boots. You are supposed to try to throw coins into the openings in the back of boots while making a wish. If it lands inside the wish will supposedly come true.
I tried for about ten minutes, always wishing for the same thing ("Less ways to wish for and more ways to work toward."- Metric). I could not land anything. My friend told me to try a different angle. I did and it got up there! However, I didn't think of my wish when I threw it because I was too busy focusing on getting it. So it was like I was wishing to get it in and my wish came true. C'est la vie.
The day started out dark and gloomy and unlucky but the night was sunny and beautiful. The night is always a second chance. Don't waste it.
-Alexander Barrio
