5. The Water Dragon 🐉

Estimated Reading Time: 3.5 minutes

“But it is one thing to read about dragons and another to meet them.”
― Ursula K. Le Guin

Growing up, dragons were not welcomed when it came to cartoons or television. There was a show I used to watch, Dragon Tales, it would come on after school. With a catchy theme song (like most kids show from the early 2000s) and colorful characters, I was just as entertained as any other child. However, my mother did not approve; for the simple fact that two children “made a wish with all their heart to fly with dragons in a land apart.” To me, I didn’t see anything wrong with it. They were saying exactly what Steve from Blue’s Clues was saying, just a slight twist. A Christian household would not allow anything that would even resemble the devil, which I understand. From then on into adulthood, I avoided anything that I had to do with dragons. (Except for Shrek, that movie gets a pass.)

Now, you see the picture above you? That’s right. It’s a dragon; showing its teeth and everything. When I travel, I naturally have an open mind. Why be closed minded to a place you’ve never been before? Might as well stay in the States if I’m going to do that! The next stop on the list for our China adventure was going to West Lake in Hangzhou. I was not excepting such a serene experience. In the spring, there are a lot more people visiting the site, and it’s not as rainy as it was when my boyfriend and I went. Of course, the rain didn’t stop us! The rain created a blanket of fog over the lake that gave a calm and soothing feeling. Probably a feeling that not many people could appreciate, mainly since it was practically empty there. Tightly gripping the umbrella, I became emotional. Not in a crying way but because soon, I would have to return home. The moment of sadness was quickly gone once I saw the dragon.

There was an open space that we walked to and saw beautiful boats (more like ships) were patiently waiting for their chance to sail. Next to those boats was a majestic dragon boat docked in the fog. Fun fact about me: When I see something, my eyes are set on it. In a frantic voice, I said to my boyfriend, in these exact words, “Babe! The camera! Get the camera, get the camera!” In his own cute way, he became “frantic,” which he never does because he’s always calm. He noticed that I saw something and once I took the picture, what you see above was the result. Panic can be pretty.

As soon as I took the picture, not too much longer after that, the boat started to drift away. My eyes became fixated on it, and I followed it for as long as I could. All my life I was “afraid” of something that I had no knowledge about. To sums things up, here’s a thought for you for your journal time:

What’s something that has been in there your entire life but you were afraid to approach it, learn about it, or face it because of upbringings? Why were told not to go near [insert topic here]? Would you approach it now? Are you still uncomfortable? Just a tip: Learn about your unknown and subconscious “fears.” You’ll be surprised what comes from it and how you’ll grow once you separate yourself from uncredible feelings.

Lesson 5/10: “Being comfortable with being uncomfortable, be easy about feeling queasy, and sit in your unsettledness.” -Lilly S. ✨