<p>It was the hot, sticky summer of 1993. The heat took its inevitable toll on me as my vision blurred, beads of sweat rolled down my forehead with frenzied rage, and I began to feel excruciatingly nauseous. I continued straddling with great reluctance through the hapless journey through the murky, festering, and dust sheltered streets of Stockholm, Sweden, no doubt thinking keenly and maybe even hallucinating, which would have been surprising in the face of the sweltering heat, of a nice cold strawberry ice-cream cone, my favourite food at the time. Although having lived for only four short years in this world, at the time, I felt like my life had already spanned decades, centuries, and even millennia. </p>
<p>The winding streets, which were cloistered by very baroque or classical European styled, and artistically gilded buildings, restaurants, and houses eventually came to an eventual halt much to my relief. I can breathe again was my first thought. My second thought was to find a nice cozy restaurant to satisfy my appetite, which could be compared to a bottomless pit. However, my parents did not lead me to any restaurants; instead I was met with a sight that could not be more different. I was at a dock. It was not the first time I had seen a sea, or a peninsula, or an ocean even for that matter. Yet, something about that dock entranced and beguiled every part of my conscious existence. It was the Stockholm Archipelago and it was one of the wondrous sights I had ever set eyes on.</p>
<p>The water sparkled as the afternoon sun reflected on its glittering surface. Beyond the dock, I sighted water beetles kicking their legs frantically, their wings iridescent from the suns rays. The waves rose and fell gracefully as if with a predetermined rhythm, giving way to the gentle breeze. The waterfront was alive. It was filled with boats, ferries and even yachts of all sizes. I remember laughing as I watched a few people, no doubt girls, screaming as they sped across the water on their sailboats. I also saw what appeared to be specks of islands dotting the water. As I continued to gaze down the horizon where the water and the crisp blue cloudless sky seemed to become one, I was filled with a sense of wondrous amazement, and most of all uncanny curiosity. I immediately knew what I had to do. I had to go on one of the tourist boats and sail towards that horizon.</p>
<p>My parents were uncommonly quick to agree to fulfill my request without the necessity of the usual tantrums. I felt a rush of adrenalin as I stepped on board the dust imprinted dirty floor of the boat, I forget its name. I looked eagerly out the window and felt that clean, sweet air again. I was ready to have the experience of a lifetime as I imagined the wonder of seeing beautiful nature, rich wildlife, and the excitement of crossing fjords, channels and straits. In fact, I was sure that what I was about to see something that was going to be better than the Seven Wonders of the World. After all, I had thought, the Seven Wonders were but giant cavities in the ground, triangular blocks of sand, stone pillars in a circle that reflect the moon or something, and a great big oddly shaped rock. In addition, I was certain it was going to better than even landing on the moon and summitting. After all, what was the moon but vast emptiness with not even a speck of extraterrestrial life, and what was Everest but a mountain of frozen wasteland? </p>
<p>Nothing could have prepared me for what happened next. No, the trip was not horrible and a colossal waste of money, nor was it so fantastical it seemed like Utopia. The truth was I never got to explore the Archipelago, because I fell asleep in less than ten minutes after boarding the boat. I only woke up after the two hour tour was finished. At the time, the disappointment level was low, but today it is at a dangerous degree. It was not that the occurrence on the boat had not happened before. In fact, I should not have been surprised, as I had avoided the sea, the main attraction, in Spain, closed my eyes during a tour of the castle in Denmark where Hamlet was shot, and yawned while in the West Minster Cathedral in the past. Yet that incident in the boat is the most traumatic incident for me today because I had been so exited to explore the Archipelago and wasted that invaluable chance. In some ways, it was the first time I had felt disappointment although not much of it. It has made me so hate the ignorance, and stupidity which had infested me back then that I sometimes wonder whether Im even rid of it today. Actually I know the answer to that question, it is still in me. I know because I did nothing but complain about how ugly Banff National Park was, and how plain and conventional I thought the West Edmonton Mall was. However, I have learned from all this am ready to change. I am fully aware of my goals in life and am definitely not going to waste opportunities in life anymore. One of my main goals is to be as optimistic as possible, to see the chance in every opportunity, not the difficulties, and to always appreciate what I have.</p>
<p>This isn't anything official, but please rate it. is this sort of what Harvard is looking for?</p>