The clear turquoise water in Altai, part of our yearly discovery week trip at AAS in southern Siberia, was swooshing around our rafting boats like students on an early monday morning in the hallway. Our rafting boat was sliding over the water like a horse galloping up a steep hill. Our boat just came out of a powerful rapid and we were all hysterical after all the fun we had in them.  Soon after, the guides on our boat told us that the water was safe enough for us to jump in it. As soon as we heard that, the sound of the rapid waves turned into howling and guffawing. People were hopping from boat to boat full of energy, there were people hollering with excitement and people jumping into the wild water with even more wildness. 

As I stared at the people jumping into the water with their faces lit up and full of excitement, I saw someone sneaking up behind me, I swerved out of the way. I stepped out just in time before the figure was close enough to push me in. I realized it was my friend Giulia. I screamed to her to never push me in and she promised me that she would by no means ever push me into the water as long as I promised I wouldn’t throw her in either, but at that time I hadn’t come to the conclusion that friends don’t always keep their promises.

Suddenly she jumped on me and she started pushing me towards the water. I screamed in agony; I definitely did not want to enter that water under any circumstances. It was freezing cold and I was too afraid to hit the rocks underneath the surface. I realized that there was no going back though and that I was not going to survive this without letting her win. The only way was for me to pull her in with me. Then out of nowhere my foot slipped forward while trying to defend myself against her. As I was so close to the edge of the rafting boat, I knew in that moment that I would be the only one to enter the raw and cold water that felt like a fresh spoon of minty cold ice cream that slowly slithers down your throat and freezes your insides and gives you a shivering headache.

When my friend, Giulia, pushed me in I was in shock, I could not believe that any friend of mine could ever betray me like that, the cold air took me over like a cold blanket. As I saw the roaring water nearing my face, I felt the cold water splashing like icicles hammering onto my skin, I knew in that moment that this would not end very well. The dazzling aquamarine water gulped me in and for a blissful second I luxuriated in the coolness of the water, but then I felt my toes and fingers going numb from the frosty cold water. As I got pulled out my body shivered from the wintry cold water, and I realized this wasn’t going to be my last time in the water. I knew that I would get my revenge.

When I was out of the water and my numb fingers were finally defrosting, I realized that Giulia had to be launched into the water just like I was. I was preparing myself to throw her in, I ran up to her and to my surprise I caught her off-guard, I didn’t take that moment of bewilderment for granted. In a swoop of a second Giulia fell face first into the water. When she flipped into the water I stared in disbelief, she was reaching toward the boat with both her hands, I tried to pull her out but I wasn’t strong enough. Her hand were freezing cold, as cold as an arctic breeze. I pulled and pulled trying to get her out but I just could not seem to get her out of the majestic waves.

I yelled for help. People were crowding around trying to haul her out.. The pulling and wrenching felt like it was going on for centuries, finally when we got her out the water was pouring out of the pipes of her trousers and jacket. She was so cold you could see her breath turn into frosty vapor. Immediately upon getting out of the river, she looked bitter and mad, but I knew that wouldn’t last long. I knew that she would enjoy the water eventually, just like I did.

At the end of this experience I learnt that instead of regretting the things you haven’t done, cherish the things you have. By this I mean that being pushed in the water was something that I won’t forget and in the long run it was actually a lot of fun.