The Second Expedition
JOURNAL ENTRY #9
When I first set out on this expedition, there was an energy in the air. It was the sort of energy that you see when you notice the pine trees high above you swaying in the breeze. The sort that you smell as the fresh mountain air swirls about you. And the sort that you taste when you stop by a cold stream for the most refreshing and thirst quenching liquid that the earth provides.
Optimism was high and knowing that I was a little more familiar with the territory gave me the confidence to pause once in a while and take in the inspiring landscapes. Alas my self-assurance was short-lived.
As I ventured into the valleys – those that I had navigated once before – another, was making its journey from an overwatch that outmatched mine. A single threat, no bigger than a thumbnail was meandering through the sky and landed silently upon the nearby ground. It would soon be joined by reinforcements which would blanket the low places and force me onto higher ground.
As magical as it was to watch the deep greens about me being transformed into the purest of whites, the first snow for the year also challenged my ability to follow a once familiar path. Forced to walk the high banks of the steep and rocky dells, I must now rely on instinct rather than orientation.
Yet though the snow may have impeded my ability to move quickly, the slow pace I now find myself walking gives me plenty of time to write on the move. As such, if you are interested, allow me to tell you a little more about the story that has prompted this expedition.
The manuscript that I have taken with me on this journey is called Henry and the Hidden Treasure. It is a journey into the imagination of a young child as he seeks to protect his treasure from his little sister.
You see, Henry’s sister appears to be more than just a little curious about Henry’s treasure. In fact, Henry is convinced she is a secret ninja spy sent to steal it. Luckily, he has devised a cunning plan to hide and protect his treasure.
Henry works hard to conceal his treasure in a secret cave and then sets about to protect it with elaborate mazes, booby-traps, and even a ferocious, pink pig. Yet will his plan succeed? Lucy seems to be just as determined to make her way through every defence Henry has constructed.
As readers make their way through Henry’s defences, they will be exposed to ordinal numbers, and the creativity of Henry’s imagination. In addition to this, the story highlights the importance of listening to parental advice, understanding money and the role of financial institutions, getting along with your siblings, and perhaps most importantly – what the real treasure within a family really is.
I think it is a nice story with a happy ending. All going well, this slightly more difficult journey will have a happy ending as well.
Although I have only just begun the second expedition, I think I am already coming to realise something important: I don’t think any two expeditions will be the same. The literary landscape will constantly change and transform. Whether it be snow, storm, perils or problems, I must be prepared for anything. And although skill and knowledge will remain vital, instinct will also play a big part. Yet I don’t think this is something to fear. Indeed, though it will make each expedition that little more dangerous and that little more uncertain, it will also make it that little more exciting too.