Morgan Wilder More

More Morgan Wilder

Sitting in the white sand, Amber angles her face up to the sun. Her freckled cheeks are warm and rosy with content. She never imagined she’d be here watching the waves lap at her feet. The small grey two-bedroom house she’d been renting was quaint and cozy. Plants on every table, candles that smelled like gardenia, polaroids strewn across her bedroom wall—it was hers. Even though she called it home, she yearned for a home she had yet to discover. Every night when she would lay in bed, her mind wandered to the places she yearned to explore. Yosemite Valley, the Grand Canyon, the Rockies, Grand Cayman, all stacked in her mind. Waking up to the peeking sun through her crisp white curtains, she wished for a new town outside her window with new adventure, but the mundane routine lay ahead. Today was the same as most days were: arrive at the diner, work the lunch rush, visit her grandma, then back to work for the late shift. She half-heartedly accepted this was her life. One rainy Sunday afternoon, she sat on Nona’s velvet emerald couch sipping tea. Her grandma rounded the corner with a plate full of homemade chocolate chip cookies, studying Amber’s expression. “Something is on your mind. I could tell from the moment you walked in,” said Nona as she sat the plate on the blanketed ottoman. “Did you ever want more? Not that your life is boring, but did you ever want more?” Amber asked. “Honey, I’ve had all the more I can handle in this life. I’ve seen more cities than I can count, met more people than I could remember, but they always led back here,” she recalled. Amber’s eyes grew wide as she listened. “I never knew you traveled all over, Nona. Tell me more!!” she pleaded. Nona shared her travels as a young woman and just how rewarding they were. From New Mexico to Greece, she’d learned more about life than she could fathom. “My words don’t do justice to the sunsets I’ve seen, but I will tell you this; don’t wait until ‘one day’. ‘One day’ will come and go faster than you think,” she remarked. “Live out your desires and don’t second guess yourself!” Later that night, Amber lay under the fluffy lavender blanket recounting Nona’s words. “Live out your desires and don’t second guess yourself!” she muttered to herself. Glancing over at her stickered laptop, she knew what she needed to do. Two hours later, she’d booked a flight for Thursday morning with no return date. She called Nona to share, unable to contain her excitement. They relished in the adventure that lay ahead. Four days later, Amber arrived in George Town. A smirked smile spread across her face as she took in the view of the vibrant blue ocean. Every picture she’d seen of Grand Cayman couldn’t compare to what was in front of her. Every beautiful new face, every breathtaking wave, every swaying tree was more than she could ever dream of. Taking in a grateful breath, she thought of Nona. “This is only the beginning,” she crooned.