Mars

“Five, four, three, two . . .” in my final seconds of being on Earth, I reflect on how lucky I am. I was one of the four teenagers that were chosen from a drawing to accompany the scientists that would be the first people to live on Mars, and being thirteen, I was the youngest person on the ship.

“ONE!” As the crowd shouts the final number, the ship jolts upward and in a few minutes all I can see out the window is stars. When I found out I would be going to Mars, I went crazy with research, skipping homework to Google fun facts about the Milky Way. But it did nothing to prepare me for the incredible view out my window.

There are stars for as far as I can see, thousands of millions of them, all twinkling a d sparkling. Eventually, I doze off and sleep for the rest of the day.

The next few months consist of mainly rereading the books I brought along and eating canned food.

One day, the pilot’s voice crackles over the loudspeaker. “Attention! Coming in for a landing! All passengers fasten seatbelts immediately!”

I strap my seatbelt and close my eyes as our ship plummets toward the rocky red surface of Mars.

Bump. I open my eyes. We’ve landed safely. Yes! I unbuckle and run to the door, where the scientists are already pouring out. When I exit and look around me, the spaceship is an island on the vast red sea, with the black starry sky above.

I love Earth, with trees and lakes, but I will always like Mars more. It’s a whole new world to be discovered, and I just can’t wait to do so.