Get in the car! We are going to be late! My plane left in an hour and I still haven’t finished packing. I threw some hoodies into my suitcase and zipped it up, while simultaneously brushing my teeth. I was going to the eastern Amazon rainforest to study animals and conduct research on diminishing populations of species in the habitat. This was an opportunity of a lifetime, but I still felt a little sad leaving behind my bedroom that I would not see again for a long time. I ran out the door to where my mom was waiting in the car. The drive to the airport was silent, filled with small interactions between my mom and I, with the hanging dread of my soon to be absence hanging over our heads. I said my goodbyes and quickly boarded the plane as I was one of the last passengers. The journey was a blur, and soon enough I was checked into a hotel on the eastern side of Brazil. The weather was humid and overcast and I decided to explore the town to get used to where I was going to be living for the next month. I passed tourist shops, local restaurants, and other small businesses aimed to capture the attention of people visiting the area. One shop in particular looked different  from the rest and I entered the weathered yellow building at the end of the street. The dusty shop was filled with trinkets, and one in particular caught my eye. An emerald green pendant stood out between all the other jewelry in the store. I purchased it and put it in my bag, knowing I would hang it somewhere in my room. I got dinner, and headed back to my room, tired from my long day of traveling. I put the pendant next to my bookshelf and blew the dust off the shiny jewel and noticed a tiny piece of paper sticking out of it. I unrolled the parchment and discovered a map showing the exact location of my hotel and a long path through the jungle with a large red X at the end. I stared at the paper in disbelief, this had to be a joke I thought to myself. I opened my laptop trying to research the validity of the map but found no results matching the description of the path it led to. There was only one thing left to do, and that was to follow the map. I called up my friend Ella, who I knew lived locally in the area and described the situation. I hadn’t seen her in years, and she was doubtful at first, but eventually gave in and decided to participate in my journey. We decided to start hiking in the morning, and after one more examination of the map I turned my lamp off and fell asleep. The early morning sunrise woke me up with the cool breeze of the jungle floating through my window. Ella and I set out with large backpacks and the tiny map with the coordinates in my hand, leading us forward. I was really interested in what we would find at the end of the three mile trail, secretly hoping it was some kind of valuable treasure. The jungle around us was beautiful: long, luscious green trees snaked upwards into the sky forming a canopy over our heads. We saw flowers in every color and the jungle floor was littered with leaves as big as dinner plates. Ella and I talked about anything and everything, and exchanged our previous high school memories. “The turnpike should be right up ahead,” I told Ella. 

“Look at this parrot! The wildlife is so beautiful.” Ella replied.

I was too busy trying to find out which direction the map wanted us to go next. “Hey! Check this out, you don’t want to miss this.” 

“I am trying to get us to the treasure,” I snapped back, annoyed. I couldn’t believe that Ella didn’t care more about what we were going to find at the end of the trail. Ella ripped the map out of my hands and before I could protest, she spun my head around and I was able to see the most beautiful colored parrot fly above our heads into the open air. Its wingspan extended multiple feet and it soared above us scanning the jungle floor. “Wow,” I said. I couldn’t believe I was about to miss the parrot flying above us. Ella handed me the map back and we continued the journey. While hiking we passed a small pond filled with colorful fish, frogs, and other creatures I had never seen before. The jungle was one of the most beautiful landscapes I had ever seen and I was taking in everything it had to offer. We finally reached the coordinate that matched the red X on the map, which was now starting to crumble beneath my palms from the humid jungle air. I looked around and peeking out from the edge of a cacao tree, there was the corner of a metal box. I reached down and grabbed the small object, feeling it in my hands. I was so excited to see what we had been searching for all of this time. I imagined large rubies, or gold coins. Ella pried the lid off to reveal a very dusty, but empty box. “I don’t understand, there is supposed to be treasure in here,” I said looking at Ella. 

“That’s too bad,” she replied. “At least we had a good time exploring the jungle,”

I shook my head and dropped the box to the ground. The entire journey back I wondered why the box didn’t contain some exquisite treasure. I thought back on all of the new creatures I saw today on the journey to find the box. I thought of the memories me and Ella made, and even thought of the new hiking boots I got to break in. I soon realized that the real treasure of the day was the adventure itself, and I couldn’t wait to spend the entire summer exploring the new place I was in, and all it had to offer.