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Murky clouds hung over the Eastern shore of Nova Scotia. Fishermans Cove was quiet. The surround sound of Atlantic waves off in the distance spoke the untamed language of the ocean. Two of my friends wanted to take me to a haunted and deserted area called “McNabs Island.” My heart began to race thinking about chasing after the paranormal, but don’t we all have that sense of curiosity every now and then? What might really be out there? This was our chance to confront the idea of ghosts. It’s now or never. We handed “Captain Red Beard” enough cash to take us to the island. The three of us stepped on to his small boat. Our trust went into the hands of this man who told us what time to meet him at the shore at dusk. I held my backpack close and squeezed the side of the boat as we sailed across the water. There was no turning back. Arriving on the island, the trees were looming over our entrance into the unknown. With a deep breath in my lungs I stepped forward with confident feet that lead us to ruins and remains of aged buildings. A graveyard with black pitchfork fences brought my heart into my stomach. I started to feel sick from the heavy thoughts of death. The unknown may sound exciting to discover, yet I was feeling unsure. As we progressed across the island, my camera set on video mode lead us down the path. We didn’t know what to expect and I anticipated that we would feel some sort of spiritual presence soon. Every step forward felt heavier as if my feet were falling into quicksand. We decided to split up to cover more land in a shorter period of time. I went off the trail to enter the thick, mysterious forest. I noticed something strange in the distance. I uncovered a small house without a roof and inside the four walls, everything was caved into the ground. There was a certain beauty that bloomed from this hollow structure. I couldn’t figure out why. It wasn’t spine-chilling or creepy. It didn’t make me jump out of my skin as if I saw a ghost. It made me feel as ease. I felt a sense of peace on the middle of an island completely secluded from the city. I felt like I was in a different world. Pieces of furniture were still here with photographs and house hold objects. Submerging myself into the broken space that someone once called home showed me that these were pieces of valuable memories that were left behind. I was immersed into someone’s life. I imagined many different situations that could have occurred here, but my interpretation could only take me so far. As I stood mesmerized by destruction, I felt a reflection of my own life before me. Leaving something so significant behind displays courage and bravery, but the souls who carry these memories are even stronger. This taught me that I must carry my own passions and dreams in my own hands, that I am responsible for my own future. Moving forward and leaving things behind is a part of life. It's scary and sometimes sad, but change is necessary. As I reunited with my friends, we ran across the island together at dusk. The waves crashed against the shore as we jumped back in Captain Red Beard’s boat. On the way home I realized that there truly is beauty among the chaos of life. This lead me to believe that I didn’t really come here to find ghosts or paranormal activity. That’s no longer what I should be searching for. This was all about finding the fire in my soul, to find my own spirit that leads me through the dark forest of my life. Unapologetically, truthful and authentic — as myself.