TWO CANOES AND MILES OF WATER
I SAT DOWN at the side of the trail, wiping sweat from my brow. A mosquito buzzed near my ear, and I swatted it away. Another landed on my arm. I slapped it, leaving a smear of bug innards. I sighed. This was not how I had wanted to spend my summer.
Two months ago, my parents had sat my sister and me down and told us their plans for the summer. “We’ve booked a canoeing trip through the Boundary Waters of Minnesota,” Dad said, a gleam in his eye. He always got excited about summer vacation. My idea of a vacation amounted to books, video games, and air-conditioned rooms. Apparently, Dad’s consisted of sweat, water, and mosquitoes.
My sister and I looked at each other. “A what?” Hannah
