A fallen tree serves as the perfect seat, and I watch the living beauty unfold around me. Ripples form in water from hundreds of dragonflies, and the silhouettes of tadpoles swim around my feet. An unbroken spider web, delicate like hand sewn lace, lies behind me. Sheets of rock under the surface provide home for moss and snails. This place is nature’s treasure, and I’m honored to share it.

A secret tucked away, my treasure is a hidden bend in a river. What feels like an endless forest protects my sanctuary, but in truth, it’s only a park in the suburbs. But this place is so off the path that when it had been shown to me, I fell in love.

On our first date, he led me through this forest. I with silent feet, like a rabbit, and him with loud feet, like a bear. He kept looking back, making sure I was still around. He pointed out places that held memories, and I saw his childhood. Unlike mine--full of cement, cracked sidewalks and overgrown grass--his was filled with mud, leaves, and rivers.

I had never thought that Hartland, a place that held many horrible memories, could hide something this beautiful as well. This was the happiest I had been in a long time; I felt like a child. It showed me that there is beauty to be found in this world, if only I look. That is why this secret river bend is my treasure of Waukesha County.