Polaroid | jjk

Chapter 1

But why? It's summer break for God's sake. You wanted to take advantage of the sun and free time to spend some days with your hometown friends, yet your family had other plans.

"It'll be fun! Besides, your brother is coming home for the first time since starting college, it'll be a nice way to spend some more quality family time", your mom insists.

Your younger brother Leo had just started college abroad and your family kept reminding you how much his presence had been missed. So much so that they had decided to book a family trip on a European cruise which would take place during the month of July.

"I really don't feel like it mom, why don't we just go to a beach nearby?", you practically beg.

"We can do that some other time. I promise it will be fun, and if it isn't, the week will be over before you know it", she says, patting your head lovingly with a sorry smile.

"Wait, a whole week?!"

Although an all-inclusive cruise sounded appealing to you, you would be forced to be surrounded by strangers for a week while watching your family drink their weight in piña coladas. You were sure the free drinks were the reason your dad had agreed to pay so much money for this trip.

Either way, your opinion didn't matter much. The tickets had been bought and despite your whining and complaining, the trip was still happening. You only had a couple of days before the flight and before you knew it you'd be sailing away all the way to the ancient and mysterious towns of western Europe. One thing you were excited about though is the amazing views you would encounter on your trip. Photography has always been a huge part of your life, as reflected by the large photo wall of your friends and family on the wall next to your bed, but recently you have been enjoying Polaroid cameras. You had found your parents' old Fujifilm and cringed at their cheesy couple pictures from their honeymoon, yet the camera was still in working condition so you decided to take it and make it your own.

You felt like a brat complaining about what your friends described as 'the perfect summer vacation', yet you had already envisioned spending a relaxed week at home on the comfort of your couch. However, you knew that there was no way of avoiding the trip and you had to start getting your things ready if you at least wanted to look presentable on the cruise.

Packing was easy. Your suitcase consisted of the basics: some flowy tops, a couple of long skirts and shorts as well as some light dresses; typical summer attire. You added your toiletries, shoes, and accessories as well as the book you had been reading and your trusty camera. After decuple-checking that you hadn't forgotten about anything essential, you closed your suitcase with a sigh and mentally prepared yourself for what the family getaway would bring.

*******

Lo and behold, in the blink of an eye, you were setting foot on the European cruise. After hours of chaotic family traveling and banter, you had all made it in one piece to the ship. Your family's attention was mostly on your brother who was bombarded with millions of questions about his stay at the University of Seoul in South Korea. According to him, the city was astonishing, the people he met had been nothing but welcoming and the amount of delicious Korean street food he had devoured had caused him to gain a few pounds. Lucky for him, he had discovered a new-found love for the gym which is why after checking in and leaving his luggage in his room, he immediately headed to the fitness center on the cruise to check it out.

Your parents had decided to walk to the pool bars already wearing swimwear and layers of sunscreen, planning to enjoy the loud music and alcoholic beverages, setting the mood for what the week was going to look like. You on the other hand were mentally exhausted by the chaos it had been to get the four of you there on time. Your mom had stressed you out claiming to have lost her purse or phone about five times on the way there. You wouldn't bat an eye anymore since she usually finds what she thought she lost about a second after her frantic yells. In an attempt to de-stress you decided to walk around and explore the boat. Taking your camera with you, you investigated around and saw how enormous the cruise was. The possible activities you could do were endless and a week started to sound like a short amount of time, not enough to get to every amenity the boat had to offer.