Silently Falling

A Map To Your Future

Authors Note:

Hey everyone, I am so excited to share another branded bonus chapter for our beloved characters from Silently Falling! In partnership with Intrepid Travel, in order to promote the #IntrepidTravel Writing Contest, I have written a brand new chapter for all of you! This time, West & Sunshine are experiencing life after college by booking a life changing trip with Intrepid Travel.

This story is particularly special to me, as I was able to craft their journey with inspiration from my own life. Which brings me to a little life update... I got engaged last month!

Read on and guess which real elements from my own proposal I incorporated into West & Raine's story!

I followed the Home Away From Home prompt, writing about just one of the incredible trips Intrepid Travel offers for their 18 to 35s groups! Join West & Raine as they journey through Bali, Indonesia together, told through West's POV as he has one more surprise for his Sunshine during this life-changing trip...

A Map To Your Future

West POV

"Ladies and gentlemen, we will be arriving in Ngurah Rai International Airport in twenty minutes. Weather is looking like 83 degrees Fahrenheit, mostly cloudy, and the local time is 9:25am. Welcome to Bali, everyone. We hope you enjoy your stay."

The pilot's crackly voice over the intercom startles me awake, and I take a moment to regain my senses and recognize where I am. As the sunlight shines through the lower half of the shade-pulled window, I remember that I'm on the final plane headed to Bali for a ten-day Intrepid experience with Raine.

Her head is resting delicately on my shoulder, and her steady, gentle breath warms my arm. She's slept nearly the entire final portion of our flight. We didn't get much sleep during our layover as our adrenaline kept us awake. The sight of her peacefully sleeping never fails to make me smile. After all that she's been through, to know she can rest whenever and wherever as long as she's with me warms my heart. I gently press my lips to her forehead and a quiet sigh passes her lips, and she nuzzles closer still deep in sleep.

It has been the two of us against the world for six years now. While I remained home and studied at community college, Raine and Alyse went to the University of Illinois together. I would have supported her no matter what school she ended up attending, but I would be lying if I said that I wasn't especially happy she chose U of I. I mapped out the drive the day she got in; twenty two minutes from her campus to my house. It could have been twenty two hours and I still would have found a way to make sure we could visit as often as possible.

Last month, she graduated with her Bachelor's Degree in Education at the damn near top of her class. With my graduation from community college having happened two years prior, we decided to have a joint celebration when she finished school. Over the last few years, she has expressed a huge interest in traveling the world. I think having her high school experience ripped away from her, which in turn left her still scarred enough to shy away from a portion of college life, has really shaped her desire to travel.

Fortunately, one of her classmates in her major introduced her to Intrepid Travel. She had a great experience when she traveled with them last summer, getting to explore Australia with a group of people similar in age. Even though she arrived to the tour solo, she ended up making lifetime bonds with some of the people in her group. That sparked something in Raine, and I would do anything she asked.