I think the theme of this story is independence. It talks about both the good and the bad parts of it. Up until the very last page she talks about how much she loves traveling in solidarity, but by the end she ends up wanting the comfort of a companion. One example of language that stuck out to me was when the author said, "...the saucer-sized snapping turtles that rise like moving globs of algae near out paddles." This creative description of the turtles gives the reader a clear view of what she was seeing. Another sentence that struck me was "Outdoors where silence is one of the great pleasures, my own voice irritates me; silence is guaranteed only if I travel alone." I liked this sentence because I can relate to it. I have also had these feelings when being outdoors with others.