I sit in the cold hard desk as words stumble out of the teacher’s mouth and I can’t help but look out the window and see the sun shining. The blue sky fills the distance and I don’t see a cloud anywhere. All I can think about is the sand between my toes and the freedom I will have.

You make a few turns out of 3900 Vincent Avenue and hop on the highway and in about 736 hours you will have arrived in Panama City Beach Florida. The destination for many spring breakers and senior trips, it has quickly become a hot spot for young travelers looking for a cheap getaway.

I will be traveling to this hot spot after graduation for my senior trip from June 5 to June 12 and that is all I can think about as the senior year quickly comes to an end.

Matt Peters, a senior here at Elder is also very hyped for this trip as well.

“I just want to be out in the ocean without a worry in the world and the bright sun in my face,” said Peters as he looked off into the distance dreaming about Panama and what it has to offer.

Since this is a vacation hot spot for the younger crowd you can guess that things may go wrong. This past week there was a shooting incident where seven people from the ages of 20-22 were shot. Nobody died but seven people were injured. They arrested one man and they did not know his motive. They found a .40 caliber gun and arrested him on seven counts of attempted murder.

The town had a meeting and they were thinking about banning any alcohol from the beaches but they decided against it. The law enforcement is going to be cracking down making this a better environment for travelers coming from all over to visit this beautiful place.

They say up to six million people visit Panama City Beach from February to March. The Panama City Beach City Council met and discussed what has been happening. They want to stop the bloodshed and they are lucky that seven people are not dead.

So when traveling to what seems like a very dangerous town watch out for what you are doing and always make good judgments. With the year coming to an end Panama is just on the horizon for many seniors getting ready to make the trek down to Florida for a week of fun.