Where I’m From

A photo of a dirt road not unlike my childhood home’s driveway. This was a walk to and from the road my brothers and I took every morning and afternoon to and from the bus. The road was surrounded by trees and life, giving me an opportunity to talk with my brothers while decompressing after a long day at school enveloped in wilderness. I came to look forward to this walk every day for how peaceful it was, even in the winter.

A photo depicting the view similar to what we could see in a clearing in the forest a two minute walk from our house. Even on nights before school, my family would stay up well past sunset to make the small walk to this clearing where we would sit/lay together and stargaze. My parents bought me a telescope for this, greatly influencing my love for the quiet, rural night where no light pollution existed.

Close to the clearing from above, there was a hill that would get covered in snow during the winter, creating the perfect conditions for building forts and sledding. We would drag several sleds on ropes out to this hill with our dogs and endlessly run up and slide down the hill. At the base of the hill, there was a tree stump set right in the middle. It became a game between my brothers and me to sled down and avoid hitting that stump (with varying degrees of success). This may have contributed to my enjoyment of high-octane activities.