She stares at the ground, not believing the amazing location underneath her feet. She looks up at the sky waiting for someone to awake her, to bring her back to the reality of her limited life. After years of not knowing, never leaving the impossible threshold of Ohio finally, she’s here. The girl has escaped to not just anywhere, but the one place she knew could truly give her freedom.
As she looks around, the girl realizes she’s not the only one experiencing this incredible feeling. She recognizes the amazement and curiosity in the eyes of others. A smile creeps across her face as she steps onto the boat. She finds a seat near the front and slowly sinks into a daydream of the day that has occurred, still not accepting the events as reality.
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The boat whistles as the girl’s mind drifts back to this morning. “Hotdog! Do you want a hotdog,” the man yells as she steps off the bus. Sixteen hours spent in a chair and numerous bus stations up the east coast. Her legs are cramped and she has a fog over her eyes from the lack of sleep caused from curiosity of the unknown along her travels. The girl attempts to look around at all of the buildings, but quickly gets pushed by a crowd from behind. She struggles to keep her balance and eventually allows the people to move her along. The girl has no idea where she is heading, but knows it will fulfill part of her desire to explore the world once she arrives.
The air is full of a plethora of smells; perfume, candles, and food. Each smell unique and somewhat intriguing. How could so many different things exist in one place? As the crowd starts to thin out the girl sees something so marvelous she runs into the building. It’s an indoor Ferris wheel. The toy shop in this alternate world is not only huge; it is everything a child could ever imagine. The girl rides the ferris-wheel multiple times before finally deciding to explore the rest of the city. Upon leaving the toy store, she is no longer shocked by the hugeness of this city, but rather excited to visit each and every place in it.
The girl runs from building to building, taking pictures by everything. She gets lost in the excitement of the options available. Large billboards, buildings that seem to reach the stars and more people than the girl has ever seen all located in one place. The girl left the city she’d occupied her whole life and arrived on a different planet. There are so many people in this new location that streets are used as sidewalks and police use horses instead of cars. Every corner is filled with vendors, tourists, excitement, and energy. This place is definitely not familiar to the girl, but is everything she imagined.
She walks down a dark tunnel into a subway. The girl sits in a seat and impatiently awaits her stop. She taps her feet excitedly on the ground, wanting more than ever to arrive at her desired destination. Finally the subway stops. The girl gets off and shuffles up the stairs to the world beyond. She enters a park, full of diversity. All of these individuals gathering for the same reason. She buys a ticket and takes her place at the end of the long line. After numerous hours, the girl finally arrives at the front. She stares at the ground one last time before boarding.
“All aboard! Next stop, The Statue of Liberty!”
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I had the chance to experience Denmark during the Christmas season, and it’s something I’ll always hold close to my heart. Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen felt like stepping into a storybook. The way the entire park was dressed in soft, glowing lights, handmade decorations, and the comforting scent of mulled wine in the air made every moment feel special.
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Of course, this beach town has lots more to offer but if you are willing to walk the lanes and dig a little bit, the history of the first Blacks and how much they contributed to protecting the colony is fascinating.
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