Every kid dreams of visiting an exciting and exotic, yet foreign, place in their childhood. They want it to be a vacation spot with no rules, no parents, and definitely no school. When it’s time to return home, they complain and say that they want to go back. Whether the children visit Florida, California, or even Europe, they all say the same thing – “I want to live here!” But how many of them can say that they could see themselves aging there, having a family, or having a job? I know of one person – me.
This past spring break of 2012, my uncle flew me from Michigan to Seattle. He owns a very successful business over there called Dante’s Inferno Dogs, so he could afford the ticket. The plane ride from Detroit to Chicago, and then from Chicago to Seattle was a huge step for me in my journey towards independence. I had to fly a total of five hours all by myself, without a chaperone, and this was the very first time that I had been on a plane. However, the airports and flights were half of the experience. The bustle of the people trying to make their flights on time, the food, and the constant alertness of the people listening for when the announcer calls for boarding passes were some characteristics that made the airport seem so appealing to me.
Later, after I had deplaned in Washington, I met up with my aunt and uncle near the baggage claim. I was purely ecstatic when I reached them. After the usual agenda of hugs and kisses, we drove around Tacoma, which was where the airport was located. Then we went to my uncle’s condominium and they helped me unpack and get settled in. In the beginning, I was quite nervous. My uncle left Michigan in the year 1988, and I was born in 1996. So when I went to Seattle, I barely knew him. Thankfully, my aunt (his sister), was there and I knew her very well. She was my comfort object.
Throughout the course of the eight day trip, I saw and did many things that were completely outlandish to me. I saw the Space Needle, bought souvenirs while shopping, tried dozens of new foods, worked for my uncle, saw movies, and even took a road trip to Yakima! As for food, I tried sushi for the first time. To my surprise, it was actually quite good! Also, I had more coffee than I have ever had in my life. One day, I had five coffees. But what can someone expect? It is the coffee capital of the world! Additionally, I made many new friends. Some of their names were Jason, Diane, Matt, and Samantha. They were very welcoming, and they took time out of their days to show me around the city. This meant more to me than I think they realized. However, they aren’t the only nice people. In Seattle, even the homeless are nice! It is a comfortable and non-judgmental place. There was one time when a homeless man asked my aunt and I for money, and we said “No, sorry.” But afterwards, he said “Okay, thank you for your time.” I turned to my aunt and said “That is a good person.” Later, when I returned home, I decided that when I turned eighteen, I was moving to Seattle to live out my life. The connection I feel to Seattle cannot be explained, but my hope is that everyone on Earth will, at some point in their lives, experience what I feel.
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