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My Favorite Places...

        This is a hard one for me. I had to rack my brain for a while in order to actually come up with one concrete answer. What is my favorite place? And more importantly: why is it my favorite place? My whole life has been marked by one thing: change. We never stayed in one place for too long. Always roamed like nomads from city to city, state to state. So for me, I learned to never become fully attached to places or sometimes even people. Don't get me wrong. I, unlike most children, loved moving. I loved experiencing different places, different people, different cultures. So my heart never necessarily ached for the simplicity that comes with a life in the same place. I loved the nomadic life as did my parents and siblings. But every once in a while in every place I lived I would allow myself to find My Place. Yes, it's capitalized. Yes, I have decided in my mind that My Places are actual proper nouns that deserve actual capitalization. So here it goes. A breakdown of My Places in some of the cities and states I have lived in my life.

Number 1:
                                          (image by Alex Gandel)

First and foremost is Sequoia Park in Simi Valley, California. It's only right that I include this special Place first as this park contains by earliest memories. Believe it or not, I distinctly remember my 2nd birthday at this park. The slides and swings and huge Bear in the Big Blue House cake. My best friend, Kai and I, colored rocks with sharpies and dug for "rolly pollies". Those were the days. Something simpler. Something easier. A Place that only holds positive memories.

Number 2:
(https://travelexperta.com/2014/03/medieval-times-orlando-photo-adventure.html)

I'll just say this and then leave it alone. If you've never been to Medieval Times...GO! And let yourself enjoy it. Have fun. Don't hold back. Gobble down the half a chicken and scream until you lose your voice. This Place is pure joy. Pure happiness. Pure excitement. Go all out. Just do it. 

Number 3:
(http://castlehills.com/news/explore-castle-hills-lakes-and-ponds)

This Place...My Place holds a lot of heartbreak. A lot of pain and grief and mourning. It holds a lot of tears. Life wasn't easy. In fact, it was very hard. Almost impossible at times. But this lake...this place...My Place served as a doctor of sorts. It healed me when actual doctors couldn't. It gave me just enough relief to be strong enough to make it through the night. And I'm thankful for it. Forever grateful. My Place. 


Comments

  1. What a powerful list of places, Lauryn: memories, happiness, healing. Everything has its place! Wonderful! Maybe you will want to do a medieval-inspired story project for this place and recapture that joy!

    Quick note about Blogger links: it's good to use actual link text instead of the raw URL; just type the text, highlight, click link button, and then paste in the URL. That way you get a clickable text of your choice:
    M. K. Villatoro: Medieval Times Orlando

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