every summer, and once a year we would visit my abuelita (grandma) and abuelo (grandpa) in San Antonio, Texas. My mom and dad come from very different backgrounds, but one thing they definitely have in common is their love for travel. The first big trip we took together was to Paris when I was in fourth grade. (As a side note, my dad absolutely invented the selfie when we were on this trip). I learned so much on this trip! Specifically, just how much things can go wrong when you travel. When we were flying home, the plane had to stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan to refuel, but it got delayed because of bad weather. We waited on the plane for over three hours and I cried a lot while my parents totally kept their cool. They showed me that when you’re faced with problems while traveling, all you have to do is stay relaxed and figure out a way to solve the problem ahead of you. After learning that we couldn’t fly home to Chicago, my dad somehow booked one of the last rental cars in Grand Rapids and we drove home.
Our family trips were always so much fun, and even if something went wrong my parents could always fix it or find a new way to look at the situation. I remember thinking my parents were the coolest people on the planet. My dad was hilarious and my mom was smart with really cool clothes. When I got to middle school, however, I started to think my parents were less cool. I started to worry more about what other kids thought about me and wanted to fit in as much as possible. In high school, some people teased me for liking school or working hard in my classes, and I remember feeling some shame about my love for reading.
