Nantucket

 This is the place I feel most at peace, I spent my summers here all of my family has as well and it is a major part of my childhood. I remember running down the stairs of our town house onto the cobblestone strays and the smell of sea water immediately filling my head, we'd run to the village bakery to get bagels and breakfast pastries; we knew the town like the back of our hands. Sitting on the doc with our feet and legs dangling stuffing our faces, as the sea breeze blew our hair all over the place. As we walked back we would stop at every single shop along the street like the black dog, cold noses, and a small trinket shop that was always my favorite. The signs that lined the streets filled with bright colors are still vivid in my memory and the thought of them brings a smile to my face. I still have a small sea shell box that I got and proudly showed to everyone and filled with more seashells  that I keep on my dresser. Everyday we'd go to the beach with the whole family everyone packing towels or food, scrambling around the house but so common that it just felt natural. The enormous rainbow umbrella and light blue beach towel was like home base, every hour or so we would have to check in then return to whatever game or adventure we were in. The rocky beaches covered with seagulls transformed into so many different settings and environments, it's where my imagination went wild. Our old town house is above all my favorite; if you were to approach it on the street it would look like any ordinary house but it is so much more. It cultivated so many precious memories, inside jokes between cousins and is a place I will forever cherish. Once you go through the front door you have to climb a flight of wooden stairs to the entrance of the living room that had the light floral couch, the wicker rocking chair, and the TV with the VCR; the kitchen was connected and it had a white marble island with stools that I was too short to sit at (hard to believe,right?), and the washer and dryer were in the closet towards the back right. Now the loft was the coolest spot in the entire house to get there you would have to climb up a ladder that was on the right side of the living room, and when you get up, you almost immediately fall in love with it, futon mattresses lighted the floor with body pillows everywhere and a TV/VCR mounted on the wall. After a long day at the beach every single member of my family would climb up and we'd watch a movie together; and in those moments I was surrounded by some in the most influential people in my life. 

Nine years ago this August my grand mother passed away, who was one of the most influential people in my childhood and in my mothers life and Nantucket was her absolute favorite place. It became painful for our family to return without her until last year, We returned to the house, and the beach, and the small trinket shop and I showed my sister all the things that I used to do, all the games I used to play and secret hiding spots that only a few people knew about, and she loves it just the same. Nantucket makes me happy and it is my safe place.