Do any of you have a place you have been going to since you were a baby? Does it make you feel nostalgic, childlike, and fuzzy inside? Does it bring back all the memories from past years and make you excited for the years to come? This is what Marco Island is to me. I am fresh back from a trip here, back to reality. But there is something about this place that makes me feel. alive. Let me give you some background.

My grandparents have had this condo in Marco Island, Florida for, like, 30 years. I first visited when I was only a couple months old. My family has been going for vacation practically every year since then. I don't know what it is about the island, it is just an ordinary vacation spot, but its warmth and familiarity always make it feel like home. It is a place to escape, a place to make memories and forget about all of the things at home. A special place, to make memories.

This year's trip, in particular, was especially fun, not just because we also went to Disney World and got to ride the new Avatar Flight of Passage ride, which we waited two hours in line for, but because I felt more grown up, more happy, and was able to enjoy myself and the time with my family. Sure, the trip wasn't completely free from fights, boredom, or frustration, but it was still fun. My brother and I aren't kids anymore, although we fight like kids, but we are now able to better appreciate the Island for all its beauty, as well as the downtime with the fam.

I remember past years, during the awkward teen years, feeling uncomfortable in my own skin, which took a toll on my ability to have fun. But, looking back I have made some of my best memories there, good and bad. My fascination and connection to the ocean, comes from these yearly trips, and that is something that will stay with me forever, even though, I have really bad motion sickness and can't stand to be on boats. But it will always be the same, the beauty of the island and the memories that will stay there forever.

So, to anyone who has a place like this, whether it be three miles down the road to your grandparents house or a thousand miles away in Scotland (somewhere I desperately want to go), appreciate it, cherish your time there, thing back on all the good, and bad, times you had there. Because, it is important to have a place to escape and it is important to come back to reality, but always remember the times you had, they will be the best parts of your life.

P.S.: A special thanks to my grandparents and parents for giving me the opportunity to go to places like this.