You weren't my first home, and you weren't supposed to be my home for so long, but you were the first that I truly remember. For the past fourteen years of my life, you have been my home.
By the time this article is published, my family and I will have said goodbye; our dream has finally come true. Despite how happy I am that we are finally moving, I don't think this change has really hit me yet. The last time we moved, I was too young to remember it. My parents brought me to a new house and I woke up there the next day. This time, major renovations were necessary and I was returning to college. Compared to when I was little, I actually understand the concept of moving, and it has impacted me more.
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After the weekend, I will never return to my childhood home. That sounds dramatic, but it is true. From Kindergarten through my entire freshman year of college, 'The Shoebox' was my home.
For new readers, or those who just discovered this article, my dad called our house a 'shoebox' since the day we moved into it. My dad inherited his family's farm, so he was used to having immense amounts of property. We went from having acres and acres of greenhouses to having a shared garage in a condominium. So, because of where we came from, the condo we moved into was deemed as 'The Shoebox.' It stuck.
Despite its small size, 'The Shoebox' had some unique qualities, one being the shared garage. While my dad may have seen it as somewhat of a curse (he eventually ended up not minding it), for me, it was a blessing. I was five years old when we moved in. The little boy next door was three. He was my childhood best friend, my brother I never had. When his little sister was born, I considered her to be my little sister as well. They were, and still are, two of my forever friends. Honestly, they are my family (I actually wrote about my relationship with them as my debut article).
We constantly played together when we were young, running around the driveway (usually irritating our elderly neighbors, who grew to love us), climbing the trees in their front yard by the pond, or performing concerts on the electrical box that sat in their front yard - two of the other little quirks that came with 'The Shoebox.' Who knew an electrical box could double as a stage, a house, safety during tag, or the main entrance to Hogwarts?
Living in 'The Shoebox,' along with pairing three imaginative minds, taught me that you can make everything out of nothing. Most of my memories surrounding 'The Shoebox' all focus on its quirks.
Our condo was within thirty seconds walking distance of a playground and the pool. My mom would watch me from the window or our patio if I wanted to go on the swings. One day, I went up to swing and met a girl and her dad. We instantly became friends. I found out she lived diagonally from me, one driveway down. We would have sleepovers and talk about how we wanted to build underground tunnels so we could travel to each others' houses. When we got older, we would lay on my patio or go to the park and discuss life. It was honestly amazing what the patio or the swings could make you think of past midnight.
Once I got older, I met some other kids that lived in driveways farther down the development. We kind of formed a posse and it was an absolute blast. We rode the bus together to school and always walked back to our houses together. At night, we would walk around our development, just talking. Sometimes as a joke, we would stand in the middle of the street and pull out an 'invisible rope' to mess with drivers. It was obvious there was nothing there, but we had a decent group of people stop. We found a way to make everything adventurous. 'The Shoebox' was small, but it was always full of adventure.
I could talk about 'The Shoebox' quirks for days, but I will end with one: the tree.
All of my dance recitals, homecoming, prom, graduation, my first day at my new job, Mother's Day and Father's Day, my birthday, literally any day of importance or recognition...
...there is a picture in front of the tree. It truly wasn't a special tree, my mom just thought it was pretty. I guess you could say it is equivalent to taking pictures on your front porch every year on your first day of school. For me, it was always with the tree.
'The Shoebox' adventure is coming to an end. Out of all of my childhood friends, besides one, I am the last to leave, and since the others left, the dynamic of the entire development (and driveway) has completely changed. It is time.
So, to 'The Shoebox,'
I thank you for introducing me to my childhood best friends. Thank you for showing me that no matter how small or unwanted something may be, there is a way to make it your own. Lastly, I thank you for all of the memories and adventures. I hope the new families and kids in the development discover and enjoy your little quirks just as much as I did.
You will always be a part of me and you will forever hold a place in my heart.
