I remember lying on the red shaggy carpet floors of my childhood house in Pennsylvania with my feet facing the AC vent, cooling my tendrils while looking out of the window behind me. Seeing and feeling the warmth of the sun peek through the wind-blown leaves of the tree, the foliage moving slowly, then swiftly across my face. Amidst the sounds of my grandma singing Cai Luong (Vietnamese bluegrass), my mom cooking some Vietnamese goodness with mouth-watering aromas filling the house, or my relatives catching up and gossiping about recent happenings. This memory, one so simple, holds so much significance to me and infiltrates my mind every summer. Nothing profound happens, but it's the feelings this memory holds-- of peace, carefreeness, togetherness, and happiness-- where the significance lies.
Every summer I aspire to have a moment where I can experience all those feelings and sensations once again. To be in a serene environment with family or friends, without a care in the world. But being an "adult" with responsibilities, I've discovered that it's a lot more difficult to achieve a moment like this in the present.
Sometimes when I tap into this memory, a flux of other memories flow through my mind. So this red shaggy, air-conditioned memory is like a cap to a jar of happy memories, one that I know will continue to be filled with other moments of laughter, love, and happiness.
I'm quite a nostalgic person, and although I know it's not healthy to dwell too much, sometimes it's nice to take a look back at all the amazing memories you've created for your life thus far and let them inspire you to create ones just as memorable.
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Dress: Genuine People | Shoes: Ego | Earring: Sorelle
Photography by Linda Chow
Edited by Trace Otsuka