Growing up felt like living in a world that was always louder and brighter than I expected. I was small, but my dreams were bigger than the schoolyard and the cracked sidewalks I ran across every day. Back then, everything felt like an adventure—even the boring days were filled with secrets only a kid could understand.
I remember the way the sun used to hit my bedroom window in the morning, waking me up before I was ready. I'd groan, pull the blanket over my head, and pretend I could stay in that little cocoon forever. But as soon as I heard the sound of my family moving around, or smelled breakfast drifting through the house, I'd jump out of bed and start my day with a burst of energy only kids seem to have.