Michelle Zhang Housing History

I don't actually remember living here. When I asked my parents where I first lived when I was a child, they told me it was somewhere in Elmhurst. I have no recollection of this as I only lived there for about six months, from age 0 to 0.5. 

My family and I used to go grocery shopping at a supermarket here, but that was when I was a lot older. 

This is the place I first remember living. It is my grandparent's house, located in a small farming neighborhood. Although small, it was quite lively occasionally. I remember watching a traditional Chinese play, put on by the people from the local neighborhood, visiting the supermarkets with a ton of different foods and the small snack store on the corner. The people in the neighborhood were also really friendly with each other. This past winter break, I went back here to visit my grandfather. I noticed that in the neighborhood, there was only a bunch of old people left; there weren't many middle aged people or adolescents around. 

The house was not as I remembered it, it was a lot more beaten and broken down looking than how I remembered it from my childhood. However, it was nostalgic to return to my childhood home. 

 This is the place where I've lived nearly my whole life. My parents bought the place in 1999 as they were concerned about raising two children. The neighborhood was rather boring as a child since I didn't have any friends who lived near me. I went to school in Manhattan, left the house early to go to school and came home late. I didn't make any close friends in the neighborhood. I was friends for a short while with the girl who lived across the street from me, but I haven't seen her in a couple of years. 

My parents like this place, as do I, as it is located within walking distance of the subway and bus. However, with my parents getting older, they've been talking about moving to a single family home further in Queens. The thought of moving would have made me excited two years ago, but now I am hesitant as so much history is in this one building. 

When my best friend and I used to go to the same school, her dad was living in Vermont. Since it was towards the second half of the year, we spent many holidays, such as Thanksgiving, up there. 

It was also somewhere here where I went snowboarding for the first and last time of my life. It took me about two hours to get down the bunny slope. My best friend's mother even sent snow patrol up to look for me. I saw the patrol mobile, but I was headed down the mountain at the time. 

Vermont runs at a different pace than New York City and experiencing the difference in pace was relaxing.

I thought I was being sent here on vacation, I was actually sent here to help my cousin out with his store. Needless to say, I spent the entire two months I was there helping my cousin move stock, sell, clean and pretty much anything that needed to be done. I learned a lot that summer, especially about the hard work that is needed to earn money if you don't speak English fluently. 

Something good did come out of the trip though. At the end of the summer, my cousin took my sister and I to Disneyland. It was enjoyable, but I think the magic loses its hype when the first time you go to Disneyland is at the age of 15.