A cool summer sea breeze with a pungent salty smell brushes past my face as I run bare-footed through the dark red island dirt with an enormous carefree smile on my face. There has never been a time in my life when I feel more content and secure than at my cottage in Souris, Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada. Throughout my life, I have lived in seven different houses, from New England to California, and attended three different high schools in three years. But the one home that has remained a part of me for more than fourteen years is the little, single-story grey cottage surrounded by a bright green lawn, pink and purple flowers, and a breathtaking Atlantic Ocean view. In addition to all of its beauty, what makes this place so special to me are the memories which have cemented lifelong friendships and bonded our family together through cherished time together.
No matter where my family has lived in my lifetime, the haul to Souris, PEI was always a long one. But that time in the car or on the plane has always been worth the sacrifices for me and my family. As a young boy, I could not wait to get out of the car, dispose of my shoes for a couple of weeks, and run free. It did not take long before my sisters and I knew our neighborhood like the back of our hands. After a few years of owning our cottage, my family befriended our neighbors, the Sherwoods, who had kids the ages of my sister, Paige, and I. We rekindled those friendships every summer, and kept in touch through the long winters, excitedly planning our reunion for the following summer. Our relationship with them epitomizes the holistic values that this special place provides for me.
From playing family games, to having neighborhood parties, to catching fish in the neighborhood pond, there was never enough time in one day to do everything that we loved. What makes this place so special though is not just the activities that we enjoy, but those who we savor them with, and the quality family time that is shared.
