The American flag--a piece of fabric blowing in the breeze--is more to me than just a symbol of the United States of America. The United States flag brings the faces of my family to mind: my mother, my father, my sister, and even my dog. It reminds me of Sunday night football and burgers, baseball games with my dad, and firework shows with my friends. When I look at the flag, I feel the tender embrace of my mother, the bitter cold of a Wisconsin winter, and the cooling waters of my grandmother’s pool in summer. In the flag, I see sun rise over the tall trees surrounding my house, the beautiful Florida sunset, and my puppy’s first steps. The flag symbolizes both the United States of America and my family and friends.

I want to travel the world when I grow up and teach English in foreign countries such as Japan, China, or South Korea. So when I see the flag, I am reminded of beginnings, and how lucky I was to be able to spend my childhood in America, with the freedom to be who I am and express myself. America afforded me days running barefoot through the park as a child, afternoons spent with friends on my trampoline, and late night s'mores with my cousins. Traveling will be scary and full of experiences and dangers I’m not prepared for, but I know when I’m out in the world, I will look upon my flag, and, with pride swelling in my chest, remember my home and all the great memories it has provided me with.