After waiting an entire year to visit our family, during the summer of 2020, our trip to Pakistan was canceled. We hadn't spent a summer in the US since 2014. We were all disappointed and confused as to what to do. After doing some research, my dad arranged to rent an RV and visit Yellowstone National Park. It was my first time visiting a national park. This experience would transform my relationship with nature. Yellowstone was absolutely beautiful, and it was like nothing I had ever seen before. Magnificent mountains, colorful canyons, and astringent geysers bursting with valor that I could all observe for hours. There were bison, bears, beavers, birds. Seeing these animals in their native habitat was exhilarating and unforgettable. My trip to Yellowstone taught me to relish life and the life of everything around me. At the end of the day, nature brings peace and happiness to my life.

From a young age, my mom has taken my sister and me to the library. Since then, I have developed a love for reading. When asked what my favorite book is, I often share the title of the current book I am reading. After careful consideration, I have selected I Was Their American Dream by Malaka Gharib as my favorite book, an autobiographical memoir of Gharib's life. Gharib describes her experience as a first-generation Filipino-Egyptian daughter, straddling between her parent's divorce. She uses hilarious illustrations like the microaggressions bingo and social customs checklist. Gharib shows us that there is more to an individual than their race. Illustrating that identity is more than how one is labeled. Identity is built from beliefs, values, music, and experiences. In many depictions of first-generation teens, the main character is often flat and struggles with the redundant struggle of balancing their home and school life, ending with an unconventional rebellion. Storylines like this, oversimplify the complexities of being a first-generation American. The complexities of wanting to believe you are like everyone else, learning that your parents still love you even though they might be different, and feeling disconnected from culture. This book inspired me to take a new approach to my identity and understand that I am a unique version of myself. Gharib covers the ups and downs of being a first-generation daughter through a realistic and relatable lens. I Was Their American Dream is my favorite book because it shared a meaningful life lesson about balancing individuality and culture.