1.

When I was two years old, my mom and I traveled from our home in Phoenix, Arizona, to visit my dad’s family in the former Yugoslavia. We had a layover in Paris.

While there, my mom took me to the Palais Royale park in the city’s center.

While sitting on what felt like a colossal bench, I tucked one leg under me and let the other dangle over the edge. My mother walked away, leaving me with some bread to feed the pigeons. I felt alone but didn’t feel worried. Then, in my imagination, a blue screen framed with different funny symbols appeared with the word “mama” written in big letters in the center.

My mother captured this moment in a photo.

location:  Paris

year: 1976

____________________