Colors swirled before my eyes as if I had been put into a sort of psychedelic trance. No, I wasn't under the influence of drugs, but with the amount of drumming penetrating through my ears, it almost felt as if I was. I told my mom that I didn’t want to come to the “gathering” that her university was holding, but after she said she would be getting a discount for bringing family, I knew that there was no point in arguing. After a drive through the expansive desert landscape of New Mexico, I saw our car pull up to what was the biggest stadium that I had ever seen in my 8 years of life. The parking lot was packed with people, some even resorting to the lawn for space. As I opened the car door, my nose was suddenly attacked with delicious smells of roasted corn, stewed chile, and fry bread coming from the multitude of food trucks surrounding me. We followed the masses of people through the entrance to find circles of people wearing extravagant feathered costumes dancing to the beat of drums and the rhythm of chanting. If I were to experience one thing for the rest of my life it would have been that PowWow. Fast forward about 4 years, I'm living in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Known for its beaches, redundancy, and military bases. Starting sixth grade, I remember always having to explain why I even lived in VB. Yes, I’ve lived in 4 other states. No,...
