Cosmos of Kate

I was born and raised in a small, rural town in southern Oregon (greatest state in the entire US of A). Sometimes being born and raised in this type of setting can make a person sheltered, unable, and at times unwilling to explore and experience what the rest of the world has to offer. Luckily for me, I have an aunt, uncle and two cousins living in South Africa (SA).

You might be wondering how it came to be that I have family in SA, but that is another story entirely, and not mine to tell. Let’s just say I have someone who is really bad at facial recognition to thank for it. My story starts when my aunt made the very bold decision to bring my two cousins to the good ol’ US of A on an every four year (give or take) cadence, for a whole month during the summer.

I have relatively vague memories with my cousins from our younger years, but as we grew older each time they visited, we became closer and closer, and the time I was lucky enough to spend with them as we grew up was an absolute treasure and highlight of my life.

I can say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the person I am today is largely thanks to my cousins’ influence over the years, and I feel like the luckiest person alive to have been allowed that time with them. Now, when I say the person I am today is largely thanks to them, it’s not simply because of their amazing personalities or how well we got along in our younger years, it is because of all they had to teach me, even likely without knowing it.

Growing up in a small, rural town has some drawbacks (in my opinion) in terms of exposure to things outside of it. Every time my cousins would visit, it was as though an entire WORLD was being opened up and laid at my feet, tempting me to explore its diverseness. My SA family didn’t just visit us, you see… they traveled the world. They would come with stories of experiences from all across the continents (or so it seemed to me), of cultures, foods and people so utterly unlike myself. I was in awe, and ate up every tidbit of information they could feed me about this world I didn’t know and hadn’t yet been exposed to.

It was these moments, these visits with my aunt and cousins, that opened my mind to the beauty of diversity and how much one’s life can be enriched by seeing and experiencing things outside of the bubble many of us find ourselves in. I began seeking out information about other parts of the world, becoming interested in other cultures and exploring the differences in their people, values, beliefs, religions, geography, and best of all… food.

When I was turning 24, I had the extremely exciting opportunity to visit one of my SA cousins who happened to be living in Paris on an art scholarship for several months. I traveled first to London, staying for two days and exploring the city, getting my bearings in the first non-North America country I had visited, and then took the train under the English Channel to Paris to meet my cousin. I had no idea what I was in for.

Paris is a city that had never been on my radar as somewhere I would choose to visit in my lifetime. Hearing so much about how amazing it was made me feel as though it was overhyped and wouldn’t live up to all the amazing things people had to say about it. I was so wrong. That city was the epitome of beauty. The cobblestone streets, historic architecture, stunning gardens and parks, and vibrant inhabitants made Paris absolutely SPARKLE in my eyes. Not to mention… THE FOOD!!!

I recently had someone ask if I could travel back to any place I had previously visited solely to eat the food again, where would it be. Hands down, Paris. The baguettes, the cheese, the croissants, the dishes unique to France, and ALL THE DESSERTS! I was in heaven. The day I took the train to Versailles, I subsisted on a plain baguette for the entire day and had no desire for anything else, because there was nothing “plain” about it.

The various Parisian landmarks also very much lived up to their hype. Notre Dame and Sacré-Cœur were two of my favorite well-known landmarks, but my most cherished experience of the entire trip was to Père Lachaise cemetery. I have always been fascinated and strangely calmed by cemeteries, but the history and beauty of this one is completely unmatched. I walked and sat for hours, taking photographs, journaling and admiring the beauty of my surroundings, perfectly content among the very quiet inhabitants.

While the city itself was awe-inspiring enough, my lodging arrangements made the trip all the better. The dormitory in which my cousin was living, consisted of a dorm for each country it provided scholarships to. This meant every person staying in the building was from a different part of the world, and they all came together in this one place to make art. Being surrounded by so many people from different parts of the world, speaking different languages, holding different values, having different ideas, was a dream come true. I was finally getting to experience a plethora of diversity in one place, within a country that was not my own, with my cousin who had taught me so much about the world as I was growing up. Everything about that trip was absolute perfection (including the weather!).

When I returned from my trip, I made it a personal goal to seek out people (and food) from different countries, cultures and backgrounds within my own environment. I have always loved and admired my country, my home, for being a place that welcomed such people, including my own ancestors who immigrated from Ireland in the early 20th century. Not only has it been welcoming of others, but it has been a place that others seek out to start a better life for themselves. It’s not lost on me how privileged I am to have been born a multi-generational citizen of the US, and I likely take it for granted far more often that I realize.

I now have multiple important people in my life who immigrated here in search of more for themselves, all of whom have become citizens in recent years. We are all in search of the best possible life we can make for ourselves, in what we feel is the best possible environment from which to do that. I love my home dearly, and on the eve of its “birthday” I want to give a shoutout to all tribes that inhabited and cared for this land it before it was colonized, those who did colonize it and fought for our freedom, those who drafted the constitution and continued to fight for our freedom, those who immigrated here over the years, making it a vibrant and interesting refuge, those who have assisted in the evolution of this country, and everyone who currently inhabits this beautiful, diverse land we all call home.

As a proud American, I will work to help continue the evolutionary process of this country, always moving forward toward a better future, and fight for the values and people I believe make my home worth fighting for.