I've never been to New York City. So I've never been to Times Square, caught a Broadway show, or soaked up the culture in the rich enclaves throughout the city. So I've never had friends or family who moved there so I can visit them in their den of culture. So what?
In fifth grade, my parents and I made a choice that might have prevented that trip to NYC in my youth. After completing fourth grade at Ridgeview, a Bloomington public school, we decided it would be best to enroll in a private school. Not that the public schools were deficient in any way, I just wanted to be in a smaller school for my education. Understood at that crossroads was that our vacations, especially my cherished visits to Florida to visit my grandparents, would be scaled back. It was true that from then through high school, these grander vacations faded from my life. I spent awesome summers playing baseball tournaments in and around the cities, camping in Canada, and visiting state parks all around the state. I loved it and would have it no other way.
My parents sacrificed a lot to put my sister and I through school, a sacrifice in which a very minor drawback was that we couldn't afford to take lavish vacations to Europe, the West Coast, or New York City. A very minor drawback compared to the experiences I had and the friends I made. A very minor drawback considering the education I got and where I am now. I'll go to New York City one day and I'm sure I'll enjoy it. I'll go knowing that the sacrifices my parents made when I was growing up and who still make today will make that visit all the sweeter.
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