Exercise (pg. 110) Mapping Home

Map of my hometown Ramsey, NJ

This map has a lot of locations that have made up my childhood and that have become a part of who I am today. I have lived in Ramsey, NJ since I was two, and prior to that I lived in New York. The "A" on the map is the center of Ramsey, where town is located, with a variety of restaurants, shops, and services. I have been attending that movie theatre every since I could remember. In elementary school, the most common type of birthday party there was was renting out the very tiny movie theatre and having your entire class in the theatre for a movie. The next important location on this map is Finch Park, towards the top of the map. Not only has Finch been the location of all of my childhood soccer games, from age 6 to 11, but was the number one hangout spot from 5th-7th grade. I attended summer camp and numerous birthday parties there. I would go to watch football and baseball games for many years, and my mom used to take me there to play on the enormous wooden castles when I was young. These places are easy to explain once I am able to visually see them on a map.

Looking at this map and trying to associate all the places that have made up my childhood is strange on account of I drive by all of these places at least once a day at home. When I see them I don't thinking about all of the things I just explained above, I just drive by without thought. When you are forced to explain something, it creates a stronger connection with that certain location or event, and it creates a stronger memory. Now when I go home for Thanksgiving break, I will remember writing this and that will trigger my brain to reminisce on all the great childhood memories I have from these special places in Ramsey.