I grew up dreaming about Japan.

I guess thats not entirely accurate, as I

dreamt about more than just Japan. I dreamt about cultures, languages,
lands, castles, people of all shapes and sizes who I could befriend along my
adventure in the outside world. There wasnt much else I could do in my
small house, because when the electricity was shut off and the lights went
dark, it was up to me to entertain myself until my grandparents could find
the money to make the world light up again.
It was a responsibility I almost looked forward to. Because when everything
went dim and there was nothing but creaking floors and the wind brushing
branches against windows, it allowed my imagination to explore. Without the
TV to preoccupy myself, I saw my house with fresh eyes. The dining table
was a den housing dingoes in Australia, and if I wasnt careful, theyd hear
my footsteps. The running faucet was a leak in a Viking boat, and I was the
captain going down with my ship. But my favorite the one that helped me
forget that we had no electricity or food in the fridge was the dream that
someday, Id find a way to explore the world outside of my imagination, this
time not as a hunter or captain, but as myself. Just me.