I live in Illinois, a town called Mount Prospect with a population of about 55,000. I went to a high school that was a 20 minute drive from my house since I was on the border of two different residence lines. I live about 25 minutes from Chicago but I feel like I live there because of all the time I spend in the city. When I'm in the city, I feel at home and comfortable even though I'm in a huge city with larger than life buildings. I have created some of the best memories that I will never forget in the city of Chicago. Since I was in my mother's womb, I have been going to town to watch the “Festival of Lights” parade. We go there with my aunt, uncle and cousins ​​every year the weekend before Thanksgiving. My whole family and I are obsessed with Disney and Mickey lights up the city with his magic wand. I have been going to the parade for 19 years and I go every other year if I can. This is a tradition in my family that can hopefully be passed down for a while. Since the parade starts around 7 a.m., we get off early and head to State Street. Each holiday season, the Macy's on State Street features decorative windows that have a different theme each year. We also go to Macy's and look for Christmas/Hanukkah gifts for the upcoming holidays. During the summer, I tend to spend more time in town than in Mount Prospect. Whether it's going down in the evening with my friends to buy cheap tickets to the Cubs game or with my family to watch the fireworks at Navy Pier, we are always downtown. In July, I went to Chicago the day before I left for my two-week vacation in Florida to buy some last-minute clothes for the trip. When I came back the Blackhawks had won the Stanley Cup and they were in the middle of paper......things to do. My whole life we ​​watched the Bulls together and that was just our bond. I had the opportunity to buy two tickets from a friend for a Bulls/Knicks game. When I received the tickets, I didn't even hesitate who I was going to bring. My dad and I went to the Bulls game last December and it was one of the best nights of my life. They won and ended the Knicks' 14-game winning streak, but the best part was I was with my dad and he was with me. I will never forget this match and I love it very much. As the evidence clearly shows, some of my best memories I've made over my 19 years have been downtown. Whether I was with my family for a tradition we maintain, with my best friends creating memories, or even with my dad watching the Bulls play, I had the best time there. When people ask me where I'm from, I say Chicago without hesitation.