My younger years were spent in a town called Miami Shores, Florida. Miami Shores was the perfect place to grow up. It had the feeling of being a small town, but in a big city. My father, from a small town in New York, loved living there because the small town atmosphere is not common when living in Miami. There were always lots of fun things for the kids to do. One of my favorite things to do as a kid was to go play at Miami Shores as a kid. It was a small park at the back of the sports fields. There was a play area with sand, a swing, monkey bars and little planes and cars on a spring which were very fun to ride. My mom and dad would take me to toddler play on the weekends and I loved playing there with my big brother. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Growing up, I used to go watch my brother while he played baseball and football on the sports fields. There were many children I played with on the grassy fields. I always loved getting treats from the snack bar. It was always very exciting to be able to choose an ice cream, chips or candy before going back to play. Sometimes we even went to the playground where I played with my friends Katie Indorf and Lucy Wenger. A few blocks down the street was the sports center. I also participated in several activities there. I took gymnastics classes and watched my brother play basketball on the adjacent courts. One of my favorite activities was when I attended an American Girl summer camp at the Athletic Center. We did all sorts of things with our dolls. We built them a little store with craft materials, sewed them clothes and even had a sleepover with our dolls. It was so much fun! My family and I also loved eating at Miami Shores Country Club. It felt like we were going back in time when we walked in there. I don't think they've changed much since the 1970s. We often sat by the windows overlooking the golf course green and had lunch or early dinner there. Sometimes there was even a singer who entertained us while we ate. I really loved the chicken fingers and fries. We also loved eating at Mama Jennie's, a local Italian restaurant that has been open in Miami Shores for many, many years, and having dessert at Mooie's, the local ice cream parlor. Every Sunday, my parents, my brother and I went to mass. in our Sainte Rose de Lima parish. Even though my brother and I didn't like getting up early, we still liked going to church at nine in the morning because we could buy donuts and juice after church. We were also able to play with our neighborhood friends in the church yard on those mornings. It was always a great reward for our good behavior during mass. In addition to all the local places we loved to go, there were always plenty of seasonal events we loved to attend. The Carnival of Saint Rose of Lima was part of it, as was Unity Day. These were two fun events with lots of rides, games and delicious food. My favorite day to attend local events was Easter Sunday. That morning my family and I went to church and after mass we walked across the parking lot to my brother's elementary school and participated in the egg hunt. We also received candy from the Easter Bunny. Once that was over, we headed to the sports fields to watch the famous Miami Shores Marshmallow Drop...