Jayden (St. Petersburg, Florida)

The beach is where my family comes alive. My parents bring stories of South Africa’s coastlines, comparing them to Florida’s sandy shores. They always laugh about the braais (barbecues) back home and how cricket matches would last all day. Now, we play our own mini-cricket games, using whatever we can find–driftwood for wickets, tennis balls for a substitute. Afterward, we head home to watch World Cup replays, my dad shouting at the screen like he’s still in Johannesburg. These moments remind me of where we’re from, even as we make new memories here.