Anita Li, 17
Chinese-American
Maryland
After my summer program gave me an assignment to write a personal narrative with the prompt: "If I could eat 1 food for the rest of my life...", I instantly thought of all of the amazing food I had during my summers spent in China. But after a little more thinking, I realized that what made these memories truly endearing was that it gave me a pathway to bond with my dad. He grew up in Beijing, so these spontaneous food experiences have created a common bond that has given me a way to connect with him. This story documents "The First of Many" of my happy memories not only enjoying local Beijing cuisine, but going on fun food adventures with my dad.