Photo by Cecilia Kegler
I was about 8 years old when my sisters and I were coming back from a friend’s birthday party when my mom drove us past this old victorian house on Lake Cherokee. I remember my mom pointing to it and telling us that one day we’d live there and that it was her and dad’s dream house. On that day, there had happened to be a for sale sign put up and so a short while later, we visited this big house. The twins and I ran around, claiming rooms as our own even though we were just looking. Little did we know that we’d soon buy and move into it. You know, I didn’t even want to live there at first, and I was so upset that no one had even asked me what I wanted. We just came home from school one day and my dad had a bottle of wine and yelled surprise! Holding up a pair of keys. But I didn’t want to leave our quaint little house I’d always lived in. I didn’t wanna go to a new school or have to make new friends. But I am so glad that I did. I can’t picture my life growing up in another house other than 614. So much has happened there. I had my first kiss there, guy and girl. I had all of my birthdays, Christmas’s, Thanksgivings, Summers, sleepovers, and just everything there. We used to have movie nights in the huge front yard where my dad would set up a blow up screen and make us popcorn. We had huge Halloween parties where everyone would come and dress up and hang out. We’ve had most of our huge family thanksgivings there because it was the only house that could fit us all into one room. It’s where I’d have my little campfires and “parties” in middle and high school. It’s where we’d take dance pictures. It’s where I got into college, where I got into photography, where I started making videos. The point is I’ve made so many key memories there and I’m hoping many others have as well. I’m going to miss 614 being “the Kegler’s.” Goodbye, you will always be my home.
Kindergarten 