All the embarassing places we hung out as kids
Sorry Mom and Dad
As kids, we all had our parents drive us around to hang out with our friends. Looking back at my formative years in mall food courts and community parks, I am so glad I survived puberty.
I was lucky enough to grow up in the beautiful Naples, Florida. Naples has beautiful beaches and exciting retirement communities. It definitely was not a bustling city, but growing up I always had plenty to do. No matter where you grew up, we all had childhood hangouts where we listened to Panic! At the Disco and ate candy. Here were a few of my childhood hangouts accompanied by embarrassing photos of myself growing up… I already regret this.
The Mall… and Target
Well. don’t know why this happened
As the musically talented and fashionable Robin Sparkles sang: “Let’s go to the mall, today,” the mall was my natural habitat. Going to the mall (after begging my parents to give my $10 dollars to buy orange chicken from Panda Express) was the thing to do. Walking around with my crew and buying Harry Potter buttons and Jack Skellington t-shirts at Hot Topic was my jam. My friends and I also frequented Target and did embarrassing “photo shoots.”
Harry Potter book release parties
Go Ravenclaw!
Like any child, Harry Potter was my life. Harry Potter was a staple in my childhood. I am not ashamed to admit that I listened to “Wizard Wrock,” yeah, that’s a thing. I recommend Draco and the Malfoys. While the books were being released, I always had my parents bring me to Barnes and Noble to get the newest book in the series. You would be lying if you said your eleventh birthday wasn’t the saddest day of your life.
The park
Growing up in Naples, the park to go to at 10:00 at night was Passive Park. Passive Park was just a small fitness park with pull up bars and signs that told you to do ten pushups and touch your toes. As a kid, my friends and I would meet up and sit on a large hill (for South Florida) and look up at the sky. And obviously, talk about the meaning of life and where we fit into the universe.
The beach
Look at those metallic aviators. Totes fashionable.
Living in South Florida, I was lucky to live ten minutes from the beach. Nothing was better than drinking some Peace Tea (does anyone else remember this?) and get terribly burnt.
Oh don’t forget how to properly pose for a picture
Duck face and peace sign combo. I had all the friends.
Someone did it in almost every picture. YES WE WERE COOL IT’S FINE.