Illustration of two girls with a Spiderman backpack, snacks, and a flashlight in a backyard.

When I was seven, my backyard felt like the whole world. It wasn’t big, just a patch of grass, a swing set, and an old oak tree but to me, it was a jungle, a pirate island, and a secret base all in one. One summer afternoon, my best friend Mia and I decided we were going on an expedition. We packed my old Spiderman backpack with essentials: peanut butter crackers, two juice boxes, a flashlight, and my dad’s compass that I wasn’t exactly allowed to borrow. We tied red bandanas around our heads See more