People tend to gloat about the wonderful places they have visited and the fabulous cites they have seen. I, on the other hand, have the privilege of boasting about the exotic venues in which I have fallen asleep. This has become a part of me; a part over which I have completely lost control. Whether I wish to or not, sleep often overpowers me.

When I was young, Bernadette was the woman who cut my hair. She had medium length, caramel colored hair that was always perfectly coiffed. Most people view a haircut as a time of relaxation and an excuse to rest while reading a magazine. Conversely, for me a haircut tested my directional skills and determined whether or not I was going to make it in the big world. She was always spitting directions at me: “chin down,” “chin up,” “tilt head left,” “tilt head right,” “sit straight.” It would be big trouble if this seven year old didn’t know her left from her right. I would be destined for failure. Bernadette quickly muttered, “chin down,” one of the directions I was fairly good at. As I looked down, my eyes began to close from the exhaustion of my haircut. Within 30 seconds, I had nodded off. “Pick up…. pick up… pick up,” I heard faintly, getting increasing louder each time. I quickly picked up my chin as I saw my mom and Bernadette laughing at me and my 5 minute nap. But…my hair did look really nice.

For my 10th birthday, my grandparents took me into New York City to see the famous play, The Lion King. I was overjoyed. I had seen the movie countless times and it was, by far, my favorite. My grandma bought me a pack of sour patch candy and chocolate to eat as I watched. It was a special occasion. I knew this was going to be an experience I would remember for years to come. As we took our seats, the lights began to dim. I practically knew the production verbatim. Rafiki, the monkey, began the opening scene by holding Simba in the air for the whole kingdom to see while the song, The Circle of Life, was not only heard, but also observed through the generations of animals. The emotion in both the act of presenting Simba and the music gave me the chills and I was positive I did not want to be anywhere else at that instant. For years afterwards I swore I had just blinked but, before I knew it, Nala and Simba were rekindling their love in the forest after years of being separated. I had slept through 90 percent of the show. The worst part was that I had to put up the pretense that I enjoyed a production I had barely seen! I was correct about that day. It was an experience I would never forget; however, it turned out to be for a different reason than I had anticipated.

I was 13 years old when I visited Paris, one of the most renown cites in the world. It was my first time and I was counting down the days to witness the striking structure that I had only seen in photographs. When we arrived at The Eiffel Tower, I was in awe. The lights glistened in the pitch black of the night and I took in the moment, knowing that I would not be seeing it again for a while. We waited on line to board the elevator, which would take us up to the top and allow us to look over the astounding city of Paris. I was not even experiencing fatigue; however, as soon as we entered the elevator, my head fell against the side and I dozed off into a deep sleep. My mother was flabbergasted by my instant ability to fall asleep. She woke me up one minute later as we reached the top of the tower. My family laughed about this for weeks. But how many people do you know who can honestly say, “I fell asleep in the Eiffel tower?”

Despite sleep’s tendency to catch me at unexpected times, I have learned to accept it as an inevitable part of my life. The places I have dozed in continue to amaze me. These venues have become a part of me, making me unique from others. I guess it is just the universe’s way of saying, “It’s exhausting to be me!”