A nostalgic journey through dreamlike memories, where personal moments and vivid natural settings blend to showcase the emotional resonance of past experiences.
Through trial and error, here are the final pictures generated to represent my forgotten memories. Some memories were generated multiple times because it was not getting close to what I had remembered in my head, however, many came close to it...
Our first house in which I vaguely remember white furniture, white carpet, and white walls. Generated 4 versions.
We moved when I was 2years old from Beaverton, OR. to Vancouver, WA. I remember checking the backyard with my parents and running around the wooden deck and seeing how long the grass was and how it contrasted with the wooden fence. Generated only 1 version.
As I grew, I remember playing with my Barbies and Monster High Dolls on my gray carpet in our room with light purple and light green walls. Even though my sister and I (we're 3years apart) shared the room, I would kick her out to play with my dolls by myself, oops. Generated only 1 version.
I'll never forget Cruzie, our adorable guinea pig and first "real" pet. However, I vaguely remember how I used to place him on my piano with a lil cloth as I practiced everyday. He would always lay down and even purr when he was most comfortable. One time he did pee on my piano though... Generated only 1 version.
My sister and I were obsessed with Cruzie and we would both play with him in my room (we later got our own rooms). I would mostly bring him to my room to play and I even made for him a lil cave under my bed since he liked going to small and dark places. His lil mancave had towels so he wouldn't pee on the carpet and a lil bell on the wooden part of the bed so I would know when he would go in. Generated only 1 version.
We took a trip with Lala (our "grandma") to go to her friend's house in the woods where I remember the air being crisp and heavily surrounded by the smell of wet dirt. The house was beautiful and modern with stepping stones leading to the lake below, there were plants and greenery everywhere, and her house had a covered walkway that led to a smaller part of the house where we played pingpong. Generated 6 versions.
I remember attending some sort of party at an apartment complex where the buidlings surround a small backyard space and it was either a baby shower or a kid's birthday party. It had just rained and the smell of the soil was emphasized. When I recall this memory, I am reminded of the stepping stones that I would jump on and the flower bushes where I was playing with the wet mud. Generated 5 versions.
Lala and her family have a lakehouse where they used to invite us over for the 4th of July. Down below, there was a expansive lake that looked towards Mt. St. Helens. I recall a big, big tree stopm (the photo is underexaggerating its size) that had long roots that were big enough to swim under and around. We would jump from its stump and into the water, and it felt like a water playground. Generated only 1 version.
Back in my k-8 school everyone had Computer Lab as a class. When I was in kindergarten to 2nd grade we would mostly play computer games and before entering the classroom, our teacher had us put on hand sanitizer. I can still remember how the vibes were whenever we had that class in the mornings mixed with the smell of the disenfectant. Generated 4 versions.
Right next to our school, was another family friend, Darylene, who was like another Grandma figure to my sister and I, and when it was hot, we would walk to her house after school and hang out with her. She would spoil us with food, candy, and icecream and she had a beautiful backyard with a swimming pool, a fountain, and white statues. I can still vaguely remember the taste of the DrumStick icecream and putting my feet in the cold water. Generated 7 versions.
When my family and I would travel to see family in Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico, my sister and I would sometimes walk down the street to the corner store to get some fresh, warm tortillas for breakfast for that day. It was so peaceful and I remember how amazing the tortillas smelled. Generated 3 versions with the help of a Google map image of my family's neighborhood.
Before we had the space we have today, our dance group used to practice in a bar in Downtown Vancouver. And even though it was empty when we would practice, my mom thought it was sketchy but it was the only thing there was at that moment (until we found other places). I remember taking breaks on the chairs and playing with my blue stretchy putty that I kept safe in a silver case shaped like a fist while watching other dancers practice their dances. Generated 4 versions.
When my mom found another place to practice in, we immedieatly moved there. This time it was at a Lutheran Church on Fourth Plain that had cream walls and cream wooden flooring. It had tall brown banisters (?) all around, long and tall windows and a mini stage on the right and an exit door in the center. Before entering this space, there was a stairway with ugly orange carpeting that had thorns or something when you would sit down and led to a window that was super dusty and filthy and a door that was always locked. The stairs also led down to a big and dark basement that stored toys and other things making it creepy and interesting to us as kids. Generated 4 versions.
Even though I count these memories as almost forgotten, this project allowed me to re-remember tiny details and smells, even triggering other memories that I thought I forgotten.
All these memories in some little or big way represent the version of myself that I am today. And I hope to continue to preserve them through this medium so that they can live with me forever.