My childlike wonder never disappeared, and my bones still buzz with curiosity. I want to know what’s in the Mariana Trench. I want to know what inhabits Neptune, if anything. I want to touch its surface with my hands.

One afternoon, after my shift at work, the earthy smell of rain on a hot day hit my nostrils, the sun shone in my eyes, and I looked up to see a rainbow arching in the sky. I hopped on my blocky, blue gas scooter and sped toward the end of it to finally see what was there. I figured I wouldn’t find a pot of gold, but I didn’t expect to find no end. Every time I thought I was close, it extended like a tape measure, and I wasn’t anywhere near the finish line.