From the perspective of a child gripping her mother’s hand, Anarkali Bazar in Lahore is daunting. It is also endlessly fascinating. A labyrinth of infinitely looping streets, twisting and meandering into captivating convolution, it is a pandora’s box of unique experiences. At every turn is a person with a story. Burrowed in the basement of the third store on the first street is a man who has come to work every day at 7:00am to sell handicrafts that he makes using the same techniques his ancestors developed centuries ago. He continues their legacy every day and keeps a piece of art history alive in our community. Five stores ahead is a young boy who spends summer break helping his father make fritters. He uses his pocket money to buy books to help him research a cure for diabetes to make the future better for our community.

I was absolutely riveted by these stories and for the next few weeks, one question floated across my mind: how could I possibly learn all the stories? It was through this experience that I decided I wanted to become a journalist and dedicate my life to capturing the culturally diverse and rich world my community had fostered.

A true dream requires a firm foundation. By fostering such an intriguing heritage, my community provided me with the very basis of my dream. With that being said, achieving what one aspires and dreams about requires climbing a ladder of different steps. Luckily for me, my community has provided me with a very texturally diverse ladder. The first rung is covered in pink boa fur, the aptest symbol for how my community is my muse. Lahore has supported my dreams by never letting go of its true roots and culture. “The City of Lights” has cultivated a sense of creativity in me, and has provided me with experiences in the world of theater, sports, politics and culinary arts. The second rung is made of smooth paper, the writing rung. My school provided me with the opportunity to write for its newspaper, LGS Times. I would write something every month without fail. This not only increased my passion for journalism, but gave me the platform to express my thoughts and ideas, which helped me improve as a writer. The third rung is the final goal — being a full-time journalist. Lahore’s diversity means I can always find like-minded people and with the city being a hub of inspiration and opportunities, my community has supported me at every step to becoming a journalist.