My awareness of beauty has been a monumental feature of my life. As I said earlier, books have always held a central place in my life and the beauty of the written word has always had a profound impact on me. Beyond that, my appreciation for art and all things aesthetic has always been there, from the decorations I chose in my apartment to the art museums that soothe me. Both my parents are scientists, not concerned with art or anything impractical. However, we traveled a lot growing up, and although my parents never sought to do so, I was exposed to many different cultures and beautiful sights. I was always happiest when we were in the city and could see the different arts and music. This trait is also present in my sister, which makes sense since we have both traveled so often. I believe both of our experiences in the environment we were privileged to grow up in made this trait manifest. This trait seems to change with age, apparently due to my higher attention span.