Giggling in excitement I rip open the brown wrapping paper in anticipation of the surprise. I assumed the gift was from my uncle - a mysterious man who now lived in the Alaska wilderness. Although I hadn’t seen him for a decade, he sent me a present every year - last year a book of drawing I’m still trying to decode the year before a crossword that I haven’t worked through completely. But alas, I always enjoyed the curiously that enveloped with the newness of every gift and gained with the business of life. I didn’t know exactly when box had arrived on my doorstep perfectly wrapped in brown paper - my favorite birthday tradition was opening the door as soon as I woke up to his gifts. When I was younger, I tried catching the deliver- surely someone could not sneak through the busking city streets that turned silent when night fell. That might, I waited and waited. And, I waited eyes locked on the door my eyes begging to dropped, my pose on my belly hands holding my head began to drag me to the floor. But, nothing ever came that year. So I hadn’t tried again.

Rippppp … the paper tore completely open leaving a simple box with curly letters en-scribing:

For Adeline - here you’ll find me.

My excitement dipped when the box opened to a - single slip of paper. The paper was a blank coffee-colored rectangle. I picked the slip up in bewilderment. Could this be all? Usually his puzzles were more obvious, so this seemed like a joke.

As I held the same paper the ridges tickled my fingers, wait - was the paper not flat? I felt bumps to the right side and left of them a dip that abruptly became level. As I slid my finger above the rises, ouch - something picked my finger. I yanked my hand back and slipped the tip into my mouth, tasting the tang of blood. Maybe, this page was not blank after all. But what was on it?

For weeks, I memorized the page - the dips and rises, the parts that almost pricked my fingers. Thinking, thinking, thinking…what could it be?

April was now upon us the peculiar present an afterthought. My favorite month - the flowers blissed creating an engraving aroma - my sister and I began to hike in the mountains west of our home. Proclaiming ourselves explorers and endlessly wandering through the mazes and trees, running home with the sun chasing us, golden braids dancing behind our heads. And - while standing on top these very mountains on a random Wednesday - I noticed something. The mountains overlooked a deep river that curved in a strangely familiar shape - the ground deeming diving into the earth before abruptly jumping up.

A map - it was a map!!!