This photo was taken from the Staten Island Ferry last summer, July  6, 2008. I haven't actually been on Liberty Island (where the statue is located), since I was a kid. I went on two different class trips to the statue, but never went up to the crown.  I didn't think much about it as a child. Getting out of school for a day to go somewhere exciting was enough for me.

As an adult, the statue reminds me of the chance my ancestors took in coming to the United States in the late 1800's and early 1900's. My great-grandparents took a boat over the Atlantic from Italy and arrived at Ellis Island, next to Liberty Island. I've wondered what is was like for them when they caught their first glance of the mammoth statue. It must have brought them hope and anticipation for what lay ahead, after suffering such a long and arduous journey. My family is still in the area till this day. When I see the statue, I think of my great-grandparents: the simple life they led, their hard work, and their belief that their decision to come to America would mean their descendants would have a better life. That's pretty inspiring.