The perilous journeys to retrieve them were often performed stealthily in spy-like secrecy to avoid being yelled and punished. These calculated acts had to be executed swiftly and precisely as the path to success and indulgence included vertical drawer walls, latching onto protruding glass cabinet knobs, splintered furniture notches, and slippery metallic handles with my hands and feet. Often, I had to create improvised scaffolding on slightly cracked open drawers and door frames. Over time, these journeys became more difficult as the Milano cookies mysteriously became nomadic and traveled to higher elevations weekly. I quickly discovered that I loved the puzzle-like challenges more than the cookies. I found myself on expeditions to the top of the refrigerator, filing cabinet, and eventually to the roof of our house. Perhaps inadvertently, my family taught me to be nimble and to love a good challenge.<3
