I open my eyes and look around me with intense curiosity. I am positioned on the edge of a table, where the sunlight reflects on me, casting a rainbow on my smooth and shiny body. I looked down. A small piece of paper was sticking on my body, which said: “Small and sparkly like a star, I could also fly afar. I look and feel like a plate, but my existence is a debate. Humans call me by three letters, and these three letters make their lives better. Could you possibly guess what I am?” Ah, now that is what I wanted, I thought. You might be wondering what I am and why I’m acting so strange, thinking that I’ve been a plate my whole life, but that is not the truth. The truth is, turning into a plate was an entire coincidence. Here’s the story.

I was an Unidentified Flying Object, also known as UFO. Humans do not think I exist, but I do. In fact, I lived on a gigantic round planet, called Gelato, where I’ve been my entire life. Every day, I would go to the edge of my planet and take in the view of endless planets turning around and around, whizzing past me in deathly silence. The beauty of the universe I live in always amazes me, but there was one question that has been bugging me the day since I was born: “What is the Turquoise Land and what is living there?” As I thought about this, leaning far into the depths of the universe, staring at nothing but darkness, I felt a breeze of mysterious air, none that I have ever felt before, brush against my body. This air made me feel vivid, alive, and adventurous. Abruptly, as though I’ve been dosed with thousands of tubes of doping, I decided that I’m going to fly down into the unknown abyss and figure out myself.

As the biggest and most valuable UFO there was on my planet, my departure became the top news on my planet that day. My friends hugged me and told me to keep safe and keep in contact when travelling, since it could be extremely dangerous. I told my relatives that I will probably make a huge discovery, took a deep breath, and started on my daring journey into the mysterious blackness.

Three… two… one… I closed my eyes and plunged into the unfathomable darkness. Wind swept me into a swirling hole… blackness engulfed my entire body… freefalling, tumbling, into what was awaiting…

As I slowly opened my eyes, I wondered whether I really had the guts to fall into the hole, or it was merely a dream. My headlights flashed on, and I knew at once that it was reality. But what is in the hole? Floating in the cosmos, I stared at the breathtaking views around me and turned on my headlight to take in more: not far off, was an extraordinary planet, one that I’ve seen in pictures and videos, the planet that is, as we call it, Turquoise Land, or as humans call it, Earth. I gasped. WOW. That is Turquoise Land, the planet I’ve been craving all my life to look at and live in. As I floated closer and closer Turquoise Land, two small cylinder objects whizzed past me in a never-ending circle surrounding the earth, one chasing another. Is that Elon Musk’s Space X things, what humans call rockets?! I’ve heard lots about Elon Musk, and could not wait to hear more after I arrive. I drifted nearer and nearer to Turquoise Land, and the view I was intaking grew bigger and bigger. Suddenly, a white mist flew through me, white-hot and burning, and I tumbled into what seemed like an endless swirl of white light.

A dazzling spurt of sunlight forced me to close my eyes. I tried turning on my lights and depart whatever was keeping me laying down but could not. I turned my eyes to another direction and slowly opened them. This time, what greeted me was a brick wall, laden with plates, pans, platters, joined with an irresistible scent that smelled like a roasted delicacy. I looked up. A white ceiling, with a pendant light dangling from it. I looked down. A smooth marble surface, cool and refreshing for me to sit on. I looked to my left. Four full length windows extending to the wooden floor, sunlight pouring in, shining radiantly. After I examined my surroundings, I immediately came to realize that I was in someone’s household, in the kitchen, on the edge of a table. And that is how I ended up, lying on the edge of a table, confused and bedazzled.

This adventure led me Turquoise Land, and finally solved my lingering question of what will happen if I fall off Gelato. I have learned from my journey that, although I will not be able to go back to my home planet anymore, my bravery helped me discover this amazing planet that otherwise would be unknown. For this, turning into an unmovable plate object is worth it. I raise my glass cup of wine, which was put on me, to my family and friends, who raised me to this level of adventurous spirit. Gulping down the cool bitter liquid, I was once more, charged with energy and playfulness.