Home has been a tricky topic for me. I was born in Elyria, Ohio, but my family is scattered with the wind. My brother is currently in Macau, China, my mother and stepfather in Florida, and cousins, aunts and uncles can be found in all corners of the United States. When I go back to Ohio, there isn’t a home to go to anymore.

I have lived in Philadelphia for over a year now. I am starting to find my home along the skyscrapers across Philadelphia’s skyline, in the picturesque trails and bridges along the Schuylkill River, and in the West Philly food trucks I visit on my lunch break. I collect new friends, moments of serenity biking down Walnut Street, and favorite murals, and, like shells, I bring them together to form a cohesive home for me here.