In college, there is often one class that you really enjoy... One professor you genuinely relate with... One assignment that reflects who you are as a person.

I remember... It was the first week of school and I was in one of my education classes. We were going over the syllabus and after we went through all of the assignments, we reviewed the section that discussed extra credit and one assignment really caught my eye. The assignment was to write a poem that described where we were from. There was a general outline for the poem and you could fill in the blanks to personalize it.

In general, I am a very quiet person and don't share much of myself with other people but as a writer I feel that it is important to be genuine and to be the most authentic version of me. I took this poem on as a personal challenge to really delve deeply into myself. In the poem, I went beyond the physical place that I am from and worked to describe my life and my foundation. I have always struggled to describe and talk about where I'm from due to many painful experiences that I oftentimes wish I could forget. However, after moving across the country and uprooting myself from every part of my foundation, I have a new found appreciation for where I come from, every part of it. I have my whole life ahead of me and so many changes are occurring every single day that I want to remain true to who I am and respect and value where I came from.

With that, here is my poem and hopefully an introduction to who I am and where I'm from...

Where I'm From

I am from nothing,

From lies and broken promises.

I am from the garden filled with lush, blooming roses.

I am from love not blood

The broken hearts

Who needed love and life to keep them alive.

I’m from black coffee and sweet n’ low,

From Abbey Road and Captured Angel.

I’m from the always right

And the never wrong.

I’m from I am My Beloved’s, and My Beloved is Mine

With a necklace made of gold

And an engraving I could read with my eyes closed.

I’m from beautiful views

Delicious smells and holiday cheer.

From the son my parent’s lost to tragedy,

The scars on my father’s body left as a reminder.

In my room there are boxes,

Filled with pictures and notes

Memories I want to last forever and others I wish I could forget.

I am from those memories

Disregarded by some and chosen by others

I am the leaf that fell from one tree and landed under another.

I challenge everyone to write their own "Where I'm From" poem. Think about every aspect of yourself, the good and the bad. Think about your family background, your friends, your education, your emotions, your experiences. Use the poem you write as an inspiration to build on your foundation and work to become the best version of yourself.

"It's always good to remember where you come from and celebrate it. To remember where you come from is part of where you're going."

- Anthony Burgess