Melanee: Finding Home

I grew up in Arizona. I was living in D.C. on the east coast for a while. I moved back because I missed the desert. It took me going away, leaving home for a while, to realize how much the Southwest meant to me. I’ve always really connected with here. My dad is a native to Arizona. My mom is from New York. I come from a small family, my mom and my dad and my sister. I don’t know if we have many traditions that carry on from beyond my parents. At Tucson Meet Yourself, you see who comes out in the community, who really lives here. That’s what I’ve always loved about being here, because we celebrate that. I love all the different kinds of people you can be friends with in Tucson. I guess I’m proud a little bit of myself for figuring out what was home for me and how to find that. I think I was lost for a while trying to figure out where I wanted to be and I think coming back to Tucson I’ve started to realize a lot more about myself and what I was looking for. I think that has to do with getting out in the community and volunteering and being involved.

-Melanee