I am from a beige, green doored, disorganized house

I am from living in a three floored flat and having conversations with my neighbors while leaving or coming in the house

I am from sharing a room with my brother and telling each other to turn our lights off

I am from walking home from the public garage near our house, pushing my dad up our steep hill, and tripping on the broken wooden ramp to our deck

I am from walking my dog in the cold air of the afternoon

I am from having to feed my guinea pigs when my mom is away, and shooing away all of the flies feasting on their messy cage

I am from walking down to the park with friends and getting ice cream afterward

I am from going to Dolores Park with friends and playing a gigantic game of Hide and seek tag in the huge playground

I am from hearing parties and loud mini fireworks all night on New Year’s Eve and the fourth of July

I am from going down to the basement to get Christmas and Halloween decorations, and carrying heavy loads up the concrete path up from the basement

I am from waking up on Christmas morning and opening presents, then having my cousins come over from Oakland to exchange presents

I am from going to the park every year after the gift exchange on Christmas

I am from going over to my Jewish cousins that live in Oakland for Thanksgiving and Hanukkah

I am from going skiing with my family and friends around the new year

I am from going to visit my grandmother in New York City every year

I am from going to Shelter Island for a week and staying at my grandfather’s old house with family.

I am from coming home from activities on weekends and eating at La Altania on the way home

I am from going to Indian restaurants right down the corner when having guests over

I am from taking hour-long trips to grocery stores and coming out with way too many bags to carry

I am from walking down my hill and seeing only restaurants and grocery stores at the bottom of the hill

I am from carrying many bags of groceries inside from the car, and then packing them into my fridge

I am from some people thinking that I’m a girl when I first meet them and some people saying that I don’t look like a girl at all

I am from being told that I am in the wrong bathroom when walking into the men’s bathroom

I am from hearing “Wow, Triplets!” and “You don’t look anything like your siblings” while being introduced to people.

I am from listening to my dad encouraging me at baseball games and events

I am from people telling my parents that I’m helpful

This is where I am from