I am from the corner of Sanchez and 27th with feet hitting the pavement and talking with little kids screaming on our slow street

I am from my room with walls like the sky, colorful paintings and posters like an explosion on my wall 

I am from the summer with water fights and the smell of smoke coming from the barbecue filling our noses, the burning hot turf like lava under my feet 

I am from stepping and hopping over things cluttered on my bedroom floor like an obstacle course

I am from waking up covered in a soft fluffy blanket in the morning, feeling like I am covered in a cloud

I am from my competitive girl’s soccer team who bubbles over with laughter at the smallest things 

I am from wanting gender equality so people don’t have to fight constantly to be equal

I am from turkey tacos on Tuesday with beans, cheese, and guacamole with all the different textures fitting together like a puzzle

I am from warm curry on a plate as I soak it up with naan and as soon as it hits your mouth, the flavors explode

I am from pizza and a movie on Saturday, with sauce all over my mouth even though I get a simple cheese, I still love it

I am from seafood on Sunday as the whole house fills with the delicious aroma as everything comes together like salty and sweet, my mouth waters as I wait for dinner

I am from waking up early on weekends to play with my soccer team as the frosty air whips our faces 

I am from every Thanksgiving in my Grandparent’s house in New Jersey with the house being like 100 degrees

I am from all the cousins in the basement playing games, bouncing around from couch to couch, the laughter filling the room so you can even hear it from the top floor

I am from peeling potatoes like robots with the skin getting under our nails

My grandmother is the head of the kitchen telling all of us what to do no matter our age

I am from making 3 different pies, a cake, and muffins, with so much food we could feed an army

We make things that are not “thanksgiving food” like Chana Masala and mango mousse, all the cousin’s favorites

We put fake leaves all over the dinner table, with all the cousins sitting at another table away from the adults, even my cousins that are adults sit with us

My dad cooks the turkey for hours as the smell of all the spices waft through the whole house 

I am from board games every Friday as my over competitive self always tries to win like it’s a situation of life or death

I am from watching sports with my dad as my family and I cheer and we see the fans on the screen go wild

I am from being competitive and wanting to do my best all the time even for the smallest things

I am from my brother calling me Didi and people wondering what he is saying and me telling them it means big sister

I am from double masks at school and ripping them off my face when I get home

I am from looking at the houses in my neighborhood and seeing a BLM poster in every window  

I am from keeping little small things that have to do with an important memory like a small pizza call number and a single hair tie 

This is where I am from