My family and I have gone on many vacations and traveled quite a lot. Of all of the trips we have taken I believe the most memorable was two years ago when we traveled to Arizona to visit Michael and Catherine’s biological daughter, Sarah, whom both my brother and I call our sister. While there we visited so many places, and we explored. The Arizona Zoo was my favorite destination of the trip. The way we experienced the animals in their habitat with little or no enclosure was religious, even, in nature. The way the zoo just made you feel as if you were part of the environment was one of the closest to nature experiences I think I will ever have. But by far the best experience of the trip was the feeling of family. Both my brother and I connected with Sarah and made an everlasting bond. The feeling of unity and closeness was inspiring and amazing, and if only because it is what I had never felt before and had always hoped to become. This closeness and feeling of unity lives on today and forever, even when the rocky parts seem as if they are trying to end it.

It is out of adversity that a writer’s life is made, and there can be no greater adversity than having nowhere to belong or to call home.

But let me back up a bit and tell you that when in third grade at Hough Elementary School in Vancouver, Washington, I was first taken from my mother’s custody. I was placed into foster care with my brother. Because of my age and state of awareness during this experience, the placements and many of the details of my childhood while in foster care remain a mystery to me. Of what I do remember, however, I was placed with my mom several times, only to be removed again and placed back into foster care. Both my brother and I decided to move in with my aunt and live with her for the remainder of our high school career. This did not turn out well. After a little over a year one thing led to another, and both my brother and I were forced to move from that place as well. When we were taken from my aunt’s house, we were introduced to Michael and Catherine as an emergency placement. The plan was to live there for less than two weeks in order for our case worker to find us a permanent placement. After getting to know and falling in love with the family, my brother and I asked them if they would have us as their “chosen children.” They discussed the great amount they would have to sacrifice to do so but, without a doubt, they agreed to make us their children. We have lived with them for more than three years and have grown to call them Mom and Dad, for that is who they are in our lives. After all of our hardships and everything we have gone through, I am extremely grateful we finally have a place we can call home.

It is out of adversity that a writer’s life is made, and there can be no greater adversity than having nowhere to belong or to call home. In the fifth grade, my teacher began handing out the little book order forms we would always get. As she was handing them out, she began to explain this contest that Scholastic was hosting. The requirements were to write an essay about “Why I love reading Harry Potter.” The essay must be my own work and be 300 words or less. Over the next weekend, just for fun, I began working on the essay. I had my aunt read it over and check spelling and stuff like that. After proof-reading and editing the essay I typed it and printed it, ready to be handed in on Monday morning. Surprised and excited, my teacher took the essay and mailed it off to Scholastic to be entered into the contest. More than 8,000 people entered their essays and there were to be only ten winners. Though chances were slim, about a month later we received a phone call and I was announced a winner. Winning this contest took me to New York (twice), and London on a week-long trip to be a guest on the Today Show and see the sights of London. The entire trip was all completely paid for, including $750 spending cash. This trip was a once in a lifetime opportunity and because I just put what I could do out there, I received a lifetime of memories and rewards.