I’m from a place where attitude always lingers through the air. Where sarcasm and bitchiness are the main forms of communication. Where I’m from, nobody speaks kind and nobody even likes each other. Where I’m from is a home in the Bronx. To be more specific I’m from a home right near Fordham and Third Ave where buses are always zooming by and the streets are set ablaze by the numerous people all rushing to get somewhere. I’m from the Bronx where crime rates have spiked. I’m from the Bronx where gunshots going off in the night is nothing to be scared of. I’m from the Bronx where screaming till your throat is sore and listening to music so loud the floor shakes, is a normal night. I’m from the Bronx where candle light vigils on the sidewalk with pictures of a child’s face or a young adult are normal. I’m from a place where people don’t always look out for each other so you learn to fend for yourself. Where I’m from helped shape me into the person I am. The Bronx isn’t a bad place like people make it out to be, of course there is danger but where isn’t there danger in the world. To me the Bronx is one of the best boroughs out here. Every borough has their own character, but personally the Bronx carries so much. The Bronx holds beauty on every street whether it be intricate graffiti on the walls or old style brick buildings. Everywhere in the Bronx has a story, good or bad, and those who reside here know of the intense emotions we feel as a community. Not every place or every story is a nice one but those stories is what makes it unique. Out of my 18 years of life, the Bronx has become a part of me. Whether it’s from chilling on the block, traveling to Highbride to see my boyfriend or going to 205th street to see my best friend. I’ve made trips to Soundview to see my niece and nephew and I used to make an even longer trip to Co-Op City to go to high school or as I knew it, Truman. Traveling throughout the Bronx has allowed me to gain insight to the area I call my home I have seen the highs and lows of the Bronx, mourned with others as a community , but most importantly I am not just a person who lives here, I am the Bronx. I have never been afraid to live here, I always believed the Bronx put character into me made and made me tougher and stronger as a person. I know that eventually I will make it out of the Bronx, but this is the thing I will always remember. The Bronx was my first home and it made me who I am today and I will always be grateful for the lessons and love I have known here. 

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