Carmen hated living in Texas. She hated how the weather would always change her mood in a rapid way, how it’ll be sunny one minute and the next  there’s a warning for a flash flood. She hated how as she looked at the window of the moving car she would see the falling trees and uneven grasses, it annoyed her. She hated having to come home seeing her family argue over economic issues and having to work overtime, how they couldn't pay enough money for the rent or for the bills they were charged. She hated how her family and teachers will gladly act as if her existence is not a thing in their eyes. She hated how all of her friends argued over the most stupidest things that’ll cause all of them to separate. She hated that everyday she left from middle school to go home she’d cry in her room as she hears the scream behind the door of her small room from her parents. She hates living in Houston, she had her life all planned out. Carmen wanted to go to a college that was outside of houston, well texas in general and escape her living nightmare.

A year later, Carmen is now in high school. Though Carmen hated high school. She hated how the teachers stressed her out with all the work they stuffed in her throat. She hated trying to fit in and make friends, all she wanted was people to acknowledge her and all they did was ignore her presence. She hated having to hide in the restroom because she was to afraid to talk and interact with people at her lunch table. She hated having to walk home and how animals annoyed her as they surrounded her walking. Carmen hated herself at a young age but she did like to write. She likes to walk home from school and write mini stories. She wanted to become a novelist and would look at how houston was. Carmen notice how imperfect Houston streets were and began writing poems of the steel street of texas. That was when she notice how she was smiling to herself as she found what she liked. It was her hometown all along.

         5 years later, Carmen, a 21 year old, leaves her college at UCLA for the first time in years and is flying to her hometown, Houston, Texas. As she step foot to the ground of the airport, she smiled widely. She now walked out of the airport and there, she saw her family, the family that raised her and helped her find her passion for writing. She grinned happily and kneeled down to the steel street of texas. “Hello, mother.” She said as she caressed the street and bend her head down to kiss it. People started to stare at Carmen in confusion as she began to randomly kiss the floor but Carmen didn’t care. She was just kissing what made her who she was today. She looked up the bipolar sky of texas and breathe in and out slowly to smell the fresh air she missed and loved. “Home sweet home.” Yes, Carmen loved Texas.