Even if you are from the same neighborhood as someone else, you might still be coming from different places. Where you are from is a complicated question and it elicits complicated, but interesting and thought-provoking responses. We’ve shared some of those responses below.

Andres Escobar | Senior Partner and Design Principle at Lemay + Escobar Architecure, DPC

I am originally from Columbia, which has had an incredible impact on my career. My family, in particular, helped me towards where I am today. Growing up, we had an expansive living room, and on the weekends, we used to host many people, and I thrived in a very eclectic and creative environment. The furniture and design were so diverse, every piece always looked great together, even though everything wasn’t necessarily supposed to be together. My mother was also a very creative and driven person; she used to participate in flower arrangement competitions and travel worldwide, and she got many awards and accolades. It made me want to achieve a larger scale of success and travel abroad. On the other side, my father was completing his master’s degree in France, and he always told us stories about Paris and how wonderful the restaurants and hotels and the atmosphere was. I was very intrigued by Europe, but I was also very interested in the United States too. Read more>>

Ashley Aarons | Artist

I was born and raised in Jamaica. It has such a rich and vibrant culture that is difficult to not be affected by it. My mother was also an artist and filled our home with art and brightly colored walls. She was always my biggest fan and made sure to take me to art fairs and taught me everything she knew. I think all these factors really affected the way I paint and use colors as well as my varied interests and styles. Read more>>

Nancy Fleuridor | Encourager, Business Woman

I am from a beautiful town called St Louis Du Nord in Haiti. I am 100% haitian all red and blue in my blood. My background helped impact me in a lot of positive ways. Being 100% Haitian has taught me to appreciate the things I have because it can all be taken away. Haiti is known for not having electricity in various parts. The people who have them are either priveledge or they have families giving them support. Ive experienced seeing a person cooking and the lights get turned off while prepping dinner for their families. Transitioning to the U.S, When I am home I turn off the lights when I am not using them and there is a big space in my heart for gratitude. I am resilient, I am ambitious, I am determined and consistent because of of my upbringing. I saw a lot when I was younger and I made a choice to become the things I just mentioned. Read more>>

Kika Carvalho | Content Creator & Influencer

I was born in Portugal and moved to the U.S. when I was eight years old. I go back home to Portugal a few times a year to visit my family and explore my beautiful country. Ever since I was little, my family always traveled to different places around the world. I have been lucky enough to have been to over 30 countries and visited 24 states in the U.S. Traveling has always been really encouraged in Europe, especially within the continent. There are affordable flights, trains, and buses that allow Europeans to easily travel from country and country, and discover what each destination has to offer. I grew up in the U.S. but still live like an European at heart. Being a travel influencer and blogger is a dream come true as I have the privilege to travel the world and share amazing places with my audience. Read more>>

Myra Brown-Williams | Author, Life Coach, Business Consultant, & Pastor

I am from South Florida in the Broward County area from a small town known as “Carver Ranches”, now known as West Park. What I loved about this area is that everyone knew you or your family, which caused you to act accordingly while being out. My neighbors were like my second parents and they chastised me and loved me just as passionately as they loved their children. Values and morals were instilled and expected to be upheld. People were genuine and kind and that shaped me as a person. The expectation was that you were going to grow up and be great, it wasn’t optional. Therefore, I knew that success wasn’t an option for me but was a part of my destiny. My upbringing and community made me proud of who I was and I wanted to shine brightly. When I would visit home from college and would share my experiences and triumphs, people would share how they expected nothing less. This motivated me to push past my comfort and simply become!. Read more>>