Miles of brown grass and dry land is all I could see from the rear car window on our trip across Texas. It had not been like this just a few years before. My parents tried to make sense of the parched lands. The heat which was always brutal seemed to be a raging inferno this year.

I closed my eyes and tried to think of something else. My grandmother’s hardworking hands came into focus as she held mine. I could remember her telling me that water was the most precious resource that humanity had and that conserving it as much as possible was a very important lesson for me to learn. I started to remember working with her in the garden.

Writing has been the most important way in which I can express myself and be my true self. My family, friends and the environment constantly inspire me to write. When I feel that I need to share what matters to me, I start writing. The joy that I get with reading and writing opens my mind to possibilities.