“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” -Eleanor Roosevelt When I was thirteen, I had rooster bangs. You know, the kind that stuck straight up. I was trying to fit in, despite the fact I didnt shave my legs and had a funny accent. I was new in town. New to the States. I was born in Italy and grew up in southern Spain. My familys move from trendy Marbella, Spain, to a small rural town in southern California was a shock, to say the least.

Seven a.m.- I throw open the curtains in my sons room. Alessio, who is nearly 2, sits up in his bed and shouts, Hello world! Courage in his voice, happy expectation. A once-in-a-lifetime day.