Three specific factors that have affected my identity are my family, my friends and my travels.

My family has had and will continue to have a huge influence on my life. I have a mother, a father, a brother. My mom's name is Alison and she is the best mother I could ever ask for! She is an amazing cook and she is very outgoing. She loves meeting new people and is always supportive of me. If I ever need advice, she is one of the first people that I go to. My dad's name is Mike and he is really quite, unlike my mom. He can also be really funny when he wants to be and he is patient. My brother's name is Julian, and he is one of the most sarcastic people that you will ever meet. Even though we used to fight a lot when we were younger, we are now much closer.

I have no idea what I would do without my friends. Whenever I am upset or angry, I can always go to my friends to make me feel better. They are all really funny and energetic. I have a lot of friends that go to school at the Mount, and there are also many that are outside of school. Kim, one of my best friends, goes to Wissahickon High School. I have been friends with her since 3rd grade, and even though we are much different, we get along well.

 Lastly, my travels have had a large affect on my life. They have opened my eyes to different party of the country, as well as the world, and have exposed me to different cultures. I have been to Costa Rica, Canada, Dominica, St. Johns, Hawaii, California and several other places. I never really realized how lucky I truly was, until I traveled to Dominica (a very poor country in the Lesser Antilles). There were people who were living in shacks and did not have clean water or food. However, instead of complaining about what they did not have, they were appreciative of what they did have.