During the end of my middle school years, I started to write music. It’s the one way I could express the feelings I had in a creative way instead of in anger. I wrote songs about my school, many about a certain boy, and other things in my life that were much easier to express through lyrics instead of in plain words.

I’m glad I went through those hard years though, because that’s what got me started. I would not be who I am today without those experiences, and I’m grateful. But that doesn’t mean they weren’t difficult. School was not a safe haven for me, and sometimes neither was home. So when I heard of an opportunity to go to California, I jumped at the chance…

(To Be Continued)