One of my fondest memories of Snohomish County in Washington State is the annual Tulip Festival. It takes place during the spring when Tulips bloom, but right before they are cut to take to market. You see acres and acres of Tulips, one of the most beautiful views I've experienced. Unlike other vistas, this experience makes you feel like a flower yourself. As a visitor, you feel beautiful simply because you somehow become part of the landscape; at once you are touching one simple flower, and one massive field. Unlike viewing a gorgeous skyline or horizon, you can actually reach out to and touch this massive source of beauty. As the news of mudslides continue, and as the story turns increasingly sour, my heart goes out to Snohomish County residents and I wish them a blooming and hopeful life to come.
It wasn't until I was 13 years old that I learned I was fat. That was the year I moved to the United States and began to have a difficult time finding clothes that fit appropriately. I never really thought about that change until much later when I would look back on childhood photos and was surprised by how well my clothes fit, and how well-dressed I mostly was. As someone who is very fashionably challenged, I was surprised that at some point in time, I knew how to dress well...and I seemed to have lost the skill once I had many clothing options. When did I lose that skill? I began to explore that phenomena and quickly came to an odd realization. In the U.S. I clearly always had more clothing options that I ever did in Venezuela. Ready-made clothes in the U.S. were affordable so everyone could buy them. That was the key, in Venezuela, ready-made clothes were very expensive, so not too many people purchased them. In fact, I don't remember my mom buying anything ready-mad...

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