I was born in the Gulf, in a country called Oman. My father was working as an expat, in this desert country that was ruled by a strict Islamic legal system. I was immersed in Arab culture against the backdrop of the desert with intense heat, far-reaching sand dunes, and a constant prayer call that rang through the day. This was a sharp contrast to my family's culture, we were Hindus from Kerala, India. Kerala was lush, green, and tropical. The locally grown food created a rich vegetarian cuisine, along with countless rituals and traditions that are passed down in our Hindu temples and lineage. I spent much of my childhood traveling between these two different environments, giving me understanding and appreciation of diversity in human culture. When I was 11, my family migrated to Toronto, Canada. Now I was immersed in a completely different culture, with multicultural communities of every race and nation. At the age of 25, I moved to Vancouver, Canada, where I finally laid down some roots and found the feeling of “home”. Being in this beautiful rainforest turned city has allowed me to absorb more of the teachings that trees provide us. It is my desire to always express the energies of calm, contentment, and resilience that trees radiate daily.