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Sometimes I think about what my life would be like today, had my family never migrated to the States when I was a little girl.

I was seven-years-old when we left Ecuador in search of a better life.

People often ask me, "would you come back to live in Ecuador? If you had to choose between the States and your home country, which would you choose?"

The air is different here. The people, the food, the culture. There is no comparing the two.

When the sun beams down on me in Ecuador, I am filled with the energy and color of my people. When its ocean waves crash against me, I can feel their shape match the curves of my body. When I indulge in local cuisine, I am taken back to my grandmother's farm where we used to swim in the river and sip from coconuts taken fresh off palm trees. When I trek its mountains, I can see its many wonders--sculpted rivers, valleys and plantations on which our ancestors raised their children.

Having lived most of my life in the States--and now a new US citizen--I think about how fortunate I am to be able to call both places my home.

I don't think I could ever choose between one or the other. One thing I do know for sure--I will always be proud of my roots and the journey that has led our family here today.