Dear Design: Introductions
Meet Chelsea
The most important thing I’ve learned in life is that it’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know.
My mom has a wealth of knowledge on cooking. When I need to know how to make a great meal, she’s the one to turn to.
My dad knows a lot about electronics and can wire just about anything with ease.
My sister is a music maniac. If I ever have a craving for a new great band, she’s got me covered.
My brother is a retail guru. He knows how to get a great deal anywhere. Any place, any time.
My boyfriend is a nut about health and fitness. If I want a good workout designed for me, he’d have it drawn up in 10 minutes.
My grandpa is amazing at investing. He was navigating stocks and all sorts of financial goodies long before Jim Cramer knew what was up.
I have a cousin with an incredible eye for fashion, and a grandma who knows more about art history than a museum tour guide. I have an uncle in the Navy who has lived all around the world, a cousin who devotes her life to soccer, and enough roommates to know everything going on in Cosmo and the messy world of dating.
And what do I know? There are a few things I’ve learned over the years. Maybe you can ask me your questions to find out. But rest assured, if I can’t come up with the best advice for you, I’m sure I know someone who can.
Meet Amelia
Growing up is never easy.
There are constant bumps in the road, challenges to overcome and events to learn from. Those bumps, challenges and events, shape who you are.
Everyone has a story to tell, here’s mine:
I can barely remember my childhood, but the things I do remember, affected me more ways than one.
My family traveled across the Middle East to get to the United States. My sisters told me they remembered riding in sacks on the side of camels, and my parents faced death almost every day.
Because of their courage, I was blessed to be born in San Diego. My oldest sibling is 35 and my youngest just turned 27. The age gap (I’m 20 years old) played a role in my maturation, and trust me, it had to progress fast.
I have lived in Detroit for most of my life, but in the eighth grade, my family picked up and moved to Las Vegas. Just like that.
This affected me more than I can begin to explain. Moving to another state at a young age has to be one of the toughest things to face. New home, new school, new people to impress, the stress of it all, unbearable if you ask me. Mostly annoying.
I didn't know the reason for the move until my father fled the country on Nov. 11, 2004
My father had been dealing drugs since I was in elementary school, something I had been oblivious to until he ran away.
He came into my room the morning of his departure, kissed my sister and I on the cheek, did the same with my mom and other sister, then left.
I woke up, looked out the window, and there he was, getting into his van. I thought he was traveling to Arizona to go to prison for nine years and do his time; little did I know he was actually fleeing the country.
The exact words in my diary were: “It’s 5:48 a.m., November 11, 2004, and my daddy left to Arizona to go to prison for nine years.”
I went to school the next day and came home to two FBI agents standing outside of my apartment. Boy, was I confused.
At 14, the last thing I could comprehend was two agents trying to calm me down while telling me it was now illegal to communicate with my father in any shape, way or form.
I had to grow up. Fast.
The following year was one of the hardest my family had to endure. Although this part of my life is now in the past, it still impacts my day-to-day life.
The decisions I make, the rationale I have, it is all thanks to the experiences I've had.
Everyone has a story to tell, what’s yours? Maybe I can help you sort through it.
