A City/Country Girl Who Doesn't Have a Home :)

This first artifact is a Japanese doll, representing my current "home" in Tokyo, Japan.  To me, home is always where family is.  I grew up moving around every several years, never really staying in one place long enough to consider it my permanent home.  Instead, when people ask me where "home" is, I generally just tell them I don't have one!
This doll is significant because it truly shows who I am and who I want to become.  I adore traveling; exploring the world is definitely one of my favorite things to do.  I feel like there is still so much left to see and discover as I continue to grow older. Learning about different cultures and backgrounds has been so wonderful and interesting; as I explore different places, I find that the culture eventually becomes a part of who I am. Even though I'm not Japanese, Tokyo is home.....for now at least. :)

My second artifact is a sign displaying the scripture from 1 Timothy 4:12.  This object is so important to me; I keep it in a place where I can see it daily.  It is a reminder to me that I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ and that I must be a firm example in all that I say and do.  I didn't grow up around many members, and as a result, I always felt that being a member of the Church was my main identity according to my peers.  At times it was hard being known as the "Mormon girl", but it has provided me with wonderful missionary opportunities that I feel blessed to have been a part of. I love being a member of the Church; it hasn't always been easy, but I know with a surety that it is true.  The Gospel is significant in my life and I truly wouldn't feel complete without including this artifact in my diorama.

My last artifact is a sunflower that one of my dear friends gave to me for my 18th birthday.  I am a huge flower person; I adore flowers. My grandpa lives up in Portage (on the border of Idaho in the middle of nowhere) and I absolutely love seeing all the sunflowers growing on the side of the roads whenever we go shooting or boating.  To me, these sunflowers represent my long summers in the boondocks with my siblings and my cousins, enjoying time together and having fun. There is just something truly special about the countryside.
It's difficult for me to choose between my city life and my country life, so I have always decided to love both aspects just the same.   They are extreme contrasts, but to me, fit perfectly hand in hand.