While in grade school, I had the good fortune to live in Rome, Italy, for three years. Not only did this move expand my horizons enormously and introduce me to one of the world’s best and most beautiful cities, but it provided me with a wealth of creative inspiration. Writing was already a love of mine (and would eventually become my career), but in Rome I began taking photographs using a sky-blue plastic camera, complete with flashcubes. Some of the photos I took as an eight-year-old girl in Italy are still among my favorites. When I’m not taking photos, writing, or reading, I can be found listening to Morrissey, being tortured by my cat, traveling, and striving to make the perfect espresso.