I believe a large part of self identity is made up of where you came from, so I would like to share a bit about where I grew up. I just returned to New York from a trip to my hometown in West Virginia for my beautiful cousin's baby shower (she's due in May!).I lived on a windy back road in West Virginia. On a typical day, you could find me deep in the woods catching salamanders and hiking around a 20 foot waterfall near my home. I lived on the same road as most of my extended family on my mom's side - including my great grandma, grandma, grandpa, three aunts, two uncles and two cousins. I am an only child but it felt as if I had a brother and sister because I grew up so close to my cousins (also both only children).My hometown is an old steel mill town - everyone used to work in the mill. Downtown main street runs through the mill - metal, pipes and rusty buildings appear as if they sprouted up around the road. The mill filed for bankruptcy when I was in high school and laid off thousands of workers (including my dad). The city is a shadow of its former self because no other industry took the place of the mill. Gambling has taken hold of the city - filling every vacant building with glowing, dinging machines. If you want to grab a doughnut at the local bakery you may also step in the back and gamble if you'd like. Crime rates have increased and read recently that it is 1 of the top 10 poorest cities in the United States.Taking a trip in to see my family is bitter sweet. I love to visit with them but the atmosphere is quite depressing. It is as if no one in the town has hope for a brighter tomorrow. This atmosphere of sadness affected me as a teenager and still does when I return home. As a teenager my only goal was to leave the town and its foul mood behind me but of course when I left to attend college in New York it followed me. I had to learn to break the cycle of negativity which I believe I finally accomplished. The entire 20-week Vibrant Life Cleanse was born because of my recent breakthrough out of negativity.