Hi there! My name is Sandra and I'm 30 years old. I grew up in a small town in the Midwest where everyone knew each other's names by the time they were five years old. My family was pretty traditional - my parents are high school sweethearts who still live in our hometown, and my dad works at the local factory while my mom runs the bakery.

I always felt like I didn't quite fit into the typical small-town mold, though. As a kid, I was more interested in reading fantasy novels than playing sports or hanging out at the diner. And when it came time to decide what I wanted to do after high school, I knew that I didn't want to stay in the same old routine that everyone else seemed to follow.

So, I packed up my bags and headed off to college on the East Coast, where I studied creative writing and started learning how to be a real artist (read: struggling artist). It was a wild ride - I had some amazing experiences and made lifelong friends, but I also struggled with feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt.

After college, I spent a few years working as an editor for a small publishing house in New York City. That's where I honed my skills at reading manuscripts and giving feedback on writing projects. It was a dream come true!

Eventually, though, I felt like I needed to make some changes. The city was starting to feel overwhelming to me - all the noise, the crowds, the constant pressure to be "on." So, about three years ago, I made the decision to leave New York and move back to my hometown.

It's been a little weird, adapting to small-town life again after being in the big city for so long. But at the same time, it's allowed me to reconnect with old friends and family members who were there for me when I needed them most. And I've even started up my own writing group here - a bunch of us get together monthly to share our work and give each other feedback.

It feels like home, you know? In the sense that this is where I'm meant to be. What about you? What's your story? What brings you here today?