In an attempt to better understand myself during a time of my life in which everything felt uncertain, I turned to writing as a tool to heal. The poems, stories, and essays I wrote turned into “Growing Pains,” my honors thesis and multimedia visual diary of my life and family history. Through one-on-one interviews, shuffling through old family photos, reading love letters and history books, and processing my own emotions, I gathered enough information and clarity to tell my story, not just to share it with the world, but to share it with myself, too. We are who we are because of what we experience and who we experience things with. “Growing Pains” is my experience, and I hope sharing it inspires anyone who reads it to explore their own.