I definitely see it as a space where I can Yo u know, people might, might not think like at, at 12 o'clock in the afternoon sun's out, you know, just weeding, it's probably not what people would want to spend their time in.

But for me, it's definitely just a place where I'm able to just be, and it's a place just able to think, you know, be at peace, just reflect on the things on my mind.

Right now, I have a pretty big garden off to the side of the house, but it started with just growing cucumbers, really experimenting with vegetables that I know I could handle and kind of just maybe just intuitively saying like, #This might need a trellis, might need some sticks.# And so when the pandemic hit, you know, it was an unfortunate time, but it also gave me the actual opportunity, money-wise as well as time-wise to really think, ok, you know, how big do I want to start gardening?

So I started my garden with the mindset that I'm gonna grow food that my family eats, you know, what we use on a regular basis.

And then it kind of came to the point where in the next year I was thin with more of a mindset, I wanna connect you know, [with] my ancestors or like my heritage and, the indigenous groups in Peru.

So I started looking into the kind of plants th you know, without disturbing the environment.

So [I told] my parents like, #Hey, I bought, hu you know, I'm gonna see if it's gonna grow here.# My dad was a bit apprehensive about it.

He's like, you know, #I don't think th I was like, #Well, let's see.# And so as it was growing, my dad wa And then when I would pick it, it would have this just this really gorgeous fragrance to it.

It was just its very own distinct smell.

And so when I showed him, I was li He's got really excited.

He's like, #Oh my So that year in particular, only a couple of them, only a couple of my seeds sprouted So I didn't really have that many.

And I unfortunately forgot that I was going to harvest the seeds.

So by the time I went out back to my garden to do a final clean-up, I went to look at the seed pods.

It was already empty.

So I was like, "Oh."

But at that moment I was like, #Ok, well, they're probably not gonna Yo u know, this probably isn't the right enviro And this year I go back into my garden, do its first clean out for the season, and I see small little seedlings of huacatay just kind of growing all about.

I was like, #Oh so they did survive and they did plant.# And my grandma was the one that was really surprised.

She's like, #Oh, wow.

I haven't seen this plant in a really long ti And she told me how back when she was younger, she had a neighbor that would grow hua specifically and, you know, he would share it among everyone in the neighborhood in the village.

And so it was just a really nice memory for her to tell me about # you just kind of learn a little bit more about how life was when she was younger.

But yeah, and then it just # s ands as this skinny little pole t the end.

Other than that... but yeah.

It's a pretty nice smell.

So I definitely would say it's savo It's, you would kind of smell this, like in a meat dish, kind of like a nice thick sauce--st And I would say # It does have a bit of a small mi t undertone, but it's definitely more pungent, but in a good way #maybe basil, not sweet basil, but the more savory basil where it kind of just have a strong smell that kind of stays with you.

Very savory, tasty, musky maybe.

It's definitely on the heavier side when it comes to fragrance.

Usually you kind of separate this into bundles when you wash them, kind of bend them over, wrap them around each other, and then you kind of just measure off like how big those ones are and then just use them in dishes.

I think for my parents, I see Peru as kind of their home, their childhood home You know, that's where they started.

And obviously, you know, moving to A it's what I call home.

And for me it's also kind of in a way going back home and being able to have that connection kind of, you know, going to Peru, it's a pretty expensive trip, you know, you can't really make it every year there.

And so for me, it's another way to be connected with Peru and just kind of have, yo even if it's a small connection, I'm able to do it through food.

I think the food for me, you know, kind of encompasses a whole bunch of th what's cultural, my heritage, my grandmother, my family, my parent's childhood, you know, just my own search of really connecting to my Latino identity.

Growing up in Shelton, you know, it is a predominantly white community.

So food was also another way for me to kind of reclaim that identity that I might have put off or just kind of ignored to the side.

So I feel it's expanded the community I'm engaging with as well as affirming and reco with my family with my grandparents.

And it made me feel more whole in that identity and connect with others.