The Phillies, Cheesesteaks, and Rocky...OH MY!From the soft sound of cars passing outside my window....the decadent and delicious peanut butter and chocolate has you covered Kandy Kakes....the sun beats down on me as I watch the Phillies battle at Citizen Bank Park; there is no place I would rather be than Philadelphia. The memories I keep of my past have been the secret tools I have used to make my writing unique. Writers tend to draw on personal experiences to fuel their writing. That idea has been the cornerstone of my writing process so far this semester. My writing is inspired by what I know, and my hometown of Philadelphia has been the connecting factor in all of my work. While Philadelphia hasn't been the focal point of my work, it has provided a gem of uniqueness to my articles. This little connecting piece of my past that I weaved into the words of my articles allowed me to connect to the reader and make my writing connect back to my past. The following is an example of how I incorporated Philadelphia when I related my cultural past to the cultural past in the poem “Coca-Cola and Coco Frio” written by Martin Espada: “While Tastykakes is a regional delight that can be found In every Pennsylvania grocery store and gas station, the Coca-Cola logo is a worldwide symbol recognized in Egypt, France and nearly every country. This example illustrates how incorporating my past helped me connect and improve my writing. I have found that writing this semester has become easier for me when I write about what is familiar to me. This process has allowed my writing to contain more depth and connectivity between different topics. As I tried to incorporate my hometown into my writing, I also learned that Philade… I knew what the unpleasant memory of my hometown was in the spring. Philadelphia has become my secret weapon for getting me out of sticky situations in the writing world. This semester has taught me the challenges that come with writing, but given me the tools to overcome them. I've learned through trial and error that writing about what I know can inevitably help me connect my literary ideas to my personal story. The writing processes this year have challenged me to push my writing ability to a new collegiate level. I feel that once I complete this course, I will have successfully demonstrated my improved writing skills. Writing is something an author should be proud of. My work this semester is definitely something I can be proud of. I guess this proves it... when in doubt, I can always count on Philadelphia.