Tracy Rose Guajardo is a Michigander through and through.  Born and raised in its rural country landscapes, the foreign qualities of this Tucson desert still leave her with a tearful night on occasion, even eight months later.  She eagerly awaits the day when she and her husband, Brady, as well as their mischievous cat, Totter, can strike it out on their own, to learn their own lessons and make their own mistakes.  Until then, they are rooming with Brady’s parents and everyday hope that the opportunity will arise for them to put their college degrees to work, whether in the Michigan seasons, the Arizona heat or some other fabulous state.  And getting their worldly possessions out of storage in Michigan would be an added victory for Tracy Rose. 

This has been a very hard time in Guajardo’s life.  Since graduating from college nearly a year ago, she has put her art making on hold, due to lack of space and materials and creative inspiration.  But recently she realized that this was doing her no good!  Perhaps her body and mind had gotten enough rest from the rigors of a lifetime filled with academia.  Perhaps her soul was crying out for an escape from mindless television and inactive fingers.  But slowly she is beginning to rediscover her calling.  Because Tracy did not set out to be an artist, but rather began her college career with the idea in her head that she would not only be the first in her family to graduate from college, but that afterward she would be a great chemist.  Well, she soon realized that chemicals and beakers would not bring happiness to her life and instead enrolled in plenty of art courses.  There she found the happiness she desired. 

If asked about her many flaws, Guajardo would probably respond that her biggest is thrift shopping.  She just can’t drag herself away from all those treasures and is frequently found scouring various shops in search of a hidden gem.  But her other flaw is that she often spends her days romanticizing.  And that doesn’t mean that she reads trashy novels, but rather she spends her days dreaming of the future and longing for the past.  She has even brainwashed her husband, a desert native, to think fondly on the Michigan winters!  And while she will probably never stop romanticizing, she has finally decided to start doing something with her present.  And maybe, in the future, she can have a reason to romanticize this time in her life as well.  This is just the beginning of her attempt at that.