THE INSPIRATION STORY - The sun is out and all of our family is getting ready to walk to the park. I check my pockets to make sure I have my "domingo" (an allowance usually given to me by my grandparents or god-parents) in my pocket because I know that the ice cream man will be at the park. I can hear the horn on the shopping cart and "the paletro man" screaming, "nieve, nieve"! My heart starts racing and I'm off! My cousins follow, and of course a race has now begun... who will get there first?

       These are memories of not only my childhood in Los Angeles, but of what I call home. These small things in life  have made me miss home that much more, especially since I now attend college in San Diego. The ice cream that I grew up with wasn't just any regular ice cream... but a treat filled with memories that  represent the kind of Latino culture I grew up around.

I am sure that many others can say the same, because when you come across a food that was popular in your childhood, a sudden pool of memories floods your mind. 

Coming to San Diego State University, I felt as though a part of home was missing. It wasnt the weather, nor definitely not the traffic... but the food! The fact that I couldn't wake up to some hand made tortillas or to the sounds of the "paletero man's" horn was life crushing! The role my culture played growing up was so much more than just a culture, it shaped who I am today and has greatly influenced the way I live...

Thus has inspired

¡Ay, Qué Rico!