Lauretta Ovadje
Delta State, Nigeria
“It’s made of lace of European origins. We would wear this to any occasion, like weddings, birthday parties, any festive occasion.”

Myriam Afeiche
Beirut, Lebanon
“Lebanon's traditional soaps are environment-friendly, made with olive oil, glycerine, and herbs like thyme, basil, and lavender.”

Zachary Smith, with Josh
Seattle, Washington
“Home is where my family is, so Josh is home for me.”

Emily Renda, with J
Cleveland, Ohio
“He is my best friend, really.”

Katie Bush
Rochester, NY
“My parents helped me move to Ann Arbor, and my mom placed this right next to my bed.”

Patrick Wycihowski
Troy, Michigan
“Pretty much everyone walking around at home has one of these on—listening to Detroit, definitely. A lot of hip-hop, rap.”

Myra Tetteh
Detroit, Michigan
“My grandfather is the one who started the family here in the U.S. He came from Ghana to finish his education, and it’s important for me to continue that legacy.”

Jing He
Beijing, China
“I wish I could go back for the Olympics, but I’m not sure.”

Julia Diebol
Saline, Michigan
“We bought our first house in January. My husband and I planted a garden and grew some things successfully, some things not so successfully, but the onions turned out great.”

Laura Harrington
Lawrence, KS
“My grandmother made these pickles. I’ll probably eat them all year long.”

Dikshya Brubaker
Kathmandu, Nepal / Ann Arbor, Michigan
“The little laughing Buddha in my key chain reminds me of the serenity of life and the humor around it.”

Grace Anglin
Athens, Georgia

Mallory Davis
Raleigh, North Carolina
“This is a painting by Chapel Hill artist Dan-O, ‘The Minimum-Wage Artist,’ called Standing on the Edge.”

Anna Ciesielski
Toledo, Ohio
“I like to keep this in my room to remind me of the big picture.”

Poorva Virginkar
Huntington Beach, California

Elizabeth Rausch-Phung
Syracuse, NY

Kristin Meyer, with Luna
Gainesville, Florida
“She’s a Florida dog—she loves the beach. She hasn’t experienced snow yet. I expect she will like it.”

Nicole Silva, with Kiely
San Jose, California
“We told her there’s snow in Michigan—that was our selling point to get her to come over here. But then we showed up on August 26, and there was no snow, and she keeps asking about the snow.”

Nichole Sorhaindo
Los Angeles, California
“This is my lucky hat. It got me through a lot of midterms and finals. I think I started getting better grades when I bought the hat.”

Tina Sang, with Louie
Oakland, California
“I like his little moustache—it’s very French. Where do you find a toy beret? That’s the question. He needs a monacle, too. He solves murders in his spare time.”

Ashley Dehudy
Norton Shores, Michigan
“I found this quilt at a Mennonite garage sale in the hills of West Virginia. It reminds me of the colorful and vivid ‘patchwork’ of experiences I have had while working for the National Youth Science Foundation in Bartow, West Virginia, for the past five summers.”

Annie Huppert
Barre, Massachusetts
“I was living in Washington, D.C., when the Sox won. I had all my New England compatriots with me, and we were euphoric!”

Paula Johnson
San Diego, California
“I moved my whole life here.”

Lindsey Cottrell
Kalamazoo, Michigan
“I’m currently still a member of the varsity soccer team at the University of Michigan.  One of the most memorable moments of my career was seeing my jersey hanging in my locker for the first home game freshman year.”

Kraig Stevenson
Marshall, Michigan

“It reminds me of being at home, playing frisbee with my friends in my hometown. It’s a beautiful city with a kind of small, hometown feel. Everybody knows each other.”

Christine Glasheen
Indianapolis, Indiana
“This is my hat I wore through the season, and we won, so I’m wearing it again this year.”