My grandpa, who is Puerto Rican, talks to me in Spanish all the time. But predominantly, I speak English. That’s one specific borderland dichotomy. There is a linguistic divide between speaking English at home for the most part and then switching to Spanish mode just shortly after school starts. Within these borders at my school, I have had a bit of an awakening. I have found an activation of a sort, an activation of my consciousness of the diversity that surrounds me. This awakening is incredibly empowering. It gives me the power to forge connections with people that I might not have made otherwise, to break the stereotypes that are so often portrayed as real, to build bridges between disparate groups that might not otherwise interact. Anzaldua has a vision of being activated and awakened, and I see that vision manifested as I try to navigate high school. Amidst all the confusion and contradictions involved in this borderland, I feel the essence of home, of security, of safety, despite the chaos of this ever-changing world. I have realized that I am not defined by the physical structures that surround me, but rather by the emotional and intellectual spaces I