City of Flowers

Memoir of a Teenage Traveler

Losing her mother at nine, moving twice at thirteen, and leaving the country at fifteen, City of Flowers describes an unusual intervention for a spiraling downward teenage girl, ultimately reigniting a sense of wonder and changing the course of her life.
After receiving a lot of attention following her mother’s death, she decided to "never stand out again" - a goal with devastating consequences later on. 
In a new town in southeast Alaska, feeling pressured toward drinking and sex, she sought an excuse to avoid doing something regrettable. For her, that was a letter from her Mom. However, the desire to fit in proved too strong and she crossed into an unwholesome abyss. Hearing about an exchange program, she jumped at a chance for escape and with surprising determination won the contest to go.
Thus began an adventure to the southern Philippines. Immersed in a new culture, food, ways of thinking and no hope of “fitting in,” she grew to understand that she did not need the approval of others to be herself. 
Any teen or young adult wanting to break out of a mold, grieving a loss, restore a more positive path, or just looking for adventure will relate to Diane’s story and may emerge, as she did, believing in themselves once again.