My Home State - Arizona

When people ask where I am from and I say Yuma, they typically have no idea where that is. Yuma is a small town in Arizona right next to the California and Mexico borders! The population varies depending on the season. The majority of our population is made up of couples and families staying during the winter. Yuma's climate is just plain hot, all of the time, even in the winter. I love living in the desert though!

The foothills in Yuma are really fun, Even though they can be scary to fly over at night. Personally my favorite activity is to go on a hike up “telegraph”. There is about an 8 mile hiking path… and let me tell you it is steep! It is a long hike, and it will push you to your limits but, the view from the top is worth it!

Arizona as a whole is filled with so many great things, one of those being the Halle Heart Children's Museum. As Miss Teen International I have the honor of being a spokesperson for the American Heart Association! The museum is the only one of its kind. “We create an educational, interactive, and contemporary museum experience for children of all ages to increase awareness and prevent cardiovascular diseases. The Halle Heart Children’s Museum experience empowers children to make lifestyle choices that will create a new generation of healthy kids.” I feel that heart disease prevention starts with our youth! It is important to reach people of all ages. The good thing about the museum is that it reaches the children as well as the adults that bring them.

I have been able to visit the museum multiple times. There are so many different aspects of the museum. Some of them include a fake grocery store, a theater, and even a mini golfing game that teaches about the harmful effects of smoking. If you are ever in Phoenix I encourage you to check out the museum! While you are in Phoenix, my fellow music lovers should stop by the musical instrument museum as well.

Arizona is actually a very diverse state. Even though it stays warm in Yuma year round, Flagstaff is snowy and cold in the winter. From the cities to the forest there is something for everyone in the Grand Canyon State! Speaking of the Grand Canyon, Arizona houses one of the seven wonders of the world! People come from around the world to experience the vastness of Gods creation.. The beauty that is withheld in this region of Arizona is definitely recommended while you’re in Arizona.

For more information about the Halle Heart Children's Museum please visit: halleheartchildrensmuseum.org

"Success is not measured by what you accomplish but by the opposition you have encountered and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds." -Orison Swett Marden

Garin