Where am I

Where am I

Where am I? That’s a good question. Well I’m in Nebraska the state that I grew up in; I wasn't born here in Nebraska. I was born in San Bernardino, California and only lived there for three months. I’m really glad my parents moved me and my family out here when I was little, I couldn't have asked for a better state to grow up in. Everyone here are pretty friendly you can be driving down the road, and wave and they usually wave back. You don’t see that anywhere else but Nebraska. I live in Phillips, I don’t live in the actual village yes it’s called a village because the population is too small to be called a town. Well I live out in the country of Phillips, I live in a farm house built in 1901, and I live between Aurora and Phillips. Right across the highway is the Giltner spur so I’m not completely in the middle of know where. 

I think growing up in the country was a really good experience; all my memories come from growing up on the farm. Even though my family never farmed ever in life, I really appreciated growing up out in the middle of know where. Growing up in the country helped me appreciate my family a lot more; we all became really close because it was just us out there. It helped me realize that one day when I’m older, married, and have kids that I want to come back and live in the country. I don’t think there is a better way to live then living in the country, because there is something about waking up and going outside and breathing in that fresh air, or being able during the summer to look up at the night sky and being able to see all the stars in the world.

I go to school in Aurora, where I attend Aurora High School it’s not all that bad I mean it could be worse. The town of Aurora is nice; everyone knows each other and are mostly friends. You have people here that haven’t ever lived anywhere else. The only thing that I find wrong about Aurora is that you really don’t have privacy, sometimes personal stuff happens to someone and then their neighbors find out then pretty soon half the town knows about it, and that is usually the big talk in town for that week. But that really doesn't happen that much. I’m really grateful for being able to go to school in a town where everyone will have your back, everyone is so helpful and kind and you don’t find that in a lot of towns in the U.S.  People here really do look out for a lot of kids, especially if you’re in an extracurricular activity the whole town shows a lot of support for the students who are participating in that activity.  

I find it very weird on how population of towns around Nebraska affect how people act, I mean if you come to Aurora everyone are really friendly, where as if you go to Grand Island people are usually pretty mean and aren't that friendly. I think also think growing up in a small town and going to school in a small town really affects how kids think. Kids who grow up in small towns know respect and are good people, where if you grow up in a town a little bigger or a lot bigger your usually not that nice and don’t respect people or property. I feel if you grow up in a small town it makes you a lot better person, it teaches you values and morals that you will take with you for the rest of your life. That’s why I appreciate growing up here in Aurora and being able to go to school here, because I don’t know how I would act if I grew up and lived in California. I think that I would get into trouble if I lived in California that’s why I appreciate to live here in Nebraska.

Now living in the somewhat middle of Nebraska isn't all that bad, we are an hour away from Lincoln, or an two hours away from Omaha. We are also an hour or less from Kearney so it’s not all that bad. You always know that you’re going to be around towns, unlike the towns west of us where it’s just your town and the closet town are hours away. 

My Community

My School

My State

Who Am I

Who Am I?



My name is Darren Flores I’m a seventeen year old senior living in Phillips, Nebraska going to Aurora High School. I’m one of seven kids, I’m one of five boys and I have two sisters. I was born in San Bernardino, California to John Flores and Corrine Lopez. I moved to Nebraska when I was only three months old, which I’m glad they did because I couldn’t ask to grow up in a better place in the world. 

When I was only six years old my father passed away of a heart attack, this devastated me and has changed my life so much. My mom Corrine Lopez was left to raise all seven of us kids by herself, and I appreciate that every single day of my life. My mom has become my biggest hero and inspiration, she has taught me so many life lessons ones that I’m going to pass down to my kids and their kids. Growing up without a dad was really hard for me, but having four older brothers I learned how to be a man and how to stand up for myself. I appreciate all my brothers because they have helped me with every decision I’ve ever made.  My mom also became my dad at the same time; she taught me a lot of things about being a man. My mom was the best she always made sure that our childhood was the best any kid could ask for and I love her for that. Growing up in the country I had so much fun, I can remember always being outside playing some kind of game. We would play football, baseball, basketball, hide and go seek, or we would have mud fight or boxing matches inside the house, we would also set up a small mini putt putt golf course outside using cups for the holes. It was fun because we were all pretty close in age so we all had fun doing anything.

Sports have always been a part of my life since I could remember, I can remember going to Oscar’s baseball games and watching him pitch or going to watch him play football games on Friday nights. I also can remember watching Cheyanne playing softball or basketball then watching her cheerleading at wrestling meets. I also have fond memories of going to watch Jose and Michael play baseball, or playing football, or wrestling. I always had fun going and watching them play sports because that’s when I started to really get into sports. When I went to go watch them play football I always wanted to play quarterback because they just seemed so cool, they were they guys that ran the whole offense and they made all the plays. I also remember the cold mornings during the winter when Jose and Michael use to make Derrick and I go wrestle for the little men wrestling program that they have for the elementary school kids here in Aurora. I always hated going to those because those two would be on the side of the mat telling me what to do that always made me so nervous because I wanted to make them so proud. I always wanted to make Oscar, Jose, and Michael proud because when I grew up they were my biggest role models I use to always get my hair cut just like Oscar and Michaels because they had the same hair cut. I would always try to dress like Jose because I thought he always dressed like the coolest kid ever!

Growing up being Hispanic was fun because all the food and traditions we celebrated were fun, I remember going to this restaurant in Grand Island after church to go get taco’s. When we were done eating us kids would always get free candy from the ladies there, because my dad knew the manager that ran that place, plus we were the cutest kids ever! When I was growing up I didn’t think about race that much I thought we were all the same, but as I got older I started to understand that we were all very different. I was happy growing up being Hispanic I remember my dad teaching me Spanish in the kitchen, and me laughing when I got something right. I still remember always eating meanudo on Sunday mornings, and always getting two flour tortillas because I didn’t like the corn one’s my mom use to make for the kids.

Well that’s who I am, I’m just a kid from Nebraska with an extraordinary life and I loved every single moment of it.

Life Soundtrack

"What You Know" - Two Door Cinema Club

Deep Map

Family Tradition