When the dust had settled, and the struggle of adapting to the new landscape was everything but simple. I can't put it into words or create a representational image of the shock that my family felt relocating to the middle of Kansas. I wanted this shaped painting to be large enough to reflect the cacophony of loud and unapologetic emotions. This first large painting was inspired by the organization Legacies of War (legaciesofwar.org). Their mission statement: "is to raise awareness about the history of the Vietnam War-era bombing in Laos and advocate for the clearance of unexploded bombs, to provide a space for healing the wounds of war, and to create greater hope for a future of peace."