(Photo by Patrick Breen/The Republic)

Laura Gómez is a reporter at La Voz. Gómez shares her story at South Mountain Community College's Performing Arts Center on March 31, 2016.

KJZZ is partnering with the Arizona Republic to bring you the Arizona Storytellers project on the radio. Storytellers in Phoenix share their stories at live events in town. Some of the stories are about living here, some are not.

Laura Gómez is from Bogotá, Colombia. She lived in the same town with her extended family until she was 12. In 2004, Laura’s mom got a job in Puerto Rico. So Laura and her mom and brother moved from the chilly Bogotá climate to the sunny island of Puerto Rico.

Laura enjoyed the beaches at first, it was an adventure. But soon, this new adventure turned bitter.

Laura Gómez is a reporter at La Voz.

The next storytelling event is Saturday, September 24, at Grand Canyon Village at Grand Canyon National Park.

To learn more about the Arizona Storytellers project or how to tell your own story, visit storytellersproject.net.