Between Roots & Horizons

On the lives we inherit and the lives we create.

Welcome

Some stories begin long before we know they’re ours.

They live in our parents’ voices, our grandparents’ memories, the languages we grow up speaking, and the traditions we carry forward.

Others begin when we venture beyond what we’ve always known, discovering new places, new perspectives, and new versions of ourselves.

Between Roots & Horizons is a personal literary journal about both.

Here, I explore the intersections of heritage, family, culture, identity, belonging, and reinvention through personal essays and reflections.

Some stories take me back to my childhood along the Texas-Mexico border. Others explore the life I’ve built beyond it, the people I’ve encountered, and the questions that have become more meaningful with time.

At its heart, this publication is about understanding where we come from while remaining curious about who we’re becoming.

A Little About Me

I’m Elizabeth Y. Valenzuela, a first-generation Mexican-American born and raised in Brownsville, Texas.

Spanish was my first language, and I grew up in a home where it was the only language spoken. I learned English when I entered grade school, eventually becoming fluent in both languages.

My life has since taken me beyond the Rio Grande Valley, through a long professional career, different communities, and a marriage that brings together my Mexican-American heritage and my husband’s Finnish-American roots.

As I’ve grown older, I’ve become increasingly curious about my family’s history, the traditions that shaped me, and the stories that deserve to be preserved.

In 2026, I legally changed my name to honor my mother’s family, fulfilling a decision I first made more than thirty years ago after spending time with my grandfather Martín Valenzuela in Mexico.

That experience is part of what inspired this publication.

I believe our stories matter—not because our lives are extraordinary, but because even ordinary moments can reveal something meaningful about who we are.

What You’ll Find Here

Roots & Remembrance

Stories about family, ancestry, childhood, language, traditions, and the people who came before us.

Between Cultures

Reflections on Mexican-American identity, marriage, assimilation, belonging, and what it means to feel connected to more than one cultural history.

The Becoming Years

Essays about growing older, personal reinvention, independence, ambition, and discovering new possibilities at different stages of life.

You’ll also occasionally find reflections on travel, places, and experiences that have shaped my perspective.

Most essays will be written in English, with Spanish woven naturally into the stories. Over time, I also hope to share selected essays in both English and Spanish.

Why Subscribe?

Because some stories are worth slowing down for.

I publish thoughtful personal essays about family, identity, memory, and the experience of becoming ourselves.

Subscribe to receive new essays directly in your inbox, approximately every month.

All essays are free to read.

Whether you recognize something of your own life in these stories or simply enjoy seeing the world through another perspective, I hope you’ll find something meaningful here.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

Con cariño,

Elizabeth