Melissa, known as ‘Issa’ to her family, grew up on an island in the Philippines, to stars and black seas, pet starfishes and turtles. At 13, her family moved her to California under the guise of a “vacation,” giving up all their worldly possessions to start anew in the land of the free. She has since then made a new home in Orange County and San Francisco, driven by the same spirit of nature, and essence of adventure. A creative at heart, she is a product designer by day, and a  wanderer all other times.