I was really hoping to skip over the first blog post that ends up being this mixture of "I didn't think I'd do this/be good at it," and "I finally committed to doing this/here we go." But honestly, the longer I thought about it, the more I realized you can't skip this part.

This part, no matter how often you hear it or how cliche it feels, is important because we are all working to overcome something. We are all trying to get to the point of committing to _____________ and praying to God that we are good (enough) at it.

I love words, but I struggle with them because they have so much meaning to me. I sometimes can't start until I have the perfect words to explain or embody what I want/am doing/feel. My deepest desire in writing about my life and the things that matter to me is to use words to connect.

I have always loved to read. I added to my load starting in middle school, carrying around at least two chapter books wherever I went. I rushed through homework so I could get back into whichever story had my heart at the time. Some of my reading was an escape and excuse to not engage my real life, but the other part of it was life changing. I saw a bit of myself or who I wanted to be in the characters I read. I experienced life in ways that I wouldn't have been able to otherwise. It changed everything. It changed me.

If I'm trying to be brave, and I am, I'd say that it's my hope that my thoughts and what I share here would cause change. Whether that's perspective, empathy, a shared laugh, or a sigh of relief - I want my words to penetrate.

Here we go.