I’ve lived a life shaped by movement, change, and learning how to begin again. I went to college in Wyoming, surrounded by wide-open spaces that teach you how to sit with your own thoughts. That’s where I learned independence—not just academically, but personally how to stand on my own feet and listen to what I wanted instead of what was expected of me.

From there, life carried me through Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, North Carolina, and eventually across the ocean to Italy. Living abroad was both beautiful and challenging. I married, built a life in a place far from home, and learned what it means to adapt to language, culture, and a version of myself I was still figuring out. When that chapter ended in divorce, I made the difficult decision to return home to Washington State. Coming back wasn’t failure; it was honesty. It was choosing growth over staying comfortable in something that no longer fit.

Finding myself again didn’t happen all at once. It happened slowly, through quiet moments, hard realizations, and the steady work of rebuilding. I’ve worked hard to understand who I am outside of expectations, relationships, and geography. That journey has taught me resilience, compassion, and the value of giving yourself permission to change.

I’m currently pursuing degrees in literature and criminal justice, two disciplines that reflect both my heart and my sense of responsibility. Literature has always been my refuge it teaches empathy, nuance, and the power of story. Criminal justice challenges me in a different way. I care deeply about the system, even while acknowledging that it is far from perfect. I believe in accountability, reform, and the importance of understanding how systems affect real people. Wanting something to improve requires believing it’s worth engaging with in the first place.

Outside of school, I’m drawn to things that bring peace and grounding. I love animals, quiet spaces, and being near water places where time slows and clarity settles in. The water, especially, reminds me that change is constant and necessary, that even the strongest currents reshape themselves over time.

If I’m not reading, I’m writing. And if I’m not writing, I’m thinking about stories how they’re lived, how they’re told, and how they connect us to one another. Writing has been my anchor through every chapter of my life. It’s how I process experience, make meaning, and return to myself when the world feels loud.

I’m still learning, still growing, and still finding new ways to tell the truth on the page and in my own life.