Before recovery I was angry, lonely, depressed, hurting people, broke, and hopeless. I was in and out of ER rooms and ambulances with alcohol poisoning. I was running up bills I could not pay off. I was making risky and bad decisions. I was unhappy. I was a burden to society, my family, and myself. I truly did not care and sort of hoped that I would end up dead. I did not want to deal with life. Then one day I decided something had to change. I did not want to continue to live a life of depression and anger. I knew things could be different, but I did not know how. So I decided to attend a 12 step meeting. The first meeting I ever went to was a womens meeting in my home town. I was not convinced that I had a problem and was just going to check it out. See what the whole recovery thing was all about. In that first meeting I attended, I listened to a speaker meeting. A young woman who looked like me, probably only five years older than me, shared her story. Her story was also my story. I found a group of people that hated life as much as I once did. A community of people who understood me. At this point in my life, what little family I had, wanted nothing to do with me. I had isolated myself for years and did not have a single person I would call a friend. I did not have anyone to talk too. In that meeting I found people like me, I found community, I found love, and I found hope... for the first time in years. I left that meeting with a book of phone numbers, a schedule of other meetings, and the beginnings of a new life. Since then, I have continued to go to meetings, work the 12 steps, volunteer and contribute to service work, and have found myself sober for almost two years. The program isn't just to stop drinking, it is to change your life. Become the person you want to be. Become the best version of yourself possible. Today I can confidentally say that I am proud of the person that I have become. I have a community, a family, love, and support in my life. If I am having a bad day, I have developed coping skills and no longer have to reach for a drink. The program not only changed my life, but in a sense saved my life. I believe my childhood experiences in combination with my recovery journey prove that I am a fighter. I know that whatever I set my mind towards, I can acheieve it as long as I believe and stay persistant. I have been able to maintain a job as a paralegal since being in recovery. I have decided I want to go back to school full time to finish my degree. My hope is to go law school one day and become a lawyer. I have seen how bad lawyers and a careless system can ruin someone's life. I want to be a good lawyer, one that cares about not only the outcome of a case, but the people involved and their lives. I want to use what I am good at to help others.