Recovery means that you are a warrior; someone that has gone through the depths of hell and fought their way out. Recovery means that you are resilient, strong, and brave; getting clean from drugs and alcohol is a lifelong battle the we will always endure. To me, recovery means constantly working on yourself, constantly striving to evolve in to a better person, constantly proving your worth (or at least feeling the need to), and constantly being underestimated. Recovery is having a support group whether that be AA/NA, drug and alcohol free friends, or family. I got clean on June 24, 2017, I had decided that I was finally sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. I realized that the only three paths my life would realistically end up taking were either jail, an institution, or death. After many failed attempts at getting clean, I made a decision that afternoon to turn my life over to my higher power and stop getting loaded for once and for all. Since that day, it has not always been easy. Some days I have had to fight with myself tooth and nail to not make the decision to go back to the life where I can escape pain and reality. What I can say, though, is that my recovery has been the most beautiful and empowering thing I've ever experienced and I would not trade it for anything in this world. I'm grateful everyday to wake up with another day clean and sober.