One of the most uplifting, calming, and freeing activities is spending time outside with my German Shepard Husky, Dexter. Mountain hikes, nature walks, and gardening are all activities that I love to do with my dog. It gives me a lot of joy to see how happy he is when we go outside together. When I garden, as I am digging in the dirt he will lay 10 feet away, and just hang out. Sometimes coming over for the concessional affectionate sniff. I especially enjoy going on runs and walks in the woods with Dexter, and he stays by me while we're out so I allow him to run off leash. When we go to our favorite spot by the Scantic river, as soon as we start to walk deep enough into the forest and I hear the sound of the moving water I feel so grounded. I can confidently walk with joy and no care in the world with my dog by my side. The sunlight comes through the canopied trees shining down on the ferns creating this beautiful shadow that adds such a dramatic and emotional aesthetic to the textured frond. I love to feel the leaves as I walk by them, pine trees are the most satisfying to touch, I will take the leaves from pine trees in my palm and feel them like you might stroke a cats tail. It is so interesting to walk by bright red mushrooms and all these different kind of trees with leaves of all different shapes and sizes, and long grass that flows so beautifully in the wind. There is actually a very cool little bridge in these woods and I will sit on the bridge in the summer time and write or draw, there are blue dragonflys that are usally by this bridge, It feels like a very spiritual and safe place for me. Dexter is the best, he will stay close by me when we go out, he may explore a little, but always comes trotting back with a big smile on his face and his tongue out as he wags his tail. He loves to be outside and I think he feels the same peace and sense of freedom that I do when I am out there. The bond we both have with being outside deeply connects us and always has. Dexter is in his element in nature and among so much life and peace, so am I.

Running in the rain, with my very loyal and lovable dog by my side. I was able to let go of all that was not serving me at the time. I felt his love for nature as much I felt my own and this connected me to him. Wonderful, messy, exhilarating mud, covering my ankles and legs. The sound of a rushing stream and raindrops on the water made me feel comfortable and energized. Everything, green and my mind clear. The feeling of purity, clarity, freedom, comfort, and resolve that this run in the rain gave me, was unforgettable.

I've always been a very isolated person in a lot of ways. In the past, its been easy for me to fall victim to overthinking and loneliness. Growing up I was bullied and struggled socially because of my ADHD and limited typical social engagement opportunities at home. Growing up, my parents got divorced and my brother passed away. My brother had autism and epilepsy. These things really affected my worldview and understanding diverse backgrounds and ability levels. There was a period of time when I felt that I couldn't trust anyone with my truth. About a year ago around this time, I was in a place where I felt like I had no one. All it took was me branching out just a little bit to my aunt who understands me probably better than anyone. She kept me in the familial loop and reassured me that people are not always out for just themselves, she helped me to connect back with my friends again by putting much of what i was going through into perspective. I also began going to therapy again about 6 months ago. Therapy has given me an outlet to get things off of my chest on a more regular basis and it is helpful for me to have that small aspect of structure in my weekly life. I very much so needed someone who would listen to me in my life and therapy has provided me with just that. A lot of what I have learned from trying to manage my mental health throughout my life is to only take on as much as I can handle and to never give too much energy to the things that are out of my control. I try to only give energy to the things in my life that are at a priority. A really important part of managing my mental health has been through attempting to effectively communicate my needs to others and being observant of their needs as well in return. Part of what I would like to give back to the world is about helping families like mine get through the struggles of communication and relationship and trust building. I want to help families become cohesive units. Most of all I want to help people build their support systems because I of all people understand how important it is to have someone, anyone to relate to and be honest with. From experience, I know that communication is one of the hardest skills to master, but i want to do so, and then in turn, would love to help others do that as well.