I grew up in the small town of Palmer, Alaska. My childhood had very few bright spots in it. When I think back to before I was 19 I just recall everything being gray. I have felt debilitating depression the majority of my life. I’ve been in therapy since I was 14 and was on anti-depressants for many years. I thought that there was something broken about me and I would always feel this way, but through it all, I never gave up attempting to find answers and be my best self every day.

I’ve started from zero so many times. I’ve been the outcast, extremely overweight, a borderline alcoholic, unemployed, struggling to make ends meet, been ashamed of who I was, hated my body, and doubted myself.

In 2021 I reached my financial and professional goals, but I was surprised to find it didn’t change how I felt each day. Last year I found a place where without any medication, that dark cloud has stopped following me. I no longer required external validation. I rarely feel fear or anxiety-when I do it’s fleeting. I feel a love within me that is like nothing I’ve ever felt.

Today, my friends and community describe me as 'the happiest person they know'. I travel the world, I have dozens of amazing friends, I live in a beautiful apartment in Manhattan. 

I created this community because I want to share what I’ve learned in hopes that it can help anyone with a similar struggle. There’s so much solace in hearing how normal our deepest struggles are and how others have found a path to something so much greater. We all deserve to feel joy and love for ourselves. No matter who you are, you are not broken. The answer is inside of you.