First Blog Post

Four years ago, I stood in shock, completely confused about what to do next. My direct supervisor had just told me how “nice and long” my legs were, while biting his lip and giving me a once over. His boss stood behind him, as shocked as I was. Frozen in place, I watched my supervisor walk away and his boss follow a few seconds later. But I was unable to move, unable to even process the overwhelming number of emotions washing over me.

On paper, my personal accomplishments look amazing; I’m practically a millennial success story. A bachelor’s degree in engineering, 8.5 years of service as an Army Captain, an amazing rescue dog (Chad!), home-ownership, and an established 401K, all obtained without accruing any student loan debt. Not many people can claim half of those things, let alone one as young as me. But I struggle with regret over how I achieved much of this. I was silent in the moments I should have been loud. I have made mistakes that I was too stubborn to fix and ruined close relationships over petty things. But no more, I have reached my breaking point. Now is my chance to finally speak up, and I am doing so by putting my story into writing as a memoir. All of my past experiences and my current efforts to be a better person. Beyond that, I am, and will continue to be, loudly sharing stories and advocating for those who need amplification. Everyone has a story, and everyone deserves to be heard. Despite what events lead me here, I am proud of the person I am today. I hope you continue to follow me on this journey of becoming an author and pursuing self-actualization.

“For what it’s worth... it’s never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit. Start whenever you want. You can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you’ve never felt before. I hope you meet people who have a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start over again.”

-Eric Roth (inspired by F. Scott Fitzgerald)