Slowly and in a nonlinear way, I began healing. While I did not have access to moving my body in the capacity that I was used to, I picked up painting, polar bear plunging, meditation, yoga, and expanded my experience hiking. I moved to Seattle because I wanted to be closer to nature and in a community that values the intertwine of work-life balance, appreciation for nature, and holistic health. Seattle grooved with the way of life I wanted to cultivate.

It was very important for me to expand what was possible and accessible at a time when I felt I had lost touch with my potential and truest nature. Another notable buoy throughout the process was visualizing what I would do when I was on the other side: running, connecting with people, being in nature. On the hardest days, I would pull the bed covers over my head, turn on music, close my eyes, and visualize myself running up mountains with friends by the ocean during sunrise.

While you cannot control bad things from happening in your life - you can decide how you are going to respond to the adversity. Having this dream to hold onto while I experienced a massive amount of confusion, sadness, and grief was a very important light in my healing process.

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