“The tense negotiation between being honest and being careful is a constant one that doggedly trails us all throughout our lives. Trying to strike an equilibrium between finding healing in your vulnerability all the while bearing in mind that you are very much beholden to the norms and stigmas of society is a hard balance.”

“When I left for Australia, I opened my perception to people I would have never been introduced to, to ways of living I would have never known otherwise and to ways of accepting our weirdest, quirkiest, lightest, darkest selves in full acceptance. That really changed me.”

“The military also gave me additional perspective into real loss. I lost friends who were killed in battle. Some friends got shipped away and when they got out and came back, I just knew that I’d never see them again. There were some suicides. I already had a pretty good idea about loss but I learned a lot more about loss.”