The following are excerpts from a feature-length article I had written for one of my writing classes in journal form.

August, 2009

I stood behind the white bedroom door at 9 pm on a weekday evening, staring into my father’s dark brown eyes, as we both waited for the police and my aunt to arrive. I have never seen my father’s heart more heavy than in that moment. Now for my mother, she was on the other side of that door, knife in hand, trying to get in. At that point, I realized that I had lost my mother for good. The stereotype around addiction has been implemented in my own head.

June, 2014

I walked into the rehabilitation and counseling center towards the reception area and the check-in desk, taking a look around, only to see bare white walls, and four or five patients quietly sitting in their seats. “Hi, I’m here to see Robert” “Oh great! What’s your name and insurance?” I realized she thought I was a patient. “Oh no” I said shaky “I’m here for the internship.” The receptionist gave me a big smile, and directed me to take a seat. This time, I took a real observant look around. This time I noticed that the bare white walls resembled everyone else in there - the faces were flushed and had deep black and blue bags under their eyes. The energy in the room was dull and lacking.

July, 2014

It’s been a month into my internship, and I’ve come to realize how much I love it. The energy went from dull and lacking to energized and high-paced. I found love and compassion for the kids I worked with. Many came from broken homes, leading them to find themselves in the wrong crowds, doing the wrong things. Many were courted ordered to attend sessions because they were caught with drugs. Many have been through this system multiple times now. There always seems to be one child though, who we make a breakthrough with. That is the most rewarding.

November, 2015

It's been three months since I started college at George Mason University. It was rough at first, but I've found my niche. I came across clubs for mental health, as well as the recovery for all students initiative. I've discovered I'm not alone in what I've been through and what I feel.

April, 2016

The end of the semester is approaching, which means my freshman year is coming to an end. I've discovered a lot about myself, including what I'm meant to do. I attended an addiction rally in D.C., wrote my very first article for Odyssey on addiction, and even performed a slam poem about it. I've learned to speak up about what I've gone through, and I've learned that it can influence others.

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All of the short entries you just read were snippets of experiences and realizations I've been through that were a part of a bigger project I had done. While those entries may be confusing to you, they also may not be. Why?

Because everything that happens to us, and everything that we do, all lead us to this exact moment. All of our experiences have shaped us into who we are, and who we will become. The short snippets of my life written above all have led me to this very moment, typing this.

We all will struggle, we all will fight, but most of all, we will all learn from these experiences. We will grow, and we will change. But it's exciting that we as people are ever-growing, and ever-experiencing all that life has to offer-the good, and the bad.

I'm proud to share my life experiences with the world through my writing, my photography, and my education. My experiences have led me to this very moment, where I know who I am, and who I want to become. I know that my calling in life is to become an addictions counselor, to share my experiences, and to help others.

By reading all of this, I hope that you too, can embrace your life, your experiences, and yourself.