When I first heard the news about Carrie Fisher, I struggled to come to terms with the fact that this was now a reality. I had grown up idolizing Carrie Fisher, as Princess Leia was perhaps my favorite character from my favorite movie series, Star Wars. To put my Leia obsession into perspective, one must understand that I wanted nothing more than to be Princess Leia when I grew up. I even printed out a picture of Princess Leia and toted it around like a paper doll, so yeah, Carrie Fisher has played a pretty big part in my life. Although I always found myself drawn to the characters Fisher played, it was her real life persona that impacted me the most as a young adult. Carrie Fisher was extremely open about her struggle with drugs and mental illness, and reading her autobiography at a young age completely helped shape me and my attitude in life. Carrie combatted the difficulties of life with humor and candor, and I can very much attribute my coping methods to having been inspired by Carrie. Carrie's personality shined bright and dazzled the world more than any other person possibly could. I will forever hold a special place in my heart for the woman that taught me so much about who I am and what I stand for. These past few days have been extremely difficult, for me as a fan, and I cannot imagine what her family must be going through.

So, all in all, thank you Carrie. Thank you for being the most badass Princess around. Thank you for teaching me that humor is the best way to go through life. Thank you for teaching me not to be ashamed of myself and my "demons". So, Thank you Leia, and May the Force be With You.