I strive to find silver in all of my linings and am interested in nearly everything under the sun: music, sports, a good story, art, crafting, coffee, and writing.
I grew up in Oklahoma, where I was involved in basketball, drama, cello, choir, gymnastics, and church.
On my 19th birthday, 2011, I married my love and moved to San Diego, California, where my husband served his first duty station. Nine months later we moved to San Antonio for his lab technician training. There, I continued college and worked as a gymnastics coach.
November 2013 brought us to Okinawa Japan. Our favorite parts of living on the island were the gorgeous clear waters, white beaches, jungle trails, parks, and the tight military community. While there, I acquired my associates degree and a Group and Personal Trainer’s Certification. I loved working in the gym, helping people feel better and live healthier lives, as well as serving in our base’s chapel, doing much the same.
But here is where my story takes a dark turn. The year we left the country, I started experiencing severe POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrom) symptoms but went undiagnosed for a long, confusing, and scary time.
We moved back to San Diego in 2016, where we lived for four years, and I was eventually additionally diagnosed with Mast Cell Disease, Ehlers Danlos Disease, and Gastroparesis. Over the years my symptoms have worsened, my writing improved, and my hope in God challenged and grown.
At the end of 2020, my husband said farewell to active duty (though he remains in the reserves), and we moved back home, to Oklahoma. Though my health remains severely debilitating, I am happy and blessed to be near loved ones. And I am thankful that I can write.
I believe the power of the word can change the world, develop minds, and allow us to experience fantastic adventures, even when we cannot leave our couches.
I hope my words, stories, and poems can be a little bright light in your life, and that you may shine it to others.
Gold in the Gray 