I use that phrase…to really change my life and take control back

I’ve had a couple incidences with sexual assault and harassment. Even recently, in the past year. One of those went on for three years and it was a lot of trauma in my life. But it taught me a lot about myself and how to stand up for myself and be comfortable in who I am. To put myself first. I even got a tattoo. It says let me be brave with a flying raven. It is from Doctor Who. Symbolically it is a scene with one of the characters. She’s alone but she’s facing death, you know, facing the worst of circumstances. She goes out and tells herself let me be brave as she walks out there to face it all. That’s kind of my story. I use that phrase from Doctor Who to empower myself and to really change my life and take control back.

You think it’s an easy choice but it’s really not. It’s so anxiety inducing and it gets really scary because you don’t know what could happen or how the other person may react. So many people have had it go really badly for them, for saying no. That was a really powerful lesson that I had to learn.

I’m dressed as 11 from Stranger Things. She’s basically a telepath. She can move things with her mind. She’s really awesome. She’s actually a kid so I’m a little too old to be her. I think she’s a badass.
I had many stuffed animals growing up. I still have most of them because I’m a total pack rack. I’m very sentimental. They’re all important to me.