I’m writing this from the home of my wonderful friends Alyssa and Dan, who have opened up their hearts and spare bedroom to let me stay here for a few days while I visit Fargo/Moorhead. Returning to South Dakota was emotional, but it wasn’t until I drove into Fargo, North Dakota that it really hit me. “THIS feels like home,” I said to myself as I was driving through the snow-covered highways of the city. I’ve visited with a lot more of my family, surprised my “Fargo f...

    I had the wonderful pleasure of crossing paths with my dear friend Jacob in Lincoln, Nebraska this week as I have been making my way “home” to my comfort zone in South Dakota/Minnesota. We discussed the recycling phase of coming home after a long journey and the conversations were exactly what I needed right at that moment, at the end of my adventure around the United States. The drive into South Dakota was long and I could feel the anticipation of seeing my friends and family build u...

    Trying to fit in a chaotic, heavily cultured world can be messy. For an adolescent especially, acceptance is pretty high on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. But what is a person to do when their true nature conflicts with societal expectations? Lie, of course. You can have your cake and eat it too, if you do it right. I’m uncomfortably writing this post and exposing a very ugly skeleton in my closet in hopes that, if anyone who reads this finds themselves relating to any of it, they c...