NERVE 10 is here. Join me in exploring mental health and finding meaningful connections.

I have thought about creating my own website for years, but something has always held me back. Now, with the start of my third decade on Earth, I know enough to realize that life rarely presents you with a clear map of where to go next. Reality more often takes the shape of a map being patched together while the journey is already underway. Nerve 10 is that work-in-progress, my way forward as I strive to come into my own. Opportunities don’t present themselves to those who are worthy of them; opportunities are created. For me, to write is to emote. When I write, I write for myself, but I also write to connect with the world.

 

I first put my writing to the test-and up for public scrutiny-when I started blogging in 2008 as a way to update my friends and family while I spent the summer in Ghana. I received a positive response for my first blog posts, but it wasn’t until I wrote about my Peace Corps experiences in Guatemala that I learned what it means to stand by your word. The Internet can be an exciting place to join communities of interest and connect with like-minded folks. But it can also be a scary place fraught with the judgment that comes with brutal honest. The fact that my first blog was made using Blogger and allowed my readers to choose to comment anonymously did not help one iota in shielding me from experiencing the occasional wrath of those with different opinions. I learned that readers of my blog could be ruthless with their criticism. However, I mainly learned that the Internet is a wonderful place, and it provides the eye-opening opportunity to connect with readers from all over the world.

 

And that is what Nerve 10 is about: connection. I’ve grown up a lot since since my days wandering around the world trying to find myself. I’ve had my share of triumphs and tragedies along the way. Now that I am 30 and pursuing a graduate degree in social work, I think who I am meant to become is starting to materialize. Nerve 10 is a platform for me to share what I have learned in my life-and what I continue to learn, each and every day. From mental health to emotional resilience, to the lessons learned from crushing blows, Nerve 10 is about the connections that bind us. It’s about the wisdom earned from failure and the brightness that can only be found in the darkest places. It’s about recognizing that we are all in this together-and that we can make it through the toughest of times with an assuring nod and an outstretched hand.

 

Thanks for joining me on this journey.