an update

i looked back and the last time i posted in a blog was christmas 2005. i won't be giving a detailed description of the last three years, but i'll just write about where i am now and what i've been up to in general.

most of you know that i transferred to UC Berkeley in fall 2006 and moved to berkeley in january 2007. not all of you know that i left berkeley this past spring and will not be finishing my degree there.

i transferred to UCB as a biochemistry major and a premed student. i had wonderful professors and amazing friends and i still love berkeley campus and berkeley city. while i was there, i discovered my passion for public health and access to healthcare for socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. i volunteered like a crazy person, filling all my spare time with groups and activism and panels and and and... i fell in love with berkeley and non-profits and an activist lifestyle.

in the midst of all these discoveries, i began to get overwhelmed and miss more and more classes. then i started missing groups. then i stopped getting out of bed or eating or really doing anything that mattered. finally, i went to the health center and started seeing a therapist and a psychiatrist and was diagnosed with clinical depression. not shocking now considering our family history, but it seemed to come out of nowhere.

2+ years (and a lot of therapy and support and hard work) later i'm getting myself and my life back to where i want to be. depression is something i never understood until it crashed into my life and took away all the things i cared about. it's not something i would wish on anyone, but in fighting my own depression i have grown and learned things about myself i would otherwise have missed. i have adjusted my priorities and learned to take care of myself and the people i love. i have discovered that even though i struggle a little (or a lot) every day, i can still live my life and fall in love and do meaningful things. i can still love myself.

i may have learned a lot of things the hard way, but i'm so glad i learned them.

that's sort of the general update. more specific updates to come. i recently moved from san jose to santa cruz and i'll be going back to school in january at san jose state university. i'll be finishing my biochemistry degree and getting a minor in public health. after that... we'll see!

i'm very much in love with my amazing partner, Asher. i'm happy with him in a way i never thought possible. and our relationship is healthy. how kick-ass is that? if you've seen us together you probably want to hug us. or punch us. or throw up. regardless, i'm so grateful to have him in my life.

i spent this christmas with Asher's family and i'm happy to be a part of their lives and to have the Moody family in my life. also, i may have to kidnap our nephew, Shaun. he's just that cute. i'll post photos. you'll understand.

love to everyone this holiday. thank you for being in my life.