In July of 2024, while traveling out of the country with friends, I was assaulted by a man who claimed to be an Uber to take me back to our hotel. The months that followed were the darkest and scariest of my life-filled with confusion, denial, and pain-marked by gaps in memory and questions that may never be answered. While I’ve been grateful to be spared of the weight of certain memories, the absence of them has brought its own kind of grief. It’s been a long and difficult journey-but I have grown and learned so much through this hardship, and I am thankful to be here today with a voice to share my story in case it can help even one person going through something similar. Truthfully, creating and sharing this is helping me too.

As horrific as it sounds, the words “I was raped” do little to encapsulate its depth; the reality, horror, and trauma of that night and the suffering that has followed. It’s nobody’s fault, just impossible to imagine unless you have experienced something similar.

While I have been so thankful for a wonderful support system of family and friends, it felt like nobody could really understand what I was going through-surrounded by people who love and care about me, I had never felt more isolated and alone. When I created this blog, I wanted to create something that I think would have helped me throughout my healing process. I would like to educate about trauma and its mental and physiological effects, as well as share about the ups and downs of healing from it. I will also talk about setbacks I have experienced, things that have helped me cope and get through, and lessons I have learned. I want anyone reading this to know that they are not alone and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.