Okay, so here’s the thing about me: I really am a fantastic mess.

I like to think that I’m honest and what you see is what you get, but somehow I am still incredibly complicated. For example, I reserve the right to change my mind at any time, in any place for any reason. I can be spiteful and judgmental for no reason whatsoever. I’m ridiculously stubborn. I can’t control my facial expressions and I absolutely have no filter. I’m always up for a good argument. When I’m angry I pick fights and often with the unlucky soul who happens to be closest to me.

But I love my family, more than anything on this Earth. I believe it is my job to protect them. I am a fierce warrior for everything that I care about. I love and live like a polar bear. I prefer a small circle of close friends to 6 million Facebook friends. If you are my friend you know it and you know that I treasure you. And if I don’t like you, you know that too. I don’t need to be liked but I need to be respected.

I’m sassy and smart and I talk a lot of trash… a lot. I love football, basketball and the Spartans. I am incredibly competitive but easily discouraged. And as such I am my harshest critic. Forgiveness does not come easily to me. I am open and trusting to a point, but after that point my trust could easily be gone forever. May God have mercy on those who piss me off.

I love the city as much as I love the mountains, the forest and the ocean. I have a restless soul. I find peace only when connected to the nature around me and experience real freedom only when I’m riding my horse. I think animals are like people and so I treat them that way. I also love music and dancing it out. Sometimes a song lyric can say it better than I ever could.

I believe that only through the pain can we truly appreciate happiness. I’m not afraid to be dark and twisty. To me it is better to feel everything than to be numb. I am full of passion and creativity, anger and despair, hope and fear – it makes me feel alive. I love adventure. Sometimes I do things just for the rush. I have great intuition, but unfortunately I don’t always follow it. And so I am cautious and hesitant one moment and the next I am throwing myself in with reckless abandon.

I’m hopelessly flawed. I’m a pain in the ass. But it’s worth it, if you’re strong enough.