This is my first post here on Steemit!

Verification photo:

Starting off on the right foot with a typo in my username (it's supposed to be drhershel, like my username on other blogging sites). Pushing past feeling silly to pure acceptance that my name now sounds like someone vomiting! Yay!

I'm very excited to be here amongst all you cool folks. This seems like an amazing place for self growth and development, and a wonderful resource for those who require alternative monetary streams ( aka me).

I discovered this internet community a month before I embark on a trip to Germany to get certified to teach English abroad. I plan to document the build-up to my trip, the experiences I have traveling there, and plenty of other fun topics including: feminism, mental health (anxiety, depression, destigmatization, etc), sexuality, outdoor adventures (backpacking, rock climbing, kayaking, and hiking), animals, vegetarianism, and funny observations of the world around us.

Some Stuff

I am a 20-something in the midst of some big life decisions.. and the avoidance strategies that come with these decisions. I grew up in Marin County, CA and moved to Seattle in 2010 to attend the University of Washington where I studied environmental studies and human rights. I love the thrill of traveling, especially solo, as it roots me in the present and distracts me from the underlying (and sometimes crippling) anxiety that I feel on a day-to-day basis. Since graduating, I've spent time all over the country and the world, working on and off and trying to find a place I feel like staying for more than 6 months.

Spoiler alert - I'm still searching.

A List of Things I Love

• Reading
  • Kurt Vonnegut, Eckhart Tolle, Cheryl Strayed, Aldous Huxley...
  • Currently reading: Valley Walls by Glen Denny
• Writing
  • Blogging for other's consumption, but mainly journaling as a form of therapy
• Laughing
• Taking pictures
  • Sometimes I capture some pretty amazing things!
• Dogs/most animals. Still working on training myself to like bugs. Little progress has been made.
• Being outside
  • Furiously battling the indoor addiction that is smartphones/the internet/social media

Some Random Facts

• I have been to 5 continents and 16 countries
  • Highlights: New Zealand, Thailand, + Israel
• I co-authored a book as part of a study abroad program in India
• My mother is from Ireland, and I am lucky enough to have dual-citizenship
• I was an award winning fake lawyer in high school and college

Hope you enjoyed my post!