Hello!! :) If you are reading this and have seen my photo, I’m guessing you’re thinking something in the lines of; ‘what a happy looking couple, so in love and boy are they a beautiful, blessed little family’. We sure are blessed. Had I not known “us”, (however strange that just sounded, though I will probably be dwelling on ‘who I am’ till the day I die) that would be my first reaction too. 

To tell you in ‘short’ what lays behind this photo I will give a brief peak to my story (I hope you don’t mind the sarcastic humor at times, this is life, and we must not take it too seriously, right?)

My name is Kaitlin, and in my 27 young years, I have been fortunate to have experienced what feels like a lifetime. I've hit the jackpot being born in Norway, I must say. - A country where opportunities are abundant. For the past 10 years , I have travelled the world, and lived in every continent (just Antarctica left on my list). I have a degree in development studies and a Masters in philosophy. 

(Lets see if you can master the skill of reading backwards.. Sorry about that) 

2017 was a big year for me; I've been gifted with a beautiful healthy boy AND a girl (without even "trying"). 2017 was also the year I got into the crypto-world; during the exciting run up in November/December, when I really should've been sleeping and storing up all the energy needed to nurse two babies, I was up till early in the morning  watching the charts, trying to keep up with everything (I've gotten pretty good at multitasking this past year). What exciting times! I’m glad to introduce you to my little "Crypto-Babies" Amion and Ayra, born July 31st 2017. 

I think we can agree; that we are big believers in blockchain technology. On a more personal level, coming from a background in sustainability and development, having seen the world from multiple angles, my interests lies in its many solutions in the field of humanities. In Aid for instance, money transfers can go directly to people and projects to which the grants are intended. Women can take more ownership as everyone are entitled equal access to credit. Land titlements and ID's stored on the blockchain will have a huge impact on many, and especially farmers, who are daily being exposed to land grabs and forced migration due to the lack of proper paperwork and procedures in many third world countries. I have first-hand experience from conducting fieldwork in Bolivia, Tanzania, The Dominican Republic and Haiti. Hence, you can expect to read about my inquires from my adventures and my ideas on how blockchain can serve the people that might need it the most. 

Before I get into the deeper more fun stuff about me, I’d like to share with you how I got introduced to Steemit;

The first time I called for babysitters was when I went to my first crypto meet-up (hosted by the Bitcoin Association in Oslo) in the beginning of the year. The room was filled with such a diverse group of very enthusiastic people, you had the hippies, the students, businessmen, a couple of women, and a lot of thrilled IT Gee... I mean "guys" (Thank god we got you on the team)! I've met some of the most honest, empathic and genuine people in this space, and the innovation is just incredible!<3 From there I got an invitation to the EOS meet-up later in the evening. That's where I met Camilla, we were seated next to each other and we really hit it off, jokingly discussing how we could start a women's evolution in the crypto-space! I'd like to thank @camilla and her boyfriend @clains (who was one of the speakers at the conference) for introducing me to Steemit. I've meant to get involved a while ago, but I've been too busy trying to stay sane and alive to say it the least. 

Some facts about me

1. If I had a spirit animal, it would be a chameleon. I'm partly Taiwanese, Vietnamese, Papua New-Guinean, Irish, Polish, Norwegian and Swedish. Being born in The United States and raised in Norway, having moved 18 times before turning 18, it's in my blood to travel. I can easily adapt to new environments, build trust and connect with people from all corners of the world, and I feel at home wherever I am!

2. I'm not afraid to dive into the unknown (At least that's what I tell myself). I had just finished my thesis and was SO ready to get a one-way ticket somewhere. A few days after submitting my thesis I found out I was pregnant. With the pressure of writing 'my masterpiece' (every postgraduate out there will understand), I had gone a little cuckoo during this time. It had taken me three years to complete my thesis, as I kept extending the deadline, telling myself; "it's not good enough", these words would later reflect how I felt about myself, it transcended into; "I am not good enough". How could I take care of a baby when I couldn't even take care of myself, or even love myself? Nor did I know the father of the baby, so I decided that it was not my call to become a mother, yet. In the middle of the the process of having an abortion, the nurse tells me there are two foetuses in there, and that I had to stay at the hospital to complete the abortion. Say whaat?! wait, two?! So that's how this journey began. Life gave me a gift, and offered me a different path, I trusted life, and dived straight into it!  

Syed (yes, that's him on the photo) and I are a bit paradoxical, starting it off with having babies in the most difficult time of my life, then we get to know each other... Haha! Now that's something!

2. My current job at the moment (along with motherhood) is to hang out with one of my best friends whose name is Harald. This might sound a bit odd, but in my early twenties I was introduced to psychedelic mushrooms, and the reason why I'm sharing this particular fact, is because my view on the unconventional has actually saved Harald's life. He suffers from Progressive MS (Multiple Sclerosis). It' a story I'm dying to share with the world, a story we all need to hear, but we would need a whole blog post about that for another time.

3. I tend go against the stream, making "fuck-it" lists rather than "to-do" lists, living my life at times to the extremes. I'm taking my little family for a 3 month trip (maybe longer depending on how we go about travelling with twin toddlers) starting in India this upcoming september. So i'm happy to share this fun journey with you.

4. I built a treehouse 5 meters up in the trees, here in Norway. My friend and I used to live there for a few months during winter (and it gets pretty cold in Norway - one of my most wicked projects). 

5. I travel like a local. Mostly on motorbikes that i buy for the time being, but also on overloaded, cramped boats (where buckets are sent around if one needs to use the loo - kinda style). Once, I got stuck out at sea with three people lying on top of me, with engine problems for 9 hours in pitch darkness in Haiti. I've slept on mountain tops under open skies and thunderstorms and crossed borders by foot. 

6. I live on the edge, but always come out stronger. I've been close to dying twice, once in Brazil when I went fishing with a local because I ran out of money and had to find food, and once when i was hit strong with dengue fever and was treated by local healers in Indonesia (Thank god we have modern medicine/facilities and good friends who brought me to the hospital). 

The list goes on and on of the crazy situations I've found myself in. One thing is certain, I have made friendships with people from all over the world, I never judge (Except myself), I listen to people, and love to hear their unique life stories. Although we don't always understand each other in words, we can get far with trust, smile, dance and laughter. That's a language we all share! I have learned that nothing is more right (or wrong), or better than something else. I have learned to embrace difference and open my eyes to other realities and truths than my own, and thats a brave skill to have. 

BEHIND THE SURFACE

Growing up in multiple countries, being introduced to so many different lifestyles, does have its costs. I struggle with 'identity', and culture shock whenever I come back from my far-about trips. How weird is that? It's when I come back to Western civilization that I get confused, where I can't sleep, where I don't feel like i belong/or fit in. 

I do struggle a lot whenever I'm in Norway, my "home". I spend 90 percent of my time dwelling in the past or the future, worrying way to much about things that hasn't happened. When I am around family, those who love me to pieces, I don't know who I am anymore. I have spent the past 10 years travelling, and grown a lot as a person, but then I quickly go back into my old self (and here comes my issues with expectations and projections). I project every possible scenario in my head and end up living like a robot, like my life becomes scripted. I do this unconsciously, hiding a big part of my personality whenever I'm around family, and it really hurts. This is not truthful, then the flow is missing. We need flow in our lives, we need to trust ourselves and be our true authentic selves; its from there we grow and connect. I know this, I have lived through this distinction several times. It hurts when you cannot be yourself around those who love you.

This anxiety really creeps up on me and can take me by surprise. I had my first panick attack on a flight, when I came back from my most recent trip in the DR and Haiti. I've spent countless hours with different therapists, I've tried spiritual coaches, to psychologists to ayahuasca and back again. I remember getting panick attacks on the subway when I saw an old man entering the train, imagining that could've been my father, and that I'd never get the chance to get to know him. How is it that I can connect, flow and dance with life when I'm out travelling, and with 'strangers', but why have I created this illusion that I cannot be happy, or be myself in a certain place, and with certain people?

What my intensions are for this platform, is to share from the deepest of my heart, in hope that I can connect with people who might be going through something similar. I think its important to write; by putting words down, and sharing them, you are in a sense, manifesting your narrative, your life story. If you reflect on events that happened, in terms of how you felt about it, why it happened and what good you can derive from it, I believe this can help put an end to something that still affects you today. So sharing with you on steemit, whether you will come across my stories, I want you to know that is a big jump into one of my biggest fears; judgment and expectations. This is a step on my path to truth and self-discovery. 

Steemit, this amazing community encourages us to be vulnerable and share our truths in order for us to connect on a deeper level. It's not just NEEDED and beautiful, but I'm thinking it can also serve as therapeutic, at least for me.

Thank you for reading! <3

Love from Kaitlin