Hello Steemit People!

Hello Steemit community, I'm Ashley!

To be honest, I'm nervous as hell to write this post. It's a scary thing, to put yourself out there in writing and be willing to get criticism in return. My own insecurities have kept me from writing more times and in more ways than I can count. That's why I here. I'm ready to rediscover the girl who could win scholarships with her words that I lost a few years ago.

It's a relatable tale: Straight-A student meets depression in college and bottoms out. One of my first losses was writing. Being able to sit with myself long enough to string together some cohesive thoughts and put them into words became an excruciating process. Long gone were they days I would write poems to pass the time and sketch out editorials for fun.

Here I am six years later, a little wiser, a lot more sober and with more mental strength than ever, but I still haven't really jumped back into writing. Online platforms offer endless ways to contribute, but they can feel so permanent and public that it's hard to not feel intimidated. So, with some encouragement from @austinhopper, I'm here. I'm determined to take the leap and I'm excited to have Steemit to help me find my creativity in writing again.

About Me:

Currently working as an Paraoptimetric Assistant - which is a fancy way of saying I give people eye exams and help out doctors and know way more about eye balls than I thought I ever would. It's not what I went to school for and that's fine by me.

My main obsessions are thrifting, hiking, yoga, nutrition and travel. Vegetarian cooking is making a slow entry into that group. I have a pretty swanky shop growing at depop where I resell my thrift finds. You can look forward to reading more about my super amateur hiking experiences, yoga flows and health quirks in future posts ;D

Originally from farm-town Ohio. Now living in Washington state with these guys:

Together, we do a lot of traveling, hiking, biking and random creative projects. It's a wild ride with these two and I look forward to sharing more!