When I was 18, I started community college to become a graphic design artist. At the time it made sense. Art was one of my interests, and if I were to pick a career to stick with for the rest of my life, then a career in one of my interests made sense. Boy was I wrong. After classes, I decided I enjoyed doing graphic design as a hobby but didn’t want to turn it into a career. I ended up changing my major to accounting. I had taken it in high school, and it was a subject I enjoyed and did well in. Like graphic design, it didn’t stick and I found myself struggling through my classes.

I ended up graduating from community college with a general associate’s degree with no idea of what to do next. For years I struggled to find my purpose, I played around with the idea of going back to school and looked into different career paths, but nothing felt right. It wasn’t until I reframed my thinking that I was able to find my purpose.

When it comes to mental health, one thing that isn’t mentioned often is hygiene. To most people, going days without brushing your teeth, showering, or combing your hair is disgusting. But for those who struggle with their mental health, it’s the norm. Living with mental illness is a challenge, and even on the best days. It’s a struggle to get out of bed most days let alone take a shower. You start telling yourself you’ll do it later, but keep putting it off. It feels like a fog is hanging over you and it becomes harder to find the motivation to care for your hygiene. You know you need to take care of yourself, but it’s easier said than done. Tasks that seem simple to most are a challenge to take on with a fog hanging over you, and crawling back into bed seems like the best option.

Well, I thought spring was right around the corner. It started to warm up in the Denver metro, and I had swapped out my coat for a jacket. One thing people keep telling me about Colorado is that the weather is unpredictable. One day it can be clear skies and in the 70s and the next below freezing and snowing. In March we got hit with a winter storm the days leading up to it the warm had been nice. It had been warm and sunny out, but the temperature started to drop and the forecast was calling for 4-6 feet of snow.

My job ended up shutting down for the weekend, so I ended up with a three-day weekend. Which allowed me to rest and get ahead on some of my school work. Since skiing and snowboarding are apart of Colorado life. I’d catch glimpses of people skiing down the sidewalks. Now I’m no stranger to snow, but that was a first for me. I’ve never been skiing, but it’s something I’d like to try. It looks like a lot of fun and a good way to get around during a snowstorm.

I create meal plans weekly to not only save money but to reduce stress. When I make my meal plan for the week I like to start the week with a casserole dish. My weeks don’t always go as planned, so it helps to have something that I can heat up quickly at home instead of going out to grab something. Since school started, casserole dishes make a big portion of my weekly meal plan. Between classes and work, cooking is the last thing I want to do some days. To shake things up each week, I explore different types of recipes but I do have a few go-to’s when I’m short on time. One of them being vegan tamale pie. It’s easy to make with simple ingredients.

I’ve been in Denver for almost two months now, and it’s starting to get into the swing of things. I’m still doing well in school and learning a lot in both classes. I also started a new job that I’m enjoying. I’m finally unpacked and got my apartment together. It’s nice to not having boxes all over the place. Up until now, I’ve been feeling out of place. I couldn’t find half my stuff, I didn’t know my way around the city, and wasn’t on track with stuff. Now that I’m all moved in settled, things are starting to fall into place and I’m not as stressed out. In February, I enjoyed a great solo Valentine’s Day and experienced some of the downsides of living in the city. I also made plans for March.