Double L Double T

A great weekend in Manzanita right as I got back from Vermont to celebrate the beautiful love of @brycenspice and @terburger. What a love you two have! ❤️ also discovered a unicorn store and my mind was blown. 🦄 (at Arch Cape, Oregon) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2vyVnThNhhJOKCDGNX1EqdWJmfS_sxtP7Q_nE0/?igshid=1i2z5nndtndvt

What a crew. This was the federal team for the Vermont NYTD review and we worked hard everyday, pushing each other, supporting each other, and laughing every chance we got. The work isn’t always light but I’m glad for these folks being right by my side. And now I’m happy to be heading home. Thanks for the warm welcome Vermont! 🦄🛫🌈 #NYTD #jbs #fostercare (at Burlington International Airport - BTV) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2pIWA6BHUwhXfnMG4HlcCbZnZfgBlmY-SqrZY0/?igshid=1izxo9tv1bomj

Day four of the Vermont NYTD review is tomorrow which means we are just about to wrap up and will get to head home tomorrow after a solid week of work here. I’ve clearly been sleeping on the beauty of the North East and need to come back and explore it more sometime. Big shout out to Vermont folks this week who made us feel so welcomed and let us see the work they are up to with transition age foster youth. Glad for the team I got to come here with and looking forward the next NYTD adventure! Also, @absolutelu and I got to do a throwback and do a strategic sharing training together with the youth. Pretty rad to have a full circle moment. 💛🦄🌈 (at Waterbury, Vermont) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2npFZmhbDI7u_Cf4vJuchhD88J53GB9sPoWLI0/?igshid=2xw4usr8qozz

This birthday brought many great things into 26. A unicorn 🦄 sanctuary in my bedroom, toadstool cupcakes, Ava Gene’s delicious cuisine, and a hat of my dreams, to name a few. Thank you @whatlolodoknow for making it so. ❤️😘🦄 #26 https://www.instagram.com/p/B1-oe34BA491U5Qnk7PSDPPojcRoM6bAe9ckI80/?igshid=fnaxqtsizd6h

Hey 26, I’m ready for ya. 😏🦄🤠☀️ #birthdayunicorn #virgo (at Rooster Rock State Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1-ajibB2xfDeYScwlSYT3yvWbGkqVht7Fkibs0/?igshid=22kx3s8adrk2

Some final moments of 25. A day with friends, food, comfort and love. Looking forward to even more of that as I welcome in 26! 25 brought me a lot as well as it let a lot go. If I’ve learned anything this first quarter of a century of life, it’s that I know nothing and there will always be more to learn about myself, others, and the world. Just here to make the most of the time I’ve got. #unicorn #birthdayeve 🦄🎁🎂 thank you thank you @whatlolodoknow for making a delicious breakfast (red lobster cheddar bay biscuits y’all, and gravy!!!) and decorating! And Alex and Jamie for the delicious and amazing funfetti cinnamon rolls! 😋 It was just what I wanted. ❤️ Thanks to @caitlinjuneb @sarahegiles @tiredestfriend @gentle_diplomat @carly.slay.jepsen @the_nguyener @elle_rosenthal and my new roomie Elizabeth for celebrating today and spending time together. 💛💛💛 (at Portland, Oregon) https://www.instagram.com/p/B128EGBhy_84RmdiRhqkl6o8I36WtC5UwK5Abk0/?igshid=mcaw5u28j3hp

And some photos from my time out in Reedsport yesterday. A treat for sure to get a beach trip during the work week for work. 🏖🌲🌊 (at Reedsport, Oregon) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1u4Ithh1ECLOvztZ51D7RKZtbkzVwhOjYGmeU0/?igshid=124bsffyho63u

And some photos from my time out in Reedsport yesterday. A treat for sure to get a beach trip during the work week for work. 🏖🌲🌊 (at Reedsport, Oregon) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1u4Ithh1ECLOvztZ51D7RKZtbkzVwhOjYGmeU0/?igshid=124bsffyho63u

After what has already been a tiring work week, (why does driving take it out of you?) was great to have dinner and get to catch up with these two lovely humans. Always the best hosts. 💛 got to see a cool covered bridge in Myrtle creek today and a little Eugene forest. Also got a late 🦄 Christmas gift just in time for my birthday! These two make me feel right at home and check in on my heart and I’m glad for it. 💜 (at Eugene, Oregon) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1u3YkFBJlWgAZh3fohYTQ5SzkL5gliH_F50mU0/?igshid=19nw5f6fl8122

Wowie am I excited to go home and sleeeeeep! Glad I got to see some of my fav folks this week though and dip back into child welfare specific work. PDX, see you in a bit. 😴🦄✈️🌈 #butfirstwewait #fostercare #unicorn (at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1hGNm7BXBHtlKyV1Ro7L2U1UPetLaA_P_z-Bg0/?igshid=1i08t7juki5hx

Always glad for the friendly familiar faces of this work when it takes me away from home. Glad for my foster care alumni fam. 💛🦄 #fostercare #childwelfare #framily (at Washington Marriott Wardman Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1c2-v3hQfiD0gSQleXR4Rg_BWDZ8fL7TpSYAI0/?igshid=1b41lztrwwzpy

Up, up, and away again. Back to DC this week and while it’s work, looking forward to also seeing some faces I haven’t in a minute. All the travel. Big thanks to @whatlolodoknow for getting me to the airport and out of bed no less. See you in a few days. 😘🦄🛫 (at Portland International Airport) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1ZBprMBxhfOle_OyjDOZTzmNeo3fFJrv7sd380/?igshid=je1i9ih7jt8e

Coming back to work after a really great few days unplugged in the Forrest with the Radical Faeries for my first gathering. Glad I got to go with @whatlolodoknow and meet some really lovely faeries. I took my faerie name: Tender Unicorn, too! 🦄 I’m true faerie fashion, the sparkly unicorn cap was given to me by another faerie who felt it was meant for me. 😭❤️ it was really nice to let go of everything for a few days... can I continue that? Ha! #tenderunicorn #radicalfaeries (at Breitenbush Hot Springs) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1WdU3eBMEFno5Kh7UUxIMOhKKXeLkN8Tj1Lgs0/?igshid=1dvmws7aiunyc

Currently at home sick but working from home today after finding out amongst other things I have strep. 😭😫😒 so here’s a shout to @elle_rosenthal for the beverages to help me feel better as well as my sweet love @whatlolodoknow who also brought me fav drinks and otter pops which I’m happily enjoying to soothe my sore throat. Being sick sucks but sometimes company can make all the difference. Also pictured, me freezing at the doctors office so they gave me a blanket. 😂 feeling better already though after all the meds and love! 🦄🤷🏼‍♂️ (at Portland, Oregon) https://www.instagram.com/p/B030yr6hu69wzauuzNraVrtllVnK2-s8qkE_Yc0/?igshid=1ozzdmxb0ehqb

A great long weekend in the DMV, mostly North Bethesda, Maryland for this years NYTD training. Because of top surgery and then a hysterectomy last year I missed the training and reviews around those times so was great to see friends again and meet the new reviewers in the pool! Was especially lovely to have @whatlolodoknow join at the end of their own trip on the East coast so I could spend evenings with them. ❤️ Today was the official day we filmed from early morning until the last possible moment for a new video tool, thus the fun film set photos. 😉 🎞 🎥 On my last plane home from Seattle to Portland now and looking forward to being back home... nothing like it 🌲🏔💦 #pdxishome #iwanttosleep #tiredunicorn #fostercare (at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac)) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0z-JSCBkccVINnXltFm0j93eTO1cPnbZJhVYQ0/?igshid=1gb0u3mxsjzrv

I haven’t always been happy about it. Lots of memes talk about millennials being pretty aware of mental health and going to therapy is much less stigmatized etc. I even seen that in my job. This is great, but there is still some places we aren’t comfortable being straight up honest about. I live with suicidal ideation. Most of my life it has cycled on and off, my brain trying to take care of pain I felt by thoughts of ending my life flooding my head space. But the more I’ve leaned into understanding my childhood, the trauma from it, and why I function the ways I do, the more I find myself wanting to live and find the ways to cope. Most recently I’ve been reading the book Attached, on attachment theory (highly recommend) and it mentions how we have started to gravitate in society towards the mindset of independence above all, and loving your self BEFORE you can love others but this book has had some great reminders, and based in research, that we actually learn to love ourselves and others in secure relationship with others. Not isolated and self reliant. It’s okay to lean on others, ask for support, and say you aren’t okay on your own, even ask for what you need! Thanks to the friends and framily that hold my heart everyday. Another day still here, alive. ❤️🦄 #trans #mentalhealth (at Portland, Oregon) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0eNdENBST_AAMtGtK9WzaIKQd4V6CJcTl43LE0/?igshid=gwu6c4382jal

Work-dad/work-spouse does lunch with @caitlinjuneb. We’re hot, we know. 😏 #workdad #queer 🦄🌈 (at Sassy Onion) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0ZLwmehsGTlo86rD1-lr1dMkjt2MrPB4PAXHc0/?igshid=89q0lczvt28