Like many in my generation, I was always trying to grapple with where I belonged when I was kid. I was the youngest of five children, separated from my older siblings by a wide age gap. As I grew older, I related most naturally with my brothers. I was a tomboy, though at the time, that word did not seem weighty or political. It simply described how I felt: a girl who felt more comfortable in pants and short hair than girly dresses and bouncy curls.
Fitting in at school was even harder. I didn’t necessarily struggle academically, but I struggled to find a purpose in the classroom. Bullying left me with memories that are still difficult to revisit. People could feel unpredictable and cruel, so naturally I felt that my healthiest and safest relationships were in the company of animals. They didn’t expect anything from me or ask me to be anything other than myself to deserve affection.
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