When a New Dawn Breaks
Two years ago today, I was sitting on a bus from Vienna to Berlin with the overwhelming sensation that the broken heart I was carrying would never heal. I had just ended a very complicated and painful relationship with someone who meant a great deal to me— again. Only, this time, it really felt like I was so completely drained, so traumatized by everything I had just gone through, that I could hardly fathom letting anyone close to me ever again. I was so full of rage and fear and despair, that I ironically felt almost nothing except the iron cage I was erecting to try and protect myself. The smallest touch was a potential threat, the slightest interest from anyone a blanket of obligation and guilt about to suffocate me into submission. I had no clue how to relate to anyone anymore or if I even wanted to. On top of all that, I had been struggling with unemployment for years, my physical health, depression, and an intense feeling of ostracization from society. It felt like my goals...