I never knew that I could write well until my senior year of high school, when my AP English teacher told me that my writing already had its own distinct voice which was uncommon for a young writer. That compliment never left me. I still remember it today whenever I’m feeling uninspired or discouraged.

Over the past few years, writing has become everything to me. It is my past, my present and my future. Writing has opened up a new world for me with opportunities writing for up and coming platforms like Mogul Inc. and The Odyssey. I even scored a paid internship writing for the UNH Today newsletter and have met so many knowledgeable people that encouraged me that a career in writing is feasible.

But even more than just a means of networking or a potential career, writing has become a therapy for me. Often times there are so many things running through my mind that I feel as if my head is going to explode, so I turn to a blank page. Thoughts and feelings bubble to my surface and bleed themselves out in ink. The methodical clicking of a keyboard calms me as I’m able to write out everything that my mouth can’t seem to form into words.

Writing has given me a voice that I never knew I had in me, a voice that is confident, influential and relatable. That last word is the most important. Through writing, I’ve found that a lot of people feel the same way I do or have experienced similar situations that I have. My favorite thing that has come out of my writing is hearing how people related to and even benefited from my pieces. It’s a humbling and healing experience.

I write for myself, I write for my friends, and I write for strangers in hopes that my words will touch someone’s heart as many others’ words have touched mine.

Going forward, I hope that my life never gets too busy to write. Whether or not I choose writing as a career or a past time, I find comfort in the fact that I have found my “knack” and my passion. I have so many people in my life who push me to continue chasing my dreams and remind me of the voice that is within. So maybe this piece isn’t so much as an explanation of why I write. Maybe it’s more of a “thank you” for those who have been there for me, as readers, as critics, and as supporters. I couldn’t keep writing without you.