I was 17 years old, living in a small rural town outside of Buffalo, NY. Things had changed so much in the past few years … I was a happy child. I spent most of my time climbing trees, catching nightcrawlers for fishing, and making maps of the surrounding woods. When I hit my later teenage years, there was a shift. I was melancholy more days than not with a quick temper. At 16, I met my first real boyfriend and started hanging out with his friends in another small town called Bliss. It was anything but.

 It was there that I started using drugs and alcohol. Most of the time it was just a weekend thing. I didn’t think it was a problem. I was having fun. All my friends were doing it. Most parents knew what was going on and were “okay” with it because at least they knew where we were.