Good evening Steemians!!! I'd like to introduce myself, my name is Laura and I just turned 34 years young! I have 4 amazing children, two are my own and two are my step-children and they range from 10-13, the oldest is my son and the other three are girls.
I have lived a very interesting life with many ups and downs.... unfortunately more downs than ups. However I like to think that all the downs are only making me stronger (although sometimes I forget this).
Before I became an adult or a parent I spent many years struggling with addiction to heroin and crack cocaine. I was not the typical youth drug addict, my parents were still together and both working, I was not in care of the ministry nor was I homeless ( till later). My parents found it easier to turn a blind eye to the drugs and the changes in me, till it was too late; I was too far gone into the addiction. It took me many years of being arrested for stealing to support my habit, detox centers , rehab centers and even being locked up before I wanted to make a change. I hit rock bottom many times but didn't learn quick..... I gave 6 precious years of my adolescence to addiction.
I will go deeper into this topic in another article, cant spill all my beans at once!
The topic of my "parents" is for a whole article all on its own!!
Part of the reason my username is @freeatlast, is the freedom from the addiction, along with a few other reasons I will write about at a later date.
I have completed two levels of post secondary education in business. First - Applied Business Technology Certificate, second - Hospitality and Resort Business Management Diploma. I grew up working in the costumer service industry initially with my father while he owned a few different businesses over many years, then I moved onto a local road stop fish and chip bus. That is where I found my love for food and beverage, once I was old enough I got into serving, cooking, and then supervising and before I knew it I was a manager and I loved it. While I went to school to further my education I continued to work while being a single mother of two small children. Thinking I would never see the end I pushed through. During my last year of school I had a very bad motor vehicle accident that set me back physically but I pushed through that too ( not knowing what was to come). After finishing school I found a job that I loved, I was given an opportunity to run a local golf course. I was hired to open up for the season with a fresh new start and was able to do what I loved to do and get my hands in every part of the business.... I thrived!! I almost finished the fist season and then was given some bad news. Doctors told me that the non aggressive cervical cancer that I had for years had finally started to progress and that they were going to take precautions, but then they found it had spread into my uterus and next thing I knew I was in the operating room having a full hysterectomy. Due to some complications the recovery and leave from work went from 8 weeks to 11 months and by that time I no longer had a job to go back to as they needed someone to do my job while I was on leave.
Since that there have been many more obstacles put in my way some have taken me longer to get past and others were not so hard.
Today I am a stay at home parent, my son lives with my ex , and they just moved in with my twisted parents ( again another article lol). I live in beautiful British Colombia, Canada!!! I never want to live anywhere else, wait... ok maybe somewhere tropical as I really do not like the colder temperatures. I do love the mountains and water that I am surrounded by here, I get lost in the natural beauty of my surroundings!! When life gets me down and my mind gets overloaded the peace and serenity of nature puts me right back where I need to be!!! All year round there is something to do here no matter the weather it is always stunning!! I will share pictures in the future of some of the beauty!!
I should stop here as I have to save something to write about in the future articles..... funny that I say that - I was having a really hard time trying to figure out what I should write about. I signed up a few months ago with my boyfriend who is into crypt o-currency and leaned about Steemit from a friend, he jumped right in, head first.... me not so much. I will be honest I was hesitant, and a little confused. Since then I have read many different articles and have finally built up the courage to do it!!! I am going to take this somewhat slow and try a few different things, I would really appreciate tips and feedback so I can learn.
I hope to be a successful part of this amazing platform and community and look forward to what the future holds for me here on Steemit!!!!!
Welcome to steemit! I'm glad to hear you've lightened your life and freed yourself from the drug addictions. You must be a very passionate person and now you have the opportunity to be passionate about life and your children's lives. Enjoy!
Welcome aboard this flight @freeatlast. Really sorry about all the things you have to go through. I'm thankful it's over now and that you found this platform where you can share some of your experiences with us and let off some steem. You are welcome deary. Have a nice stay.
Hi freeatlast
thank you for the hello @qmarpot
Welcome to steemit and good luck! I am sure you will enjoy your journey here!:)
I am defiantly excited to take this journey!!! Thank you for the luck!
Welcome to Steemit! Good luck!
Welcome to Steemit!
I'm sure that you will enjoy the journey and all the knowledge that you will accumulate here.
Thank you for the support and encouragement, I am sure this journey will be one to remember!!
Welcome to steemit, freeatlast!
I think you are ready for Steemit and Steemit is ready for you.
Welcome, @freeatlast. Good luck.
Thank you for the encouragement!!!
You are @freeatlast. I hope you do enjoy your stay here. I do hope to read you more frequently too.
Welcome to Steemit! Your story is so incredible already, and I know you will do amazing here, Your powerful inspiration is going to reach so many people. This community is amazing and so positive, I have yet to see one negative comment. Gave you and upvote and will be following :)
Thank you so much for the encouragement and support!!I'm excited to see what the future holds!
güzel
Welcome @freatlast, hopefully useful for us all,
do not forget to follow me and my friends
Hey, I'm Oatmeal Joey, and the journey towards freedom from addiction is what life is all about and people are inspired by stories like yours.
Hey Oatmeal Joey, you are so right about this life and what it is about, I hope to inspire someone with my experience!!!
awesome
Gave you an upvote and then some from a friend coming your way soon. A very powerful story. and it seems like you have more to share.
Thank you very much for the support, I do look forward to sharing my story with the community!!!
You're welcome to steemit as much as i am dear, i'm happy to meet you!
I'm yet to do my intro post probably because i'm not sure what to write.
Your tittle caught me up and have inspired me to write. I'll do that ASAP.
I'm sure to follow up on your blog. I hope we get to make the best of our new community.
I had a really hard time getting started, but i read a few introduceyourself posts and became inspired, as i have done for you!!! I think that is what this all about!!! good luck and i hope that we can support and encourage one another as we grow!!
Thank you so much, i've written a rough work and will be out of my shell soon enough.
Thank you!
Surely, we'll grow!
Hello Laura, welcome to Steemit. Wao, you've lived like 200 years in just 34. I like your philosophy of life and then you're right not to get all the beans in a single text ... look that summarize 200 years of life is not easy hahaha. I follow you immediately. Nice to meet you
oh hang in there.... I have about 10,000 more years to write about! I have just scratched the surface of my life story!!! thank you for the welcome and i look forward to hearing from you on my future articles!
Of course, take care.
Hi Laura
Thank you for sharing your story and being so open about your life.I am also new to steemit and I look forward to seeing more from you.
Welcome :)
Thank you!!!
Welcome to Steemit! I'm new too, I hope we can share more
Happy to meet you fellow minnow, together we can help and encourage each others growth to becoming whales !!!
welcome to the best of the best social platform ,alll will be right ,only patience a waits
Thank you !!
welcome to Steemit my friend
Thank you!! I look forward to meeting lots of new friends!
This post has received a 2.34 % upvote from @speedvoter thanks to: @boycharlieplays.
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welcome to steemit, glad you can join, hopefully we can be a friend ..
greetings from aceh
Hi😃
Hope you will have fun‼️
welcome to this great network, wishing you the best. greetings from Ghana
Welcome to Steem Laura ! You are Free at Last :)
You're welcome to steemit as much as i am dear, i'm happy to meet you!
Welcome ;)
Hi laura nice that you arrived here.
wow, you're like a cat whose gone through 9 lives and came back stronger than ever. Your story is inspiring and shows how what doesn't kill us, truly makes us stronger!
Thanks for sharing your story! Welcome!!!
welcome to this great platform you would never regret for taking such a decision
welcome to the steemit family @freeatlast, you will love it here. Feel free to shoutout anything. It would take a month or so to learn but have fun and enjoy. happy steemjng :)
Welcome to steemit!
Am also a newbie, I hope we will find this platform useful.
I love steemit,
So much love from Africa, doing all possible best to promote it over here
welcome to the "steemit" community
hopefully you will become a famous writer
Hello! Welcome to steemit 😊
Welcome and nice to meet you.
Welcome to Steemit! Your story is inspiring and very touching, and I’m glad you came out on top. Good luck to you!
Welcome freeatlast :)
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