Photography by Adri

How is it possible his half-paralyzed face makes him extra adorable? 🥹

(not a pet, unreleaseable wild animal in licensed human care)
Despite what most people might think, skunks are ADORABLE and I will literally fight anyone who disagrees.

I've been really missing home lately. Spring is starting to show its face here in the Netherlands, but there really is no comparison. There's no place like California.

Check it out! Davide and I are focusing on video editing - creating promotional videos for businesses and non-profits. :)

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The Netherlands, well known for its seemingly constant grey and rainy weather during winter, has been experiencing white-out blizzard conditions

**e

My momma and one of her rescued Greyhounds

Did you know that US military veterans are 1.5x more likely to commit su***de than the average person?
..and did you know that people with Fibromyalgia are 10x more likely to commit su***de than the average person?

Just let that sink in for a minute.

We all talk about taking care of our military vets and how su***de is a huge problem for them. Which is ABSOLUTELY true, and it should absolutely be talked about, and we should absolutely be taking better care of them!

But nobody talks about Fibromyalgia. Literally most people I mention it to don't even know what it is.

I'm really not surprised. There's little to no help for people like me.

I applied for financial assistance for disability. It was rejected within a couple weeks, because I didn't live in this country when I turned 18. End of story. No help for me.

I'm extremely lucky that I have my family, and my boyfriend and his family, to help support me financially. Because I literally cannot work 99% of jobs. I have tried. It makes me even more sick, constantly having to push myself even when I already feel bad.

People like me are afflicted with severe pain, fatigue, and other issues that are generally completely invisible.

Then we are told there's nothing that can be done to help us.

Then we are told that we probably don't qualify for government help. Or we're going to have to apply a bunch of times to get it.

And we are just supposed to magically have some sort of solution as to how we can function and survive in this world when we can't even hold down a proper job.

So if you ever get tired of hearing me, or anyone else, talk about invisible illnesses...this is why I do it.

People with Fibromyalgia are killing themselves at a rate that FAR surpasses even military vets. And yet there is NO help for us.

Even on a good day, I feel severe pain. And I know that the only thing that will, some day, stop my pain, is dying. That's it. There's no other solution.

This is why I advocate for awareness.

Awareness is the first step towards more research - and maybe some day, better treatments.

PHOTOGRAPHY PRO TIP: Clean your camera sensor!

This is a photo from my archives, taken before I started cleaning my sensor on a regular basis. Don't make the same mistake that I did! Learn how to clean your sensor, so you don't have to spend 10+ minutes *per photo* editing out dust spots.

First photo is after 45 minutes of editing. Second photo is before any editing.

Want to see a time-lapse of the entire editing process? I just uploaded a video of it to my YouTube channel!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64wbT6JcrDw

In Amsterdam, Starlings will use your bike as a perch to sit and sing on.

Another view of the bright green Colorado River

The rocks and the dirt are so red, that even the clouds reflect it. Add a neon-green Colorado River to the mix, and you've got a landscape that looks like something from another planet.