It makes me wonder how I ever survived this when I was younger! Or how did we survive high school? Sometimes we discount the experiences we've had in the past, we grow so distant or so much older, we forget our old struggles and how they shaped who we are today. College can be brutal, but it is also a ground for learning and self-exploration.

I got to be Cas. Not who I am at home with all those gender expectations, but my gender neutral self; a combination or male and female, and I was able to go by a name that reflected my gender fluidity that I won't be able to have at home. People called me He or They. Acknowledging and respecting my gender presentation. People recognized me as what I spiritually identify as. At college you get simply be yourself. I wish the real world was more open to this.