This feeling slowly boiling inside, you cannot put a name to it. You feel numb. Reality comes in waves as acceptance. A hard pill to swallow. There’s this lump stuck in your throat that just won’t go away.

When certain people got up to tell stories you knew it was going to be really good or really bad. You could tell by the gasps or the polite clapping which ones captured people’s imagination. 

They were meant to protect you. Instead, they caged you. They made you feel like you were stuck in a box, with no holes or room to breathe. It was a nagging pressure, you could not shake. How could you? It was all you could, to try and keep your head above water. Suppress, that is what you learnt to do best. 

"...camping on a whim allowed me to appreciate the little things I took for granted. Having a pillow, a blanket and of course a roof to protect me from cold weather. Having electrical plugs on the wall to plug my electronics. A fridge, the power of a cold glass of water is severely underestimated on a hot day."