After Everything, I Wrote This

I wrote a book. Not just started one or thought about one—I finished it, and I've decided to share it.

It's a memoir about growing up Mormon, coming out young, building a life that never quite fit, and eventually finding my way out. It's about identity, loss, and becoming.

I chose to self-publish on Amazon because I didn't want to wait for permission to tell my story. I wanted control over how it exists in the world—and I wanted it to be real, not stuck in drafts forever.

And honestly, it was far more doable than I expected.

If the idea of self-publishing feels overwhelming, here's what it actually looked like for me:

• I formatted my manuscript in Word using Amazon's guidelines
• I designed a cover in Canva
• I uploaded everything through Amazon KDP and followed their step-by-step process
• I made a few adjustments, clicked publish, and that was it

It took effort, but it wasn't complicated—and I didn't need specialized skills.

If you've ever thought about writing something—your story, your ideas, anything—you don't have to wait. It's more accessible than it seems, and your voice is enough.

For a long time, I didn't think I would ever tell this story. Not just writing it—but figuring our how to say it honestly, and in my own words. 

If you would like to read it, you can find it here: https://a.co/d/07Hk2ydJ

If someone reads this and recognizes even a small part of themselves in it, that's enough. 

You're not alone.

aB . All Rights Reserved . 2026

Amazon Rainforest Risks: The Tipping Point

    I had to choose a documentary to watch, and so I chose the Amazon Rainforest Risks: The Tipping Point. I am very interested in climate change, and from the list of documentaries available, this one caught my eye. I have known about the rainforest and that climate change is affecting it, but I had no idea to what degree. I enjoy watching documentaries and watching a lot of them on my own already, and so I really liked this one. It was very educational, informative, and easy to follow. 

    One of the key terms from the reading this week is global connection. Global connection is when people/things come together from all over the globe to work together. I really like how the documentary brought scientists together from all different countries and backgrounds to gather data on the rainforest. They all know the challenges that the rainforest is up against, and they want to work together to discover and help fix those challenges. They know that this crisis is not just confined to the Amazon, but it affects us all globally.

    The second key term I thought of was global environmental change. This means the changes in the environment that affect the entire globe. This documentary was all about climate change and how it was impacting the Amazon. Because 25% of the medication in the world is made from something found in the Amazon, it affects a lot of people if the rainforest disappears. Our entire ecosystem also relies on the Amazon to balance the carbon dioxide in the world. The entire Earth relies on the Amazon for this, and most people don’t even realize that.

    The third key term I found was vulnerability. The reading this week states that climate change will affect people differently as it is not distributed equally around the planet. The people who live on the banks of the Amazon River will be affected differently than those of us living in the United States, for example. As the Amazon rainforest dries up and diminishes, it will produce less fruit for the people living there to harvest, sell, and eat. This will affect them a whole lot more than us further away. Their risk is a lot higher than ours, as it will directly affect their livelihood. It will be a lot harder for them to recover from changes to their livelihood than for us in the United States.

    The takeaway from this documentary to me is that no matter where we live on the planet, climate change will affect us one way or another. It could be close to home, like those living along the banks of the Amazon River, or it could be that it will affect our air quality in Utah with a decrease in carbon dioxide. The global connections that climate change creates are large and far-reaching; no one is immune to the ever-changing world we live in. I need to do my part to be part of the solution and not the problem. I need to make sure that I am not contributing to the greenhouse gases in excess, but instead try to lower my carbon footprint.

Link to short documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwsI3JyO-t0  

[Written for GEOG 130G class UVU Spring 2022]
aB . All Right Reserved . 2025