I'm new here on Steemit, so let me introduce myself...

Hey, my name is Kaija and I’m a bit of a wanderer. I’m 25 years old and I feel like my life is just beginning.

I joined this platform because I have a passion for writing, learning, living and most recently, crypto currency. Lately I’ve been in search of an outlet. I’ve been feeling anything but adequate. I’m living in my own head and every little thing seems to cause me distress. I hope that by putting my thoughts and stories into written words I can escape and begin to branch out and connect within the communities here. But first, let me tell you a bit about myself…

I grew up in Canada in a small town with a single mom and three brothers. I’m the middle child. One older brother and two younger (twins). And when I say small, I mean small. Everybody knew everybody. The hippie town of Winlaw BC consisted of the bare minimum amenities and a population of about 400 people. My brothers and I are all quite close in age which meant we basically grew up as best friends and on a farm with goats, chickens and pigs.

The seasons were spent outside. We played every sport in the book and invented many of our own. We spent day after day jumping off bridges into the river, climbing trees or in the yard building something. We looked for adventure and excitement in each day and if you asked our mothers most would say we pushed the boundaries when it came to safety. We had to keep ourselves entertained which usually meant some dangerous, unconventional or high-speed activity. Every now and then we might come together to play a board game, just to show Mom we could.

Like I said earlier, I grew up with a single Mother. My father made his exit when I was three years old and there’s no denying it has hugely shaped who I grew up to be. Family has always been incredibly important to me. My mother was always the strongest person in the room and only because she had to be.

My Grandparents played a huge role in my life and to this day, still do. My Grandma, a paramedic and firefighter of 30 years, walks around with her head held high like the badass tattooed woman she is. Quite the contrast from my considerably more anti-social and downright hilarious Grandpa, both unfiltered and genuine.

Socially, school was always hard. In elementary school I had friends because they were the same kids’ id went to daycare with and the only others kids my age in town. There were only two secondary schools in the area and after attending both all I can say is that I had a terrible high school experience, complete with strangers and bullies.

I could never focus on anything and although I excelled in most of my courses, I graduated with absences in the hundreds. My childhood dream of becoming a vet had shifted a thousand times at this point and I had no idea what I wanted to do moving forward.

After graduating I spent a few years living a life that revolved around mostly delinquent activities. I moved around the province working random jobs and eventually landed in Vancouver for a second time, slowly becoming more and more focused on my mental and physical health. I got another job working in retail management and started focusing on my future.

I’ve known all along I was never the college type, probably due to my highly hyperactive nature. Things were already hard enough growing up, I was always on the go and could never exhibit normal classroom behavior. I only found peace when I was given to opportunity to write my own stories or learn by doing a hands-on activity. Plus, I could never figure out what I wanted to pursue, I’m still not sure honestly. I know I love to write and help people, no matter what that looks like. Maybe this platform will be able to offer me some insight.

When it comes to hobbies, I can’t pick just one or two. There’s almost nothing I really don’t enjoy doing. I grew up outdoors and that’s pretty much how I like things now too. Everything from basketball to surfing to hiking to skydiving to dirt biking, I do it all. On the other hand, if the day calls for staying inside, you can find me with a book or writing about something on my mind.

My most recent endeavor includes a 1954 48’ custom built sailboat. My partner and I bought the boat 11 months ago with zero sailing experience but an itch for a challenge. A month into the adventure and I quit my job and moved onto the boat full time. Since then almost every day has been spent learning and renovating with a plan to sail around the world…but ill get more into that on another post.

I’ve read several introduction articles from other Steemians and a lot of them specify what type of content they will be posting. Personally, I’m not set on one theme of content I intend to post. Id like to showcase a variety of different writing styles (e.g. articles, poetry, journal entries, personal blog posts). As well as albums of photography putting my thoughts and interests on display. I hope you as a reader can find some positivity, relatability or thought-provoking views in what I have to say.

I’m going to be real with all of you in saying I know very little about crypto currency. Although it has piqued my interest for a few years now and I have since become more involved in the community, my current personal knowledge would not take me far in a conversation. I hope to learn and gain education by remaining active on STEEMIT and engaging and connecting with other users. Knowledge is power.

Comment and let me know your thoughts!

Until next post, cheers!