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It was the summer of 2015 when I finally realized that I was gay. It hit me like a brick wall and since then has left me wondering "how did I not realize this sooner?" I came out publicly on Facebook in October of 2016 and it was probably one of the most liberating things I have ever done and it felt so right to do it. Since coming out I have been immersed into the wonders and weirds of what is the gay community and I love it. My friends and (most of) my family have been nothing but supportive and I honestly wouldn't have my sexuality any other way.

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I was born into an LDS family and was raised Mormon until I was about 8 years old. My parents then got divorced and both became inactive and therefore so did I. Although I was baptized as I got older I personally saw that just like my parents, the church was not for me. That was then heavily validated when I came to terms with my sexuality. So summer of 2017 I requested to have my name removed from the LDS records, another liberating feeling. Today I would say I am somewhat spiritual, but nothing more. If anything, the mountains are my church.

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If there's something going down outside, I'm immediately there. I live for the great outdoors honestly. In the summer I go on as many hikes as possible and in the winter I am up at either Brighton or Snowbird snowboarding with some friends. I would someday like to have a career that is outdoors in some type of way because my current office job has confirmed I can't do that for the rest of my life. I care deeply about animals and the earths environment so being able to help it in any way is what I would like to do. Here is a picture I took at Snowbird a couple weekends ago.

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I don't know where I would be in life it it weren't for my amazing family and friends. I am very tight knit with most of my family so they definitely have helped influence my life and who I am today, especially my mother who is the most loving, caring and wine loving person I know. And my friends are no different, I have three best friends who are all male and two of them are gay as well so it's a good time whenever we're all together. They make me extremely happy and we do almost everything together. We've gone on so many trips, had endless weekends and gone through all of the ups and downs of friendship together as well. Here are my boys and I on Christmas Eve together as we do a gift exchange every year.

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I am a lover of all things plants too! I love succulents and cacti the most and currently have about 10-11 of them right now. I think it was the botany class I took in high school that helped my interest and love for plants blossom (get it? blossom? I'm done now.) Ever since then I have just loved those little guys and I don't plan to stop buying more any time soon. It just makes me happy I guess to care for small immobile things.