u/alizzie95

I won't have any details about the assault on here. I just feel plagued by that event. Every year, with out fail, I get a sore throat, strep (ik, I need to get my tonsils out, but time off work and I was doing seasonal jobs for a long time where I didn't get sick leave and then I had different surgeries which needed time off), or simply no voice.

I didn't notice the trend initially because honestly I didn't remember the exact date it happened...so much happened in a rapid fire of events that I just didn't know. After my 2nd year of being hospitalized on that week I looked in the calendar and realized they all fell on the week I was assaulted. Goes on for 1-2 weeks.

I never learned the date by heart .. I don't want to. So I make a mark on a calendar I never look at except the month of June so I remember to expect mood swings, depression and a sore throat. This year I actually forgot to look..it's been full of cute activities with my husband and a family camping trip with my mom and brother with their families. 3-4 days ago I noticed my throat was inflamed and my voice was gone and after a couple of days it occurred to me what time of the year it is.

I hate it. I just want to forget about that day.

My husband and I have gone on roughly 8-12 camping trips since we've been married (exactly 3 years ago today), so suffice to say we love the outdoors!

My nephew is turning 3 this July. When we babysit him we take him on mini hikes through their backyard (heavily wooded farm) and teach him camp songs. He absolutely loves them ☺️ we've been doing this since he was 2.

Last fall we did a backyard day camp, my husband and I brought over our tent, we taught more camp songs to him, showed him a sleeping bag, went on a longer hike, talked to him about trees and plants (on his comprehension level, but he's a smart sponge ☺️). Let him pick up cool sticks and talk to him about bugs. At the end we roasted s'mores, his first time having s'mores and I got to be a part of that ❤️

Today, for my birthday (and my legal wedding anniversary, the ceremony was on a different day), I had my family visit my campsite my husband and I were staying at for the birthday weekend and they grilled out for me. I got to show my nephew what camping out looked like irl, we had burgers and hot dogs plus a cake a friend made me. We saw deer, raccoons, heaps of squirrels very close and unbothered, and a wide range of birds. Sang a few songs again.

Next month my brother's wife and my nephew, my mom and her husband and us are going camping! I'm so stoked to share some of my core childhood memories, like crawdad hunting, tubing on a river, and such with my lil nephew. My husband and I don't have or want kids, but damn we love this lil dude!