Skateboarding is my favorite way to clear my head. Skateboarding is meditative for me. It’s just me and the board. It helps me reach that flow state where I can only focus on myself, connection with the board and my body. Just how I workout for my physical health, skateboarding is like a workout for my mental health, too. I first tried skateboarding when I was 16 when my uncle gave me a board… but I was really bad at it. I couldn’t really stick with it. I tried longboarding for awhile. Only about 3 years ago I went back to skateboarding and really started to love it. I love skateboarding because it’s a way to better myself. It’s like a competition I don’t have to play with other people. I can express myself creatively through my board and my tricks. Skateboarding taught me perseverance. I’ll try a trick thousands of times before I finally get it. The feeling when you finally land that trick is incredible. There’s always something new to learn. It really feels like a community too, I can go to any skatepark and talk to someone I’ve never met before and bond over our love of skateboarding. Everyone is so encouraging. It’s a very welcoming community. There’s people from all different walks of life practicing the same sport. After skating, I’m exhausted… but so fulfilled.