Hi! I’m Kate and I’m one heck of a messy human.
More than anything, that is what this space is about — experimenting, exploring, and hopefully, one day, growing fully into my whole self.
In the past, I wrote long descriptions of what to expect here — plans and promises about sharing my decades in the mental health care system, perfect chapters from the memoir I am writing and dog stories, all the dogs stories, of course.
But those promises were built around a self who has not yet fully formed — or even been found.
So instead, this time, I will merely offer you this:
I will be honest and kind.
I will explore what it means to recover my humanity and myself after two decades of living a misdiagnosis within the mental health care system.
I will share dog stories. Always always dog stories.
I will share the adventures — or, perhaps better put, misadventures — of growing into me. And, since I don’t know who that is just yet, all I know is that I will write about the process of finding out.
About the Author
I’m a writer, speaker, storyteller, dog mom and mental health patient advocate.
I’m also a service handler, absolute goofball, enthusiastic leisure athlete, avid dork dancer, amateur gardener and interior design nerd. My dogs are my children, and thankfully, my parents have three nephews and a niece, so please don’t ask me if I’m going to have kids for their sakes. I am not. My parents are fine. All good there.
I am also a born and raised Vermonter and still live here to this day with my wonderful, environmental scientist nerd of a husband and and Tugboat (English labrador, 5 y/o). We lost Waffle, the love of my life in December of 2025. She saved my life and I don’t think I will ever fully recover from her passing. I will absolutely write about her for the rest of my life though.
When I started this substack, I never imagined having more than my friends read this newsletter. So, to be here with over 10,000 of you after serializing my first memoir, Maura and Me — well, it is still quite literally unfathomable to me. But please know, it means a whole heaping lot.
And with that, just as I said every day in the psych ward and every day since:
I wish you a day.
Because a good day is too much pressure.
And a day, just like you, is always enough.
Kindly,
Kate
