Every adventure has a battle...

...and every battle has a way to win. You just have to find it.

We're preparing to move, and that leaves the house in chaos. My daughters are full of questions. "Will I have enough room? Can I take all my toys? Where will my bed go? Can we have a dog now? Can we have a rabbit? Can I have a desk in my room now?"

"It's very scary and exciting. It's a new adventure," I said as I tucked the last one in tonight.

"It's not an adventure. It's a new house," Makani said.

"Remember the story of The Little House on the Prairie? Leaving their home and finding a new place to live was an adventure, and there was a battle as they tried to make it in their new place."

"No, there wasn't a battle."

"Yes, there was. Remember when Ma got hurt and couldn't help Pa build the house, and Pa couldn't do it by himself? Remember the fire and how they had to fight to save their land and their home and their lives? There were lots of battles, and there was always a way to win."

That is something I've learned by reading, and it applies to real life. The last three and a half years have been a battle for me. I've written four novels and many short stories; I've studied my craft; I've practiced until my guts are strewn across the page. I have often thought of giving up, but to do so would be to give up on everything I believe in.

I believe that there comes a point in a person's life where they need to stretch their wings and fly. My story Symbiote (download for free at http://www.unlockedproject.com/) is about a cyborg slave girl who dreams of being free. Against protocol, she sneaks to the tower roof to stare at the stars, praying that someone will snatch her away from the emptiness.

Finding a good paying job with good benefits is wise.

But eventually you need to abandon safety and find out what dreams are made of.

The girl in that story is me, but like her, I have learned that freedom is an adventure with a battle. But there is a way for me to win. I just need to find the key.