Welcome to the fourth era of my life, which picks up where the third era ends: After reconnecting with my fourth-grade crush and pursuing a long-distance relationship, I made the difficult decision to relocate to the Chicago area in 2013. His family lived nearby, as did Sage’s father. It was ...
My Story
Starting Over (Era 3)
Welcome to the third era of my life, which picks up where the second era ends: On Christmas Eve, I found out that I was pregnant. I had no money or job, and my family was over 1,000 miles away. I was living with six or seven activists and a dog in a duplex under less-than sanitary conditions. I ...
Giving Up Everything (Era 2)
Welcome to the second era of my life, which picks up where the first era ends: I began to take baby steps. I quit the donut shop gig for a better paying service job, where I was quickly promoted to shift supervisor. Less than a year later, I returned to the community college and earned a spot on ...
I Attempted Suicide (Era 1)
Welcome to the first era of my life! You’re here either because you’re curious about my story or because you struggle with depression, despair, and/or suicidal ideation. Let me begin by stating that if you are currently suicidal, PLEASE GET HELP THIS INSTANT. The world is truly a better ...
![I remember when I felt called to give up nearly everything I owned and leave the only life I knew to stand up against injustice. This picture was taken at Coldwater Spring in late 1999 while I was living in a tent in Minneapolis at what had become known as The [Minnehaha] Free State. We shared a peace pipe shortly before the picture was snapped, and a huge bald eagle graced us with its presence. I’m not sure why I’m sharing this “picture of a picture”, but it spoke to me. The second picture is of the four sacred oak trees that were planted after 39 Dakota were hung more than 150 years ago. My heart is heavy thinking about the continued atrocities perpetrated by the US government against Indigenous peoples.](https://kristiamdahl.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)