“Learning how to feel alive is a horizon I have finally chosen to chase—to leave a legacy of love and hope, and then love again,

This…this is freedom.”

This thesis work consists of the healing exchanges that take place between myself and the Earth, and serves as a testimony to my past traumas and the findings of inner strength. My time spent with the Earth has provided me endless catharsis, and has given me a chance to place myself within a body that has continuously fought for my survival during all of my trials and tribulations. This work speaks to the endless guidance and wisdom that is provided by the natural world, and tells of my tenacity to connect with myself underneath all the baggage that I have carried and continue to carry in my life. This performative work investigates the full immersion of my being within nature, and creates a collaboration between the two. Furthermore, this series contains five durational performances that take place in unique environments within different bioregions, and each performance demands varying levels of my bodily endurance and mental stamina. Additionally, four of these works are accompanied by a typewritten poem that gives the audience a deeper context into my healing experiences while spending time with these special sites. Each video work asks the viewer to slow down, and take in these environments completely, and to consider the potential experience of inhabiting said environment.