"Let no one ever say that I fell in love; I rose in it." -Toni Morrison

TW: mention of childhood abuse. 

Choosing the people that become family, for those whose family backgrounds have warped the experience of being and knowing that you are loved, is a revolutionary, healing act. In this poignant conversation about rising in love, Navy Graber describes her experience of building chosen family across perpetual long distance relationships as an international student transferring across majors and universities in search of an educational and communal place of belonging-and finally arriving at a place that feels like home, even if that place continues to evolve and change. Building thriving, loving relationships that serve the life one wants for themselves requires intention, intimacy, and vulnerability. Navy speaks about her exploration of this process, and how sharing her story transforms her trials into transformation-for herself and hopefully others, too.