every single day i come out here, it's a little bit different and i think that's all really inspiring because sometimes, we think of nature as this immutable, sort of unchangeable thing, but nature is really dynamic. i sort of came to my identity as a queer person later in life — towards the end of college. i sort of had to admit to myself that i was trans in some way. i identify now as trans feminine and non—binary. my pronouns are they/them. so at kind of a young age, i found myself inspired just walking through this community. i did not really know why i was so jazzed up. i knew about the lgbt history. before homosexuality was decriminalised, living an openly gay life was difficult in some states. isolated towns like cherry grove became safe havens for america's marginalised lgbt communities. i was pretty young the first time i visited the sunken forest. i was a volunteer. i was maybe 13, 11; at the time. and i think pulling in on that ferry, i saw these two flags. one was an american and next