All of us have a unique journey in this world. While some spend a life bestrewn with joyous moments and remarkable achievements, others aren’t so fortunate. Where does my life fall? Somewhere in between.

From a young age, I’ve been deeply enamored with nature and everything the wild has to offer. I’ve had a particular fascination with rain. Every time it rains, it makes me feel like I truly belong to Mother Earth. The cool raindrops wash all my grief and instill in me a renewed vigor to breathe again. I even named my unborn daughter after rain. I wanted her to inherit the same victorious spirit the rain possesses.

After my child’s death, I felt as if my world had come to an end. Everything around me seemed bleak and hollow. Just when I thought I had lost all my hope and faith, a spark ignited within me. This newfound light guided me to Yellowstone National Park. That’s where I found everything I needed for a new beginning.

In Yellowstone National Park, I came across an unusual mentor, a wolf. She taught me what no other academic institution could ever teach me: the art of living in the face of adversity. 926F showed me how to look my fears in the eye and bounce back on my feet. Under her astute guidance, I emerged as a strong and fearless woman.

My guide and savior couldn’t stay with me forever. In 2018, the most dangerous animal in the world ended her life. Without 926F, I may have plunged into the darkness once again if I hadn’t realized that she was still with me. All she had taught me over the past few years was living and breathing inside me.

This book is a remembrance of my time during those days she roamed freely with her pack in Yellowstone National Park. It also serves another purpose: a request for “him” to alter the outcome of my story; by allowing me to return this gift back into the wild.

To be continued…