How the Pendulum Swings: A Diary of Madness

A collection of memories, the thoughts that keep you awake at night. The sights and sounds that ensnare your senses, dragging you deeper into the madness whatever you choose to call it, this is Carrie s story, my story. For years these stories dug their claws into me, their weight heavy on my heart. The pieces and parts unpolished, hiding in journals and notebooks. It is time to finally tell her story. This story begins by unravelling the past, trying to make sense of events that a once young mind couldn t fully grasp. The harsh events and moments that formed and moulded the mind of a woman unleashed upon the world. A woman unsure of herself, unsure of the true depths of her resilience and power- this is the story of growth and love, of love and loss. Of being lost and finding oneself in the shadows of reality. We follow Carrie and her story from the child whose core sense of self was fragmented and inevitably lost, to the woman perpetually on the run, and to every beautiful moment and lesson that life had to offer in between.

Rio Hershey, born in Ohio on a Wednesday in June, has spent most of her life traveling and collecting the tales of others, only to find herself back where she began. After graduating from high school and going on to finish a bachelor s degree from Northern Illinois University, she went on to teach English online and abroad for a few years. From Ohio to Illinois, France, Spain, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Saudi Arabia, she is living proof that only the still waters stagnate. All I know is that I am here until the day I m not.