Greetings, Steemit Community!
It is a pleasure and my honor to be a part of this revolutionary platform. I am so grateful for all the awesome content you fellow steemians are putting out. I've never been much of a writer, but I feel now is the time to take a step forward. I can't think of a better opportunity to share my extraordinary life and purpose. The Garden of Eden (@gardenofeden) and the Steemit community have inspired me to join in and share what I feel is most valuable and relevant to me.
First, I'll start with my story:
Dakota McKenzie Dickson
Born in Amarillo, TX on June 22 1991
Most of my closest family and friends call me
KOTA
My mother and father's relationship only lasted some months. I lived with my mother until the age of 3, then my father got primary custody of me after a long, traumatic custody battle. After some time, my father graduated as a radiation therapist and married; later, they had my two sisters, Montana and Aspen. Right after Aspen was born, my stepmother left my father and took the girls.
It was extremely devastating to my father. He became depressed and verbally and occasionally physically abusive. He was miserable and miserable to be around. I hated life; my father was extremely controlling. If I wasn't at school, I was with him, always with him; very rarely was I allowed to hang out with other children.
We never lived anywhere longer than 6 months because he traveled to work. I went to a dozen schools by the time I was in 4th grade--I was always the new girl. I never had many friends and was always picked on through school.
At the age of 10, I finally had a legal say in where I lived. I wanted to live with my mom. She was doubtful of getting custody of me because she couldn't afford a lawyer. I begged her to take me with her to meet the last lawyer she had an appointment with. She did, and when we got to his office he asked my mother to leave the room and asked me what I wanted. I explained why I wanted to live with my mother and what I had been going through with my father, and he took the case pro bono for me. We went to court, and the judge granted my wish. I remember it being very emotional when my dad dropped me off at my mom's after court; he cried the whole way, and he still resents me for it to this present day.
I lived with my grandmother in New Mexico, because my mother traveled as a flight attendant.
After 9/11, my mother got laid off from the airlines. She got a new job in Amarillo and bought her first house. Our new house was perfect, even though It was basically in the ghetto. I was just stoked to finally be with my mom, where I had more freedom--freedom of expression and somebody that finally allowed me to make some of my own choices. She was still considered strict by most of my friends, but she was *way* less strict than my father.
My mom jumped through some hoops to get me a transfer to Highland Park, the richest and most well known school for academics in the area, and it was right by the airport where she worked. It didn't matter to me--the only part of school I ever really cared about was the social aspect.
I went there through middle school. My transfer got revoked my freshman year, so I ended up at the school of the district where I lived. I started hanging out with the wrong crowd and got into a *whole* bunch of trouble. My mom sent me to live with my grandmother again in New Mexico for the rest of my freshman year. That summer, my mother and new stepdad bought a house in the Highland Park school district so that I could go back to school there.
As soon as I turned 15, I got a job at a local grocery store chain as a sacker. I was working full time by my junior year of high school. I worked my way up from a sacker to cashier, to the service counter, to till counter and finally a book keeper, while going to school full time and partying on the weekends.
I graduated high school in 2009 and felt extremely pressured by all those around me to go to college. Even though I hated school and had no personal interest in it at all, I decided I would go to Amarillo college to take my basics and eventually go to nursing school.
I dropped out after only a semester.
I started partying a lot. I began dating a guy who turned out to be extremely dishonorable and ended up stealing numerous articles from my house including my mom's wedding ring. I refused to leave him, so my mom kicked me out.
We moved into his parents' place on a ranch under the agreement that we would work there. I kept my job at the grocery store and worked on the ranch when I got home. My life was consumed by work...and it wasn't work I was passionate about. I had nobody and nothing that inspired me. My only friends where the animals on the ranch. 
I needed guidance, so I turned to Christianity. I read the Bible every day before and after work and prayed all the time, but my life didn't improve much. I still felt questionable about religion. I was still depressed and not excited about being alive at al and in truth one of the worst times of my life.
I was so desperate for something to pull me out of this rut I had gotten myself into that I finally read *The Secret* a book that had been recommended to me on multiple occasions. I went to the library and checked it out, and I read it in two weeks which is faster than I had ever read anything. I had never been much of a reader; frankly, it was the first book I ever read from start to finish.
As soon as I learned the law of attraction, I started searching for more truth. I researched everyday. I wanted to know all the secrets of the universe, and I practiced the law of attraction to bring me truth.
A coworker invited me over to watch a documentary called Zeitgeist--it made me question everything I had ever been taught or told. I stopped reading the Bible and stopped praying to Jesus. I became addicted to researching. It was the first thing I did when I woke and the last thing I did before I went to bed. I spent all my free time on the internet trying to retrieve any and all information that had ever been hidden from me.
I split up with my boyfriend and moved back in with my mother and continued to spend all of my free time researching, meditating, and staring at the stars. I spent the next couple of years in this mode. I essentially gave up all of my friends during this time, because every time I shared the information I was discovering with them, they would tell me I was crazy. Most of them were convinced I had lost my mind.
I changed and evolved much more quickly than those around me, so I went through friends really fast.
I got a second job waiting tables and saved up enough money to get my own place. It was a sweet little studio appartment that was so perfect for the healing that I was going to do in it over the next year. I met Apollo (@apollomission) at my waitressing job; it was an instant attraction. We had a very unique physic connection and became inseparable.
We focused on building our strength and our vibration for the next year. When we weren't working, we rode bikes, lifted weights, hiked, and ran. We ate the most primo food you could buy in Amarillo. We wanted to be as healthy and high vibe as we possibly could.
Apollo (@apollomission) read an article about the SWAT raid that happened at the Garden of Eden, an eco village in Arlington. He was extremely interested in the idea of an eco village and immediately started researching the @gardenofeden. He shared with me his discovery in hopes that I would want to go live there with him. I had just received a management position at Natural Grocers and didn't feel inclined to give that up for a place I had never visited.
Apollo made the choice to go visit for a week to see how he liked it. He got a bus ticket and planned on coming back to Amarillo if he didn't like it. If he did like it, I was going to bring him all his belongings. At the end of the week, he called me and told me that he absolutely loved it but didn't want to be there without me. I drove down to pick him up. I left at midnight and drove all night with Apollo's father and stepmother. I was so excited about seeing Apollo and visiting the @gardenofeden that I couldn't sleep at all.
It was dark when I arrived, and everybody was asleep except Shellie (@everlove). She welcomed me with the warmest, coziness hug I think I had ever had at that point. She sat down in a rocking chair with her cup of tea, offering me sips from her cup. I could tell that she didn't really feel like talking much; it seemed like she was up trying to meditate or something, but I couldn't keep myself from talking to her.
We had the most amazing conversation! It was the first time I had ever spoke about so many different awarenesess I had come to with one person. Not only did she understand, she already knew about it! It was amazing. We really connected. I cried, because I felt more at home than I ever had before.
Then I met Inok (@inokalruts). She was so beautiful nursing little baby Noki. She sweetly introduced herself and inquired about my interests in the garden. She expressed clearly that she felt a very strong connection to both Apollo and me, and she didn't want us to leave. I hadn't planned on staying, but after being there and feeling the energy and making the most authentic and genuine connections I had ever made, I was 100% sure that is were I was supposed to be!
I headed back to Amarillo to tie up loose ends. I got another job as a delivery driver to save up some money before quitting my jobs and moving to the GOE.
My mom was pretty shocked and not sure if I was making the right decision. I had some vacation time left that I wanted to use up, so I put in for a vacation to spend some more time at the garden to really make sure it's where I wanted to be. It also made my mom feel a lot better that I was going to spend some more time getting a feel for the place even thought I had never been so sure of anything in my life. I spent my weeks vacation at the GOE and became even more attracted to the idea of living there full time. I went back to Amarillo and put in my two weeks notice at both jobs, and Apollo and I moved to the Garden immediately after that.
We integrated very well and rather quickly. We became very passionate about
Gardening,
sustainvability, and community living.
I was also inspired to master: composting, food alchemy, fermentation, yoga, medicinal jewelry, tea and smoking herb blends and designing and painting the Garden of Eden clothing line.
After spending two years at the GOE, Apollo (@apolloearth) decided to leave to tour different ecovillages and sustainable communities across the country as a minister and ambassador for the Green Fire Eco-ministry. I still had super strong ties to the GOE. I was most fulfilled by serving the GOE and supporting Quinn (@quinneaker) and his works. Even though I was very close to and had a strong bond with Apollo, I was much more dedicated and inclined to stay with Quinn and the GOE community.
It was always very clear to me that Quinn is superior to anyone ive ever known.
His most attractive quality to me is his level of conscious awareness. Also, security has always been huge thing for me, and I have never felt more safe and secure around anyone else in my entire life. Quinn has provided for my every need for almost 3 years, basically for free. I haven't had to think about finances the entire time I've lived here. Not only has he provided for me physically and financially, but he has been more present with me mentally, emotionally, and spiritually than anybody else ever has by far.
He constantly holds space for my conscious evolution. He holds me accountable and holds me to high standards for the betterment of myself and the lives of those around me. He is more honest with me than I ever imagined anybody could be. There is no holding things back or sugar coating for him. He gives it to me straight and doesn't care what I will think. He can be super intense but at the same time so loving and benevolent. He is never judgmental and has created the most free environment I've ever gotten to experience.
I have so much respect and admiration for him. I am infinitely grateful for all that he has contributed to this world and for his unwavering dedication to the new paradigm existence that he shares freely with anybody who is willing to enter.
I have evolved exponentially in the past 3 years, thanks to Quinn and the other highly evolved individuals here at the Garden of Eden. I am so grateful for the opportunity not only for "master training" but for the fulfillment of serving my greater purpose.
The GOE has come a long way in the time I have spent here. Things are always changing, evolving and expanding.There was recently an episode of MTV's *True* *Life* filmed here that will be released in December. We started our line of Steemit gear and offer it and our medicinal jewelry on [peerhub]().
And of course I saved the very best for last:
I was recently offered an amazing opportunity to serve as a nanny for the two most beautiful and empowered children in the world--Quinn's children of course. I will be assisting Inok with the children since there will be a new baby soon and I will be doing this while on Quinn's new venture to scout land and resources for The Garden of Eden 2.0 in Ecuador.