My journey towards pride has been challenging but very empowering. Growing up 30km outside of Warrnambool I didn’t see many people like me and there was general lack of visibility of LGBTQI+ people. My school education in the early 2000s left more questions than answers. Growing up in regional areas means sometimes there are extra challenges in being able to find yourself. Smaller populations, and difficulties with travelling can leave you feeling like ‘the only queer in the village’. Now, being able to find myself and connect back to the region I grew up in, and seeing pride flags being displayed across communities, makes my confused, questioning, lost younger self feel whole and complete.