I was not able to speak outside the house from when I was 3 to 17 years old, depriving me of the opportunity of being myself. My first 3 years were quite turbulent and after moving and starting a new kindergarten I was suddenly unable to communicate. This continued for years as an undiagnosed selective mutism and led to not being understood and judged by teachers, peers and others. Manifesting in me as feelings of loneliness, self-critical and eventually a sense of hopelessness. Feeling trapped inside my own body and mind without being able to show people who I truly was. See how I took a work opportunity and moved to Greece, where I had to speak English. I realized that I could start fresh, because no one knew I had selective mutism. This diminished my fear of not being able to speak, and combined with years of practicing baby steps with my mother, I finally crossed the barrier. I could express myself openly with both words and my body, and felt free, which sparked an energy surge and motivation to continue. After coming home I still struggled a bit, but with this fresh experience at mind I found new opportunities abroad and eventually moved beyond it fully. After sharing my journey in a blog post while on vacation, I realized how many people could relate and I started engaging in spreading awareness on selective mutism.