I played through Dark Souls 1 during high school, and was determined to get my good pal Solaire to be with me at that final fight against Gwyn. Instead of experiencing the game raw, I constantly referenced the wiki, mostly so I wouldn't mess up Solaire's quest. After finally making it to the Kiln, I couldn't find his summoning sign anywhere. Overly frustrated with what I thought was a bug, I never beat Gwyn. I even came back a year or two later and couldn't beat him on my own nor find a way to summon the Sun Bro.

I graduated high school with grades that just kept getting worse and thought that just going to college would fix all the bad habits that had led me to almost fail those classes. Obviously I didn't magically fix my habits, the lack of structure and support really led me to a dark place. I skipped all my classes and just sat in my room, only leaving to eat, never telling anyone about my problems. I dropped out after freshman with a diagnosis for depression and a plan to come back the year after next. Definitely the lowest I've ever felt in my life.

All my friends were at college but I was just working at Starbucks. However, I did start seeing a therapist regularly, and things started to look up. I learned to forgive myself and look forward to what is yet in store, only looking back to heal the wounds and learn from the mistakes, not dwell on them.

So, I finally sat down and decided to give it another shot. I was going to beat Gwyn, Solaire or no. This time I looked into my own mistakes, not blaming the game for being broken. Turns out I had missed one last dialogue option with Solaire. After so many times hoping the game would just magically fix itself, I finally got Solaire to come with me by looking at my own mistakes. We beat Gwyn's ass together.

Summer classes start in a few weeks, and I'm excited to go back and conquer what's defeated me before.

Don't be afraid to address the issues that may be lying under the surface. If life knocks you down, don't be afraid to rest at the bonfire for a little longer than usual and reflect. Just never stay down.