I didn’t become fearless; I became fluent in my own vigilance. Instead of pretending nothing had changed, I let the unease teach me where the real boundaries were. I learned how small a tick is, and how large its shadow can grow in the mind, stretching over every decision—what to wear, where to sit, when to go outside. Yet with each new habit, I reclaimed a piece of calm.
The rituals—spraying repellent, checking skin, clearing brush—stopped feeling like paranoia and started feeling like a quiet promise to myself. Talking about it turned the experience from a private terror into a shared warning, a thin line of protection for others. In the end, that single bite became less a curse than a harsh tutor, proving that safety isn’t the absence of risk, but the courage to see it clearly and still step out the door.
