6 May 2019
Jennifer Asbenson developed survival skills early on in her life. She says that growing up in rural Southern California, her family had no water or electricity. "We lived on a lonesome mountain away from civilization." She describes living with a mother who was "physically and emotionally abusive," adding, "I was ashamed and embarrassed about that." As a result of her circumstances, she relied on her imagination for sustenance and escape: "Rain became ‘shower time.' Storytelling replaced TV. Daydreaming often shielded me from reality."
Asbenson didn't know then that her practiced self-reliance and resilience would end up saving her life.
