Arriving at the celebration that ended the Lovetown experiment—“The Loveball"—I felt a little like Cinderella.

I wasn’t there to meet a prince, but I was still there to find love and believe in magic. The previous thirty days had been unbelievable. I’d gotten to know myself better, I’d gotten a window into my own insecurities—insecurities I hadn’t even dared to acknowledge to myself. I had learned to love myself unconditionally, and I had learned that I had cared more than I knew about what other people thought of me. I was now able to leave all of that behind, and to fly free in the world without a moment of care about what others thought or didn’t think of me. That was amazing and so freeing!

The Love Ball celebrated the many accomplishments of the Kingsland residents and Lovetown ambassadors over the previous month, but most of all it celebrated the way a town can really come together. The residents raised spirits, held out their hands in love and friendship to each other, and brought each other together as a reminder that they were a community of people who cared about each other deeply.

The event was incredibly beautiful and full of light and promise. It was amazing to see all these people again and to celebrate what they had accomplished. I loved getting to spend more time with Edgar, who was reveling in his fantastic new prosthetic arm, and enjoying the festivities with his usual humor and charm.

It was also overwhelming to see Oprah again, to remember my first meeting with her and how overcome I had been that she actually knew my story and knew who I was. She has always been someone I admire incredibly, so that was really special for me. I was even able to give her a hug at the end!  She just exudes warmth and positivity and meeting her in person during Lovetown reminded me of the incredible power and potential in one human being. Each one of us can do great things, and there is no better reminder of that magic and possibility than Oprah herself.

When I think of Lovetown and look back on my phenomenal experience, however, I won’t just be thinking of Oprah, or of the amazing lessons I learned from Paul and Kailen.

When I think of Lovetown and Kingsland, I’ll think of trees—and of how the way those trees we planted will continue to flower over the town. Just like those trees, the love that the people of Lovetown found will grow even bigger and richer with every passing day.