I think I was born for this impending revolution. For a long time, growing up, I always felt like 
I was born in the wrong time. But now I know that my time just had yet to come. I always seemed to have vastly different values than most people around me – valuing integrity, loyalty, freedom and self-reliance above money, greed, possessions and parties. I have never been afraid of hard work and manual labor, but have distrust for machines, technology and authority. Cultures and people that have a strong warrior tradition and live bound to nature – not reliant on technology – have always held great interest for me. My favorite stories were always the ones with characters who were just “normal” until a disaster, war, or a traumatic event happened in their lives and they had to make the decision to turn their back on what their life used to be, and survive by taking a risk to become who they were always meant to be. I have always had a sense that our current lifestyle was just a 
glimmer in the sands of time and that in my lifetime I would see real struggle and not only survive the battle, but later, thrive. I do have a soft side too – a side that loves stability, being at home and tending the hearth and family. I have often struggled with my dual nature throughout my life – the rebel and the nurturer and the desire to bring them in sync, trying to understand to what end that I have both qualities.
Then Sarah Connor came to me in a dream. She told me about the war with the machines, about Terminators, about her 
own story from waitress to warrior, from mother to modern Valkyrie and that I needed to be ready to go through a similar transformation. That women all over the world were going to have to make a choice soon – to get ready or to be swallowed by the flames. She explained that true freedom sometimes has a price and that being a warrior is not being a killer or monster, it is having the courage to fight for what is right when others cannot. That sure, it is nice to be the nurturer and care-giver, but that sometimes that means fighting before you have the freedom to be at peace. I was advised to begin learning the skills necessary for taking care of myself and my family – survival skills, toughening up, 
building a stronghold, stockpiling food and weapons and learning to use them. A lot of this felt strange at first, surreal. But this dream happened again and again over a period of months – each time becoming more intense, realistic and urgent. I knew I had to start taking some action.
I thought long and hard about these dreams, what they meant to me and what I would need to do in order to be ready for the day that Sarah’s prophecy unfolded.I started by getting my body and mind strong, as well as learning practical skills, by taking up archery and learning to use various kinds of firearms from 
shotguns, to rifles and handguns. I happen to be a really good shot, which gives me the courage and conviction to keep going. I have also started doing a routine of running, calisthenics, weight lifting and martial arts – combat hapkido as well as taking classes on tactical training. I am planning to take classes on survival and wilderness skills. My husband and I are also looking for land in an undisclosed location to get it ready to be able to care for ourselves and our family. We are learning about homesteading and sustainability, so that we can be as self sufficient as possible when the Terminators do eventually come.
American Tactical Training Arms Center –Where Thistle gets additional arms training
North Florida Combat Hapkido —and where she gets additional martial arts and fitness training