Meet Zachary: The Voice Behind Unmoored
My name is Zachary, and for a long time, my life was defined by the weight of an anchor I never chose.
My journey began in the quiet, structured world of a devout Christian upbringing. I attended a private Christian school through the seventh grade—a place where the boundaries of “right” and “wrong” were drawn in permanent ink. It was within those very walls, at just twelve or thirteen years old, that I first felt the shift. I discovered I was gay, and in an instant, the world I knew became a place where I no longer fit.
The Performance of “Normal”
Growing up, I did what was expected of me. I had girlfriends because that was the “normal” path, the script I was told to follow. I walked through the motions of those relationships, trying to convince myself that if I played the part well enough, the feelings would follow. But the heart doesn’t lie. While I cared for those people, the attraction was never there. I was a passenger in my own life, watching myself perform a role that felt increasingly hollow.
In that environment, I was constantly told that being gay was a choice—a conscious turn away from the “right” path. And while I eventually understood that acting on your feelings is a decision we make, who we are at our core is not a choice. You do not choose the color of your soul or the direction of your heart.
The Weight of the Anchor
Because of that disconnect, I spent years drowning in a sea of internal conflict. I remember the exhaustion of hating myself. I felt ashamed of my own thoughts, lost in a house that was supposed to be a sanctuary, and deeply confused about why I couldn’t just “fix” what wasn’t broken.
There was an anger that simmered under the surface—an anger at the unfairness of it all—and a profound sadness that seemed to follow me like a shadow. I was anchored to a version of myself that didn’t exist, held down by the fear of what would happen if I ever let go.
Cutting the Lines
It wasn’t until I finally reached a breaking point and decided to stop performing that the clouds began to clear. Choosing to be my authentic self was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it was also the first time I truly felt alive. The moment I cut those lines, I realized exactly what I had been missing: peace.
I created Unmoored because I know what it’s like to feel lost at sea. I know the terror of leaving the dock behind, but I also know the breathtaking beauty of the open horizon.
I’m here to tell the raw stories—the ones about the people who hate us, the ones about the dreams that keep us going, and the ones about the quiet moments of joy we finally get to claim. I want this to be a place where you realize that being “unmoored” isn’t a tragedy; it’s the beginning of a journey toward a future where you are finally, vibrantly, and unapologetically yourself.
Finding Purpose in the Drift
I realized then that my journey wasn’t just about finding my own way—it was about making sure the person behind me didn’t have to struggle through the dark alone. I don’t want you to just survive the uncertainty; I want to be a voice for those who feel silenced by their surroundings.
We live in a world that often tries to tell us who to be, how to love, and where to belong. It is so easy to feel lost in that noise. My goal with Unmoored is to help you navigate these turbulent waters. I want to share the maps I’ve had to draw for myself so that your path might be a little clearer and your heart a little lighter.
Impacting the Future
I’m doing this because I believe in the radical power of an authentic life. I want to impact lives in a way that moves people past the “performance” and into the reality of their own existence. I want to see you stop waiting for permission and start truly living—breathing deeply, dreaming wildly, and standing firm in your truth.
If my stories can serve as a lighthouse for even one person feeling ashamed or confused, then every struggle I’ve faced will have been worth it. We are untethered from the old ways, but we aren’t lost. We are finally, for the first time, free to find where we truly belong.
Unmoored 