The rain that has been steadily falling for the last several days has momentarily let up. Sunlight shines down upon the saturated green grass, which slopes downward toward a thicket of larch and cedar trees. The dense branches are alive with a chorus of birdsong, which is interspersed by the sporadic cock-a-doodle-dooing of a neighbor’s […]
Finding Our Unicorn and Moving to Vermont Read More »
As I set out to write this post, I’m simultaneously working my way through a bowl of Cream of Wheat with bananas and pureed strawberry compote. Although Cream of Wheat is among the list of approved foods on the new diet I’ll be adhering to for the next month, if not longer, I’m struggling to
Catheters, Colonoscopies, and Radioactive Oatmeal Read More »
I’ve known I wanted to be an author since I was in my early teens. Initially, writing was my salvation; it helped pull me out of the clutches of an eating disorder and gave me purpose and hope at a time when I felt I had nothing to live for. Writing was something that came
The Frustrating Reality of Trying to Make It as an Author Read More »
I belong to the last generation who didn’t grow up with social media; in fact, it wasn’t until I was in middle school that social media began to take off. I joined Instagram in 2013, at the age of thirteen. At the time, it was an app to post low-resolution selfies with friends or silly
How My Life Has Changed Since I Quit Social Media Read More »
As those who have been following my journey are aware, I began to struggle pretty significantly with my health last summer, after years of things not feeling quite right with my body. In late July, the worst joint pain of my life led me to seek the assistance of a rheumatologist, who diagnosed me with
New Year, New Diagnosis Read More »
As I wrote in my last post, 2024 was a difficult year, one that challenged me in more ways than I could have ever anticipated. On the positive side, being forced to slow down and rest more meant that I was able to read more books than any previous year–over ninety in total! There was
The Best Books I Read in 2024 Read More »
It’s hard to believe that December is already halfway over. These last few months have felt excruciatingly long, yet looking back on them now, they seem to have passed by in the blink of an eye. Since I finished my book in late-September, my time has primarily been divided among reading, conceptualizing my next project,
2024: A Challenging, Frustrating Year Read More »
Fall is finally here. The days are getting cooler, the trees are beginning to shed their multicolored leaves, and a scurry of squirrels has inundated my backyard to stockpile nuts for the upcoming winter. This year, the arrival of autumn signifies more to me than merely the changing of seasons, but also a fresh start,
A Huge Life Change and Growing Stronger from Adversity Read More »
OCD isn’t something I’ve really discussed much, even though it’s been a part of my life for going on four years. This is partly because, for a long time, I didn’t have the terminology to describe the worsening compulsion that was wreaking havoc on my writing, and partly because, until about a year ago, I
Managing My Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (So That I Can Write!) Read More »
At the start of the calendar year, I made it my goal to prioritize my mental health; I wanted 2024 to be the year I overcame–or at least began to overcome–the mental health issues that’d been negatively, and significantly, impacting my life for the last few years. Mainly, I’m referring to my anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder,
Simplifying Life and Quieting My Mind Read More »
