In July, I was assaulted from behind at around 6:00 a.m. while on a run in my parents’ neighborhood. The usual path I had been running that summer was in a somewhat isolated park with lots of trees and no lighting. Because my parents live less than a mile from…
When I was growing up, I was really self-conscious of my shoulders. I hated how “imbalanced” my body felt with such broad shoulders and such skinny hips, and I vehemently avoided anything like cap sleeves that accentuated shoulders. I remember a time in middle school when my mother told me…
I almost cried the first time I saw a penis. I hadn’t solicited the impromptu viewing party; in fact, I had explicitly requested the opposite. He had never been a very good listener, pawing his way into my jeans even after my own hands quietly reminded his to move back…
I was 18 the first time I got my heart broken. I remember finally understanding what that English teacher (who I reference all the time) meant when he said that the meaning behind “broken heart” is often lost in modern society. I’d been hurt before, but I had never experienced…
I grew up on a steady diet of Disney movies, 90s chick flicks and, being a creative mind and hopeful romantic, a barrage of my own fantasies. Like many women (and people in general), I became conditioned by the idea that my relationships were the most critical factor in my…
Boyfriend and I are going to Cancun next month, which means I will essentially be spending a week on the beach. Which means a week of bathing suits. I can’t remember the last time I wore a bathing suit in public. It’s probably been over a year, partially because I…
After I graduated from college, I made it to the final round of interviews for an administrative assistant job in the Office of the President. I remember meeting with then-president Lou Anna K. Simon and talking about her needs from someone in the position and challenges to be expected. I…
Shortly after I started my first post-grad job, I wrote this post about experiencing Impostor Syndrome as a young woman beginning her career. A lot has happened since then, and it’s strange to look back on the woman I was then and the woman I am now, and…
A couple of weeks ago on my blog’s Facebook page, I talked about suffering from some severe ESAD – Election Season Affective Disorder. This election season has felt even more exhausting than it normally is, and I feel this constant dichotomy of desire for it to be over and terror…