A long pregnancy turned into a long labor, but the best part is that both baby and I were healthy through it all. Giving birth during COVID times brought certain challenges. While I was pregnant, Hong Kong public hospitals implemented a rule that banned birth partners in the delivery room, as well from visiting after …
When Women Forget to Be Feminists
I was at a work training when a small comment sent my mind spiraling off, while a prick went straight to my heart. Hours later the moment continued to replay in my mind. When I got home, I divulged the story to my partner, and I soon realized that he didn’t quite understand my reaction, …
‘’I Don’t Have an Eating Disorder, I’m Just Obsessed with Health’’ and Other Lies I Told Myself
One bite of a sandwich? Write it down. An extra piece of fruit? That’s okay, I’ll be at the gym for at least an hour later. Do these pants fit yet? No, but I’ll give myself two more weeks to get into them. Not long ago, being ‘healthy’ was on my mind 95% of the …
A Taxi in Spain
Avert my eyes So you don't think My smile is an invitation Speak to you rudely lest you mistake my kindness for a yes Use it against me as you press your body closer to mine Young, blond, and white in a foreign country. Sounds like the recipe for a mistake, right? I was 19, …
Dear Cat-callers of the World
Dear Cat-callers of the World, It's not cute when you wink at me from the driver's seat when the red light comes and you use the time to chat me up when I take the extra long route to feel comfortable again. It's not sweet when you whisper in my ear as you walk past …
A Poem to Women
My heart cries out to the women afraid to be women they don't claim their power certain the sword will slice them Or they hide their truth because it's easier because it would upset because then they'd have to explain it Or they put on a mask of a man, or another not willing to …
Nurture Under Arrest
In high school, a series of sexual harassment incidents occurred involving my English teacher. Ten years ago, he was released early on good behavior. He spent a mere sixteen months in jail for luring a 17-year-old into a prolonged sexual relationship. The first victim was my friend's sister, and soon after, several others came forward. …
Hidden Bodies
Skirts to your knees three fingers - no more. My friends roll them up the waist bulging Tank tops? Not a chance Unless it resembles a t-shirt without sleeves My collarbone hides with my thighs A V-neck? Too low! I don't have cleavage but my friends do I wonder which is better I get to …
New Site Address
Hi readers, I’ve changed the site address, so the most recent links you were sent will not work. From now on, everything should be clickable and send you to the regular blog page. Thanks for reading!
Yes.
Our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them -Walt Disney Months of preparing materials, researching schools, reaching out, applying for positions, following up, traveling, interviewing, weighing options...was no joke. In fact, it was more like a full time job, the kind that would cause me to wake up in the …
A Space That Is Home
I see tiny puffs of clouds floating near the building tops like bits of smoke escaping from a chimney. The first sun hits the apartment complex across from us hard and I imagine the beams of light that sneak through the curtains, prodding the sleepers inside to awaken. The birds usually wake me up before …
News Flash: Not Everyone Is in the Majority
I felt ashamed today. Called out for being different, a part of my heart broke and the thought crossed my mind that I’m wrong for being the way I am. This incident may seem small, but it caused big ripple effects in my mind. It’s become clear to me how important it is to show …
Continue reading "News Flash: Not Everyone Is in the Majority"
Pachamama, Did You Know?
Pachamama Did you know we’d be coming when they built here? Did you see our faces among the 2,500? Pachamama Did you whisper in their ears as they laid each stone Of how many eyes and cameras would press up against them? Pachamama Did you fill the soil with your song? Provide it the nutrients …
Imprinted
Before I left my study-abroad home in Madrid, Spain, I took a series of photos. These pictures felt odd to take, because I already had the images memorized in my mind. I decided to take these photos as a keepsake of the pictures that would inevitably fade with time. My bedroom, the walk to the …
Present on the Trail (SOL Day 31)
Hiking brings me into the present moment, effortlessly. Unlike taking a walk, where I can easily lose myself in the conversation, hiking keeps me viscerally present. Every step is taken with care, dodging a rock or choosing the best footing. I am aware of every feeling that arises: tightness in my ankle, discomfort from the …
Colombia (SOL Day 28)
“You’re moving to Colombia? Like, cocaine Colombia?” I shudder inside and my eyes roll back when I hear this type of response. Colombia has so much to offer, so many things to be known for, and yet is unfortunately still an infamous place in the minds of most Americans. I can’t say that Netflix is …