January 30, 2022 Operation Restoration: Why It’s Okay to Not Be Okay When I was little, I remember thinking how amazing it would be to be an adult. Being able to pay for things, make my own decisions, travel, and most importantly, have my place. That was always a creative dream of mine–to design my home with my style, much like I did my room until the age of eighteen.
February 8, 2020 Finding the Magic I distinctly remember as a kid being extra attached to things, people, and situations. I’d fixate on a good feeling, a fantastic memory, or my…
December 28, 2019 Amidst the Rubble “Gen!” I spun around at the sound of Thomas’ voice, immediately crushed by his arms around me. It felt nice to relax in his arms. He held me close, leaning into my ear. “I thought you were in there.”
December 14, 2019 In Over My Head If my mother knew where I was at this very instant, she would have me by the ear, dragging me back into our little apartment complex. But she was at work. Adam and I had parted ways, and I hurried back to the pier, as if I didn’t know any better. Except I did.
November 2, 2019 In Seconds The slam of my locker was a blessing. It was finally the end of the school day and I could gladly spend my free time tonight with my best friend, Anna.
May 25, 2019 The Great Divide On the curb outside of Pine Elementary School, Annabelle sat tying her shoelaces. Her hair remained in the braids her mother had put in earlier that day. Over her shoulders, her backpack carried more textbooks than the day before, but for a rather exciting reason: it was the last day of fifth grade.
May 18, 2019 I Free Sally and All Her Friends “Hey, can you pass me the salt, Sam?” Dad reached over with a hand, not bothering to look over as he scrolled through his phone. Across from me, my stepmother, Carol, was also glancing over her emails and not at all interested in talking. I sighed, passing my dad the salt. Then I went back to ignoring everyone and eating tonight’s mediocre carry-out dinner.
May 11, 2019 The Power of Words As children, we spend much of our days dreaming. We wake up, daydreaming about last night’s fantasies of candy houses and fairy tales. During class, our mind wanders away to worlds unknown and situations unseen, thinking of another time. And then, we return to our slumber, to our special worlds that only we know, until we have to wake and reenter reality.
May 4, 2019 What Friends Are For It’s weird to think that a little under two months ago, I was living in Taiwan still working as an English teacher. And now I am in Florida, working and mostly settled into a new pattern and a new set of routines. While so much has changed, I was recently reminded that really, when it comes down to it not that much has altered.
April 28, 2019 Reunion on Marbella Pier I was at my usual place. Sitting still on the edge of the pier, I dangled my legs into the water. My toes dipped into the cold saltwater. I opened my mouth and could taste the seawater on the brim of my lips.
