On internalized patriarchal beauty standards, painful childhood memories, and a life-long quest for self-love. — The day before my appointment, as I was going to bed, I felt a familiar ting of anxiety. I thought about canceling, but I knew my hair needed a serious trim. When I woke up the next morning, I felt that same sensation, a tightening in the chest that I…

A blast from the past shedding light on my present. — I don’t like to assume things about people, but I can say pretty confidently that we all have conflicted feelings towards emails (for some of us plain hate bordering on the side of despair). …

It wasn’t the revolution you see in movies, but I became a different person nonetheless. — As we were enjoying a Caccio y Pepe pizza for our last day in Rome, trying to soak up a massive hangover, my friend Darcy and I made a pact: go a whole month without drinking, starting October 1st. She would be doing the Whole 30 diet (which also implies…

Facing shame and avoidance in the search for accountability. — As far as I can remember, I always wanted to be a writer. I recall spending hours at the library, reading books by the dozen and thinking « Wow, that was great. One day, I’ll write something like that ». I’d notice the different styles, the effects, the twists. I’d…