When I moved to England in 2014, the first few days felt like I was living in an alternate reality. The unfamiliar sights and sounds made something as simple as walking to the grocery store feel like a life-defining moment. England’s air smelled older and wetter than America’s. Its… Read More

I fly through the door after a long day of work and dive right into the nightly ritual: cook, clean, check text messages, read, watch TV. It’s the last thing on the list that I love the most. Those few blessed hours when I can unwind and escape… Read More

No Time for Beauty What’s the most beautiful thing you’ve seen today? Some days, I’m too overwhelmed by life’s demands to find anything beautiful. Appreciating beauty takes time. It means pausing to enjoy the view as my plane descends from a long flight. It means meditating on… Read More

Are you a Wazer? You know, the app that gives drivers directions to make sure they’re on the quickest route? When I’m driving, the Waze voice helps me know I’m headed in the right direction. It also controls my anxious and uneasy wanderings. Even in unfamiliar places, I trust my… Read More

You wake up, hoping for a productive day. But you turn to check the time and realize you’ve accidentally slept in late. Even though you set two alarms (two alarms!), they never went off. You toss off your covers and start shivering from the cold. You step onto… Read More

In the middle of my 6th grade year, my family moved from Georgia, where I had grown up, to Delaware. Practically overnight, I exchanged a school filled with beloved friends and childhood memories for a maze of foreign hallways, filled with strange faces (and accents). To my 12-year-old self, it… Read More

You’re an imposter. A phony. A fake. You only got your job because of luck. You only got that award because you fooled people into thinking you’re good at what you do. But, really? You’re not fooling anyone. They all know you’re not as smart as they are. They all… Read More

If there is an opportunity to travel, I am the first to jump on it. I hear the name of a country I haven’t visited and start plotting how to find the cheapest plane ticket. I always feel ready to pack my bag and drop everything. Nothing is more thrilling… Read More

This is my first Christmas without my grandfather, who passed away earlier this year. He never allowed me to call him “grandfather” or “grandpa” – he was only to be “pop-pop.” Christmas was my pop-pop’s favorite time of year. At 96 years old, he felt the joy of Christmas… Read More

Some days are better than others. On good days, you feel hopeful–festive, even–about the holiday season. The sight of a Christmas tree’s twinkling lights brings a smile to your lips. A Christmas jingle plays in the grocery store as you run some errands, and you find yourself humming… Read More