the meaning of life
on may 18th, 2022, i delivered remarks on behalf of the class of 2020 for our belated commencement at yankee stadium.
talk to yourself like you're someone you love.
"you're the most self-abusive person i know. the next time you want to do something bad to yourself, promise me you'll call me."
hello again, new york. and goodbye.
last month, i moved back to new york. i signed a lease in lincoln square. i took the 1 train uptown and unpacked my life in four boxes.
people make the place
it's been two weeks since i started teaching english at 北安 (beian junior high). i'll give myself some more time before writing a full reflection.
the subtle art of not making resolutions
this week, apart from climbing mountains in taipei to make myself feel small and making new friends to make myself feel a part of something, i read.
today, i felt alive
this past weekend, in my quarantine hotel room in taipei, i lay in bed crying and watched youtube videos on how to cope with depression.
a series of poems on 金面山 (jin mian shan)
this past monday, on our last morning in taipei, kevin and i got up at 4 a.m. to hike to the top of jin mian shan. at 5:30 a.m., i found myself above the clouds.
On Laughter Lines
Weekly Poetry Prompts: #484 by Robert Brewer. For today's prompt, take the phrase "On (blank)," replace the blank with a word or phrase, and make the new phrase the title of your poem.
The War on Food and Drugs
last week was National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. it was also book club week. the spotlight was on Beth Macy's Dopesick and the opioid crisis.
Refreshing
Dear Amy, This semester, people used the word "refreshing" to describe you in ten conversations. What did they mean, exactly? Why does it unsettle you?
A Number of Reasons Why 20-Years-Old Is Still 20-Years-Young
"There will always be children and there will always be old people. We spend most of our lives somewhere in between . . . but of course, that is not the whole story."
digesting the things that eat you alive (and learning to love the clichés you live)
"what if the change in needs and desires has nothing to do with age per se? suppose it merely has to do with perspective — your personal history of experience."
a guide on how to get your money stolen (twice) and how to deal with all your emotions afterwards
week 8. a week in which i got my wallet stolen twice, cried in a hostel, and learned some hard lessons about travel and trust.
but first
As I close out The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, I wanted to turn the page by reflecting on fresh starts of mine.
writing right
Happiness Resolution #10: Post more frequently, less wordily. I've been in an uncannily good mood lately.
my happiness project
I'm sitting on a bench in Tompkins Square Park, reading a book next to Sandra and enjoying a rare errand-free afternoon in the heart of East Village.
when i grow up, i want to be a…
Sponge. At least that's what Kathleen Dunlap, CEO of Girls Who Invest, urged me to be today.
siv ghana: woadze tsatoe (summary)
This post summarizes the work performed, goals accomplished, and lessons learned by the Stern International Volunteers of 2017 during their four days in the village of Woadze Tsatoe.
writing brings me home, always
Petrichor, backyard barbeques, and car exhaust; the humid blanket of 80 degree weather; the busy highways overlooking a sunset-lit downtown and long, flat, and fat roads…welcome back to Houston, Texas.
stern international volunteers - ghana: day 2
Hot, humid air envelops us in dusty clouds as we step into the city of Accra, Ghana.
stern international volunteers - ghana: day 1
Today, I am heading to Waodtze Tsatoe, a small village in eastern Ghana, with the Stern International Volunteers to develop two small businesses established there last year.
a little birdie told me…
. . . to share some interesting words I've overheard these past couple of weeks.
all-american
Senator Chuck Schumer, who, exactly, is "they"?
think fast
One of my 2017 resolutions is to read at least 10 books.
snow
Italicized lines are lyrics from "Snow" by Sleeping at Last.