I had no idea how tall the cliff was but my body didn’t care. It panicked. My heart was pounding. My knees buckled. My hands shook. Have you ever stood on the roof of a tall building and physically shuddered at the thought of falling? Well, this was worse because as much as I would have loved to stay a safe distance away, I knew I was going to jump.

Taking risks can improve your life through greater opportunities and rewards.

Risk-taking looks different to all of us. …

I may not be an expert when it comes to successful relationships, but I know a dysfunctional one when I see it. I’ve suffered my fair share of dating fails. My high school sweetheart was hardly sweet. He dumped me at prom after stealing my virginity and self-esteem for years to come, which led me to my second boyfriend…

A certified pathological liar who told different versions of a similar story depending upon his target audience, and my third? Ah yes, he was a keeper, until he knocked up his best friend’s girlfriend. Need I continue?

Assuming that I’ve earned…

In January of 2021, I made exactly $82.19 on Medium. I was ecstatic. Now, I know what you’re thinking. Eighty-two dollars is a measly amount of money to earn for writing in a single month, but it was 20x more than I had made on average the months prior. During which, I only published about four or five articles. In January, I published ten.

So, all I had to do was write more often. Seemed easy enough. I soon learned that Medium is a bit more complicated than that. In February, I published nine articles — three of which were…

Freelancing has its pros and cons. On the one hand, it offers a flexible schedule, the freedom to work from anywhere in the world, and employee independence because you are your own boss. It also allows you to choose your own clients, which is often easier said than done.

The downside of freelancing is working with nightmare clients that you chose. If you’re anything like I was in 2019, you probably have no idea what type of client to avoid. My lack of experience was evident. I was just happy that anyone wanted to work with me at all.

Two…

“Well,” the counselor interrupted, “you’re clearly codependent.”

Her condescending smile almost tricked me into thinking it was a compliment. Why was she nodding so aggressively? My partner, Laurence put his hand on my knee and urged me to continue but I forgot what I was saying, or else I didn’t feel like saying it anymore.

“She’s full of shit,” our brazen Romanian friend said on our walk home from the workshop. “She’s not even qualified to make a diagnosis like that, and in a room full of people? She’s a counselor, not a psychiatrist, not a therapist, not even a…

The Logan Airport welcomed me with open arms.

Did I say open? I meant empty.

My luggage was misplaced somewhere between San Jose and Boston.

“Or, or, or, it could be held up at your connection in Salt Lake City.”

That’s what the nervous customer service rep said, which seemed as obvious as it was helpful. But I was trying to stay positive. After a long stint of travel — visiting five continents in nine months — I was finally home. Well, almost. I still had a forty-minute bus ride plus the half-hour drive to my parents' house.

There wasn’t…

I lost Natalie long before I last saw her. I lost Natalie slowly and yet seemingly all at once.

It’s not easy grieving the loss of a friend you frequently bump into. And small talk doesn’t come as naturally as a frantic urge to hide behind the nearest sales rack. Cheap, I know. But death isn’t always whole.

Parts of people die every day. The giggling, whispering, wondering parts. Parts that go unnoticed at first, like leaves falling off a deciduous tree, one by one, until all that’s left is bark on barren limbs.

I met Natalie shortly after my…

I’m thirteen years old.

I’m squatting over the toilet when two of my best friends enter the restroom. I recognize their voices right away. Before I have the chance to say anything, Alex groans, “Why does she act like that? She’s like, so full of herself.”

As Haley agrees, my little heart sinks. They’re talking about me.

I wait until the girls leave in a flurry of laughter before retreating timidly from the stall. It’s the first time I’ve heard anyone speak badly about me. I look in the mirror and repeat what Alex said.

Full of myself? I don’t understand. Who else was…