School – chocolate and politics

Will You Be My Valentine?

This semester, I’m taking a course required by my university’s curriculum called What’s Love Got to Do With It? At UF, this class is highly sought after, with students of all ages vying for a spot in discussions about relationships, sex, and, of course, love. During our last class, we gathered around, feeling the tinge of loveContinue reading “Will You Be My Valentine?”

Healing Through Words

During the lowest points of my life, when I was afraid to ask for help and pitied those who pitied me, my only refuge was found in words and the spaces between them. When no one seemed to understand me, I turned to writing to make sense of my emotions, convincing myself that feelings wereContinue reading “Healing Through Words”

I Regret to Inform You…

Dear Reader, I regret to inform you that this may not be the last time you read those words. Reflecting on all the times I have faced rejection takes me no more than five minutes. I can count the major rejections I’ve experienced on one hand, and honestly, even those never stung for more thanContinue reading “I Regret to Inform You…”

I’m Changing (and I Love It): Welcome to Season 3

I’ve always seen my life as a succession of seasons, each teaching me something new and bringing the right people into my life at the right time. Typing these posts on my laptop, I feel like Carrie Bradshaw. I love romanticizing my life by turning each minute occurrence into a profound lesson, aiming to giveContinue reading “I’m Changing (and I Love It): Welcome to Season 3”

Learning and Re-Learning: What the Last Year Has Taught Me

Upon entering a new phase of life, I believed I had already learned the majority of lessons I needed to, or at least enough to build a strong moral compass that could guide me through every curveball the next year could throw at me. Growing up with a strong family foundation, I learned early onContinue reading “Learning and Re-Learning: What the Last Year Has Taught Me”

WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD

I wish I could write the way I used to; obsessively, ravenously, writing myself into holes I could only write to get out of. I would write to escape my own reality, but also to face the words I was scared to say aloud. I miss having a space that was only mine, where IContinue reading “WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD”

AN ILLUSION OF LOVE

At times, I look at my generation with awe and pride. I wonder at the way we have learned to harness technology to improve the world. I appreciate the efforts we have made to become more inclusive. I commend the way we have adapted to an ever-changing, competitive professional landscape with more tenacity than everContinue reading “AN ILLUSION OF LOVE”

A FRESH START

For many years of my life, I viewed the New Year with awe and a sense of wanderlust. As the embodiment of a Type-A personality, I dedicated the beginning of each day, week, month, and year to meticulously planning ways to improve my life. I was aware of how it might seem to others—silly, perhaps—toContinue reading “A FRESH START”

HI, I’M DISCIPLINED, NICE TO MEET YOU.

Once upon a time, I took pride in the discipline and willpower I meticulously constructed. I felt proud that I could rise at 5 a.m. to work out before school. I drank black coffee and ate hard-boiled eggs, watching with disregard as others enjoyed pumpkin spice lattes in the fall and buttery scrambled eggs onContinue reading “HI, I’M DISCIPLINED, NICE TO MEET YOU.”

THE PEOPLE WE MEET ARE THE PEOPLE WE LOVE

There are times when, watching someone narrate their life, I am eternally grateful to hear their story. I love learning about the little facets that make up a random stranger; what is hidden behind the curtain they present to the world. I believe that is the most exciting part about making new friends: slowly watchingContinue reading “THE PEOPLE WE MEET ARE THE PEOPLE WE LOVE”