Dear Reader I recently saw the musical Hamilton and naturally, I’m chockablock with opinions. I had, of course, heard of Hamilton long before Lin Manuel Miranda’s brainchild exploded onto the scene in 2015 (I mean Hamilton is on the $10 bill after all). My first real introduction to Alexander Hamilton was in my eighth-grade U.S. history... Continue Reading →
I Actually Went to My 10-Year High School Reunion
Dear Reader How much does 10 years really change a person? I just had the pleasure of attending my 10-year high school reunion, and while life situations have changed in a number of ways, the people — have not. I was quiet and awkward in high school, but I benefited from a close friend group... Continue Reading →
Wait! You’re Going All By Yourself??
Dear Reader, Today, I am writing to you from the “small but beautiful” Central American country of El Salvador. I use quotes here because that description was provided to me years ago by a maintenance woman at my graduate student dormitory, as she discussed her home country with me. I am in El Salvador on... Continue Reading →
I Gained 10 Pounds and Didn’t Notice
Dear Reader, Okay, I’m not 100% positive about how much weight I gained over the summer but it’s in the realm of 6 – 10 lbs, but for the sake of catchy titles, we’re going with 10. Also, no, I’m not going to show you before and after photos (not sorry). Anyway, here’s the story.... Continue Reading →
I Was Gaslit: A Conspiracy Theory
Dear Reader, I thought my phone was stolen until the suspected thief tried to convince me otherwise. Please see my last post (here) for the full story about how my iPhone was lifted and then returned to me. Although my story has a happy ending, the incident brought me a lot of stress and, to... Continue Reading →
Help! They Abducted My… iPhone
Dear Reader, Here’s what happened. I was walking home one evening from campus, when I decided to check out the small convenience store right by my place. It looks cheap, sketchy, and lacking in options, but I was running low on eggs, so I decided to visit it for the first time ever. I walk... Continue Reading →
I Heard What You Said at Starbucks
Dear Reader, “Guys, if you all want to leave, you can, I won’t complain. I’ll still be here.” This is the outburst that snapped me out of my audiobook (Jennette McCurdy’s “I’m Glad My Mom Died” by the way) and turned my attention toward the employees behind the café counter. I’m sitting in a Boston-area... Continue Reading →
Your Tooth Is Fractured, but It’s Fine
Dear Reader, I know that I’m not the only adult out there who fears going to the dentist. I have suffered a moderate amount of physical (and an excruciating amount of emotional) suffering at the gloved hands of dentists. During childhood, my trips to the dentist were mostly normal — baby teeth fell out naturally,... Continue Reading →
Why I Don’t Tell People I Play the Piano
Dear Reader, When you tell people that you play the piano, they very often assume that you are good at the piano. Because adults who play the piano very likely began during childhood, and 10+ years of playing the piano is probably long enough to attain mastery. I have met and seen adults my age,... Continue Reading →
Quit Your Day Job Or Don’t: A Musing
Dear Reader, To quit or not to quit one’s day job? “Don’t quit your day job,” has become a bit of a throw-away line that we hear when one is being dissuaded from diving headfirst into their creative passion (that frankly, one may not have the requisite talent to pursue full-time). I am not about... Continue Reading →