Growing Up

  3 October 2020 From my heart and soul: So I think we can all agree 2020 has been a mess, to say the least. I think we can all agree that 2020 has been one for the record books, and also one most of us might not want to be in any book to remember. For me, 2020 and since last October, life has had way too many downs than I would have liked. It’s been like trying to dig a hole while someone is simultaneously filling it; you make some progress on one area to be completely derailed by another area of your life. (Not entirely sure if that makes sense, but it is pretty close to describing the last year of my life.) In the last year I have cried, yelled, laughed, danced, cried some more, hugged, wondered, lied, been lied to, and cried a lot more than I have ever wanted to. I was trying to keep my house (my body, mind, soul) together with duct tape when in reality I needed nails and screws. I spoke and briefly touched on how difficult the last year of my life was earlier this year but in real

So recently I drove from the east coast, Charleston, SC, took a month detour in St. Louis, MO, and then drove to San Diego, CA from there. I made roughly 9 stops, it took me approximately 33 hours, and I spent WAY too much money on gas. But in the process, I learned a couple of things and felt it was the perfect time to come out of the writing hibernation I have been in for almost 8 months to share what I learned, and a few tips based on that. So, here’s that list:          1.       Driving in a 2-door Jeep Wrangler across the United States is neither ideal nor the most enjoyable. Unless you want zero space and to stop for gas every half an hour, I would suggest renting a Prius. Though despite the frustrations, I am glad my trusty young buck was able to get me from one coast to another in one piece.          2.       Based on #1, driving across the country in a Jeep Wrangler is NOT cheaper than flying.          3.       If you have 100 miles left and are in th

28 November 2018 3 years ago, today, my dad celebrated his 60th birthday, I had just gotten into my first relationship, I was away at school, immature, and filled with a lot of ignorance and malevolence. I can recall my mom texting me reminding me to wish my dad a “happy birthday”. With little grace and even more imprudence, I refused and went on about my day as if he never existed. That same year, on my birthday a couple months prior, I received a text from my dad saying something along the lines of him wishing me a “happy birthday” and probably following it up with an “I love you”. And without fail, clearly filled with resentment, I ignored the text. (Though I would like to digress and say how I do realize this REALLY does not matter, but it is also incredibly easy to respond with a “thank you” regardless of my ill feelings that had developed over my childhood.) Fast forward 2 months and I am sitting in a hospital saying goodbye to my dad for the last time. Fast