Dear Fifteen-Year-Old Me, You’re more powerful than you know. I know the acne is tough. I know that feelings suck and being a teenage girl seems impossibly complicated. I know you secretly want people to like you even though you act indifferent simply because you have so few friends. Let’s face it – you … Continue reading Dear Fifteen-Year-Old Me
I’m Not Her
Comparison is a dangerous trap. She’s not coming back. She moved away and moved on, and her life is going forward. She’s growing up and I’m staying put. Her career is about to explode into success and mine is moving on a slow trajectory. For the last year I lived with my best friend, … Continue reading I’m Not Her
You’re Stronger
“It is both a blessing and curse to feel everything so deeply” – David Jones. I’ve read that vulnerability and courage go hand in hand. This truly resonates with me, being such an incredibly sensitive person in terms of what in this world affects me emotionally. It took me years to realize that it was … Continue reading You’re Stronger
Staying Silent
Why do we stay silent? During a job interview not too long ago, I was asked one of those typical questions about a challenge I had faced and how I handled it. What came to mind at the time was the sexual harassment I had encountered during my summer as a whitewater rafting guide. … Continue reading Staying Silent
Be Grateful for the Box
It was my seventeenth birthday. I don’t know about you but I was not a stellar person during my teen years – too much angst and drama, and not enough understanding and patience. On that day, I was in the house when my dad came home. He told me that his coworker had found me … Continue reading Be Grateful for the Box
Back of the Line
Backcountry. I volunteered on a trail crew for a few months after college, and when my first backcountry project appeared my schedule, I was thrilled. I wanted to be out there in the wilderness, nothing but my small crew and the elements, proving to the world and myself that I was nitty gritty and “one … Continue reading Back of the Line
Humans Say No
A few years ago I started taking Krav Maga, which is an Israeli form of self-defense. I started training because I wanted – no, needed – to be able to physically defend myself from an attack, and give myself some awareness and peace of mind. At the time I had a physically demanding job building … Continue reading Humans Say No
