There are people who begin their mornings with meditation. They wake gently to the sound of birds, stretch their arms toward the heavens, drink lemon water, write three pages in a gratitude journal, and thoughtfully set an intention for the day. I sit in my car and talk to the internet while dogs breathe directly... Continue Reading →
The Day Downtown Tried to Kill My Last Nerve
I had one simple errand. That sentence should have been my first warning. All I needed to do was drive downtown, pick up a package, and come home. According to Google Maps, the entire trip would take twenty-seven minutes. According to reality, I apparently needed provisions, emergency flares, a lawyer, and the emotional resilience of... Continue Reading →
The Queen Beneath the Hawthorn
Everyone in the village knew not to follow music into the hills. Children were taught it before they were old enough to understand why. Never step inside a ring of mushrooms after sunset. Never eat food offered beneath a hawthorn tree. Never answer when someone calls your name from an empty field. And above all,... Continue Reading →
The Corn Maze Incident: We Live Here Now
It started, as most bad decisions do, with confidence. “It’s a corn maze,” I said. “How hard can it be?” Those words should have immediately summoned a park employee to confiscate my admission bracelet and escort me back to the parking lot. Instead, I marched into the maze with three friends, absolutely convinced that generations... Continue Reading →
The Day the Universe Put Me on Its Group Chat
I knew the day was going to be garbage when I woke up before my alarm. Not because I was refreshed. Not because my body had miraculously decided that 6:17am was a beautiful time to embrace life. No. I woke up because something cold and wet touched my foot. There are very few things you... Continue Reading →
I Started Gardening for My Mental Health. That Was A Cute Idea
I decided to start a garden because apparently I looked at my already chaotic life and thought, You know what this needs? Several dozen tiny green dependents with very specific emotional needs. People online made gardening look peaceful. There were videos of women wandering barefoot through immaculate gardens at sunrise, gently gathering tomatoes into wicker... Continue Reading →
The Saturday I Went Looking for Motivation and Found Snacks Instead
Saturday morning arrived full of possibility. I knew this because I had made a list. Not just any list. A motivational list. Laundry. Vacuum. Clean bathroom. Grocery shopping. Organize closet. Answer emails. Change sheets. Meal prep. I looked at it. The list looked back. We immediately disliked each other. “Okay,” I said. “I just need... Continue Reading →
The Week That Needed to Be Escorted From the Building
By Friday morning, Claire wasn't finishing the week strong. She was finishing it the way a shopping cart with one bad wheel finishes a trip across a parking lot - loudly, sideways, and with several strangers wondering what the hell was happening. Monday had started innocently enough. Her alarm went off at 6:00am. Claire turned... Continue Reading →
The Day Every Single Thing Went Wrong in the Correct Order
There are mornings when the universe gently tests you. And then there are mornings when the universe wakes up, cracks its knuckles and says, “You know what would be hilarious?” For Rachel, that morning began at 7:14am, when she woke up feeling suspiciously refreshed. This should have concerned her immediately. Rachel was not a naturally... Continue Reading →
The Witch Who Walked Through Centuries
The first thing Aveline learned about immortality was that everyone who dreamed of it imagined the wrong things. They imagined centuries stretching endlessly before them. They imagined watching kingdoms rise and fall, witnessing inventions that would have once been called sorcery, reading books that had not yet been written and walking through cities that did... Continue Reading →