Let me start by saying that I’m writing this post as much for myself as for all of you. I’ve never felt at home in my body. From body dysmorphia in my teens to chronic pain in recent years, I’ve never been able to control the way that I look and feel to the degree…
Sometimes, I feel like my brain is actively working against me. My tireless ability to find patterns and hidden meaning makes me a good researcher during the day, then keeps me from sleeping soundly at night. I dissect the moments that brought me joy in daylight, recategorizing each one as evidence of my deepest fears: The…
My year of loss was bookended by two deaths. First was the passing of my grandmother in early spring—the kind of death that feels like an unwelcome but wholly natural conclusion to a long, full life. In the winter came the passing of my mother—the kind of death that doesn’t just suspend reality, but that…
I recently had the huge honor of meeting one of my personal heroes: U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren. Though I did once consider running for office, my admiration for Senator Warren isn’t purely political: There are few people out there today, in any field, who are able to set aside their fear of not being liked…
When I look back to my teenage years, many of the memories that rise to the surface are dark around the edges, like singed photographs held over a flame. I struggled with toxic perfectionism and intense melancholy over which I had little control—so all-consuming that I often had trouble focusing on the world outside of…
On a Wednesday night in January 2017, I texted three friends: “You’re going to the Women’s March on Saturday, right? Are you feeling anxious? How are you dealing with that?” I was sitting on my kitchen floor with a cup of chamomile tea, holding back tears and taking deep breaths. My screen lit up with incoming messages….
