Disclaimer: I wrote this last January but wanted to give it time to cool off, to get some distance from it, which deserves reflection and commentary in its own right. But please know that I did not take liberties; all of this happened, and all of it in one day. Specifically, January 29th, 2015. How… Read More Why Women Can’t Lighten Up
Before sunrise, a man called through our tent with a “good morning” light enough not to capitalize or punctuate with an exclamation mark. His was the most polite wake up call you’d ever heard, as he carried freshly steeped tea and a tin of biscuit cookies into our tent to perk us up before our… Read More Tales from Safari: Ain’t no shame in my game [walk]
Apollo loaded the four of us into a riverboat the same size as a short bus, with a quiet, round man at the motor in the back. Apollo stood at the helm, facing us, and told us to keep our arms and legs inside the boat. A desperate stooge needing to be funny and validated,… Read More Tales from Safari: Searching for a port in an actual, real-life, torrential storm
Laura and Andy are archetypal British characters, but I swear I didn’t make them up. They exist in real life. They are tidy and proper, with amusing highbrow accents that had me laughing with delight at literally everything they said. Yes, they were quite clever and funny, but if I’m honest, I probably laughed too… Read More Tales from Safari: When ignoring mythical heroes
I’m currently sitting at an outdoor desk, carved of wood by on-site carpenters. It’s ornate but functional, the kind of desk that begs you to start your goddamn novel. To have great ideas, powered by the occasional menacing snort of the hippo. A loud, annoying insect terrorist won’t leave me alone. I just want to… Read More Tales from Safari: It’s hot out here for a wimp
Do you hear that? The mellifluous notes your heart plays on loop until some no-name sophomore from Wofford drains a last second three over your team’s senior captain (possibly playing through an injury?) and ruins your life. March Madness, you mystical enchantress, I’ve been waiting for you. I know you will find new ways to… Read More That Selection Sunday Feeling
If your idea of international travel is all-inclusive, speaks fluent English, and involves limited interaction with people browner than you. If you are impatient. If you can’t handle uncertainty or chaos or change. If you can’t be bothered to convert to metric, Celsius, or another currency. If you are scared of your own shadow. If you… Read More Open wide: a traveler’s guide to actually seeing the world
This past weekend, I got the text message we all dread from our parents. We know it’s coming someday, and we think we’ll be ready when the bad news arrives. But how can anyone prepare for something so heavy and grim? Are we ever truly ready for it? Kelaine I would like to talk to… Read More What to Do When Your Dad Asks for Snapchat Advice
The Invite Oh, Mary, that’s just lovely. Of course I’d like to come for dinner tonight. We had such a wonderful time this weekend at the farmer’s market. It got a bit warm, though, didn’t it? When I got home, my Moby wrap was so sweaty from carrying my sweet Tallula all day. Good thing… Read More Dinner with a Kosher, Vegan, Celiac with Peanut Allergies
I used to romanticize the process of art creation, assuming that great words would just fall out of my head in perfect sequence. Assuming that every single one of my thoughts and sentences should touch the page in perfect form, achieving Nirvana and changing the world simply through being. I wanted to be a genius.… Read More Stroking My Genius
Benign Humor 