Writer on the search for kindness. | Traveling, exploring, scribbling, finding sunshine wherever I go.
Attention everyone: a year ago, today, was the best day of my life. There was vodka, burgundy, and dancing. Family, donuts, and fall colors. The air was brisk, my dress was off-white, the mountains familiar. More than one pair of eyes glistened, while laughter and sincerity radiated throughout the evening, keeping us warm. If I…
In my 23 years on the planet, most of them have been drama-free. This is a quiet badge of honor; I don't advertise it, or really talk about it much, but I lead the life of the peace-keeper. I credit this to some of my favorite traits: I'm empathetic, compassionate, sensitive, and kind-hearted. Some of…
Here's the deal: I'm an adult. As much as it might not feel like it, especially on a day-to-day basis, I am a full-time employee with a degree, a husband, and a car payment. I might be a millennial version—one who surfs social media, takes an occasional selfie, and is a little too attached to…
Never Have I Ever is a popular game for inquisitive middle schoolers, high school athletes on long bus rides, and college kids who like to drink. People gravitate toward drinking games because consuming booze isn't quite entertaining enough. King's Cup is a popular drinking game that involves a can of beer, a deck of cards,…
Life as we know it is filled with hot takes. Solicited or not, there they are. We see them as we scroll through Twitter, they are discussed in length on talk shows, we hear them through the group chat, and sometimes we are told, face-to-face, how our choices rank. As an independent person, I don't…
Fall is coming, and I have to prepare myself. Every year, this season gives me pause in many ways. It's so tightly wrapped in nostalgia, but sloppily and uneasily so. While I confess that fall is my favorite, it also is emotionally difficult. The terrain is complicated to traverse. Good things continue to build, while…
Women, you inspire me. You've written your way out, broke through an audience's veil, and made my journey in writing that much easier. Here is one my previously published columns, featured in the April 2016 issue of the CU Denver Sentry. Women in literature, cheers to you. - - Writerly Women I’ve never handled poetry…
My husband Chad and I are coming up on seven years together, and one year married. Throughout this time, we've gone through a lot—hurdles, successes, and nearly every milestone that comes up in a young relationship's highs and lows. I've learned a lot. I've grown a lot. This growth has come independently and as a…
Continue reading ➞ Married at 22: the best things about me are NOT you
It can be easy to let labels run our lives. A few years ago, I opened a door that I haven't quite been able to wedge shut. It was Christmas vacation: I'd watched a film with my parents and nestled onto the couch with a hefty glass of wine. I don't remember why inspiration struck,…
Growing up, I knew two things to be absolutely true: Doing anything difficult at all builds character. Practice makes perfect. My household, as you can imagine, had a strong emphasis on goals and success. My parents, now married for 31 years, ran things in a similar way to their partnership: with a lot of love,…