I began to miss her before she was ever gone. In my early twenties, I stood on a hand-built, wooden bridge one hot and humid summer night in rural Georgia, cheeks seared by salt-filled tears, drunkenly swapping sad dog stories and contemplating my owns aging—contemplating the elephant in the room toward which each of her … More My Old Friend
“I’ll tell you a secret,” she said, “No one is prepared.” In about a week, I’d be biking 150 miles as part of the Johns Hopkins Ride to Conquer Cancer to honor the life of my grandmother who had passed away from esophageal cancer three years prior. I’d had grand plans of fully training for … More Why I Rode: In Suffering, There is Joy
Cancer is a word I’ve known for a long time. I’ve heard the word used in the context of medical research. I’ve heard it uttered when it has come to affect family or friends or colleagues, or those of my family, friends, and colleagues. I’ve heard it spoken at many fundraising events, looking to find … More Why I Ride: Doing My Grandma’s Life Justice
I love air travel. There are so many aspects of it that have captured my heart since my very first flight. It’s the idea of changing scenery for a moment. It’s the stories to be created on the other side. It’s knowing who is waiting at your destination with the sole intention of taking you … More Nancy Pokres (June 27, 1936 — July 31, 2012)
My journey through the twenties is ultimately a quest to establish a lasting union between my cliché love of pink, glittery giggles and my mind’s ongoing search for meaningful, intellectual nuggets. Every now and then, I stumble upon a point in time in which the two collide. With enough of these collisions, I believe I’m … More Learning to Let Go
ROUGH OUTLINES 