After the fireworks subsided last week, I sought out a new sound to fill the silence. Not live entertainment or even a date with a booming baritone, but a four-stringed, rosewood escape to paradise. And it was only right that I introduce my tropical instrument to my happy place, Fort Monroe, and play through the sunset last night. Just me and my ukulele.
Mental Health Journey
What My Yard Sale Taught Me About Letting Go of Everything
As I sorted through boxes and broken dreams, I discovered that decluttering your house is really about decluttering your heart. Some things are worth keeping; some aren't.
Growing Pains: How We Embrace Change and Growth
Growth and change are two of the most defining aspects of life. Whether it's a crab shedding its exoskeleton to make room for new growth or a human transitioning from one relationship to another, we all experience these shifts in our lives. Female crab shells litter Fort Monroe Beach’s shores. Alongside them are skeletons no one sees but me, phantom beach companions and even a charming proposal.
What My Trigger Thumb Surgery Taught Me About Emotional Pain
I waited a year to fix my thumb because I was afraid of surgery. Here's what I learned about the difference between numbing pain and actually healing—and why we need to visit the sad places.
Social Media and Depression: Managing Your Digital Footprint
How we show up online during depression can feel complicated. Here's what I've learned about authenticity, boundaries, and hope in the digital age.
Understanding Depression: Breaking Through the Myths and Stigma
How we show up online during depression can feel complicated. Here's what I've learned about authenticity, boundaries, and hope in the digital age.
Moving Forward Despite Depression: The Art of Doing Things Anyway
Depression whispers that nothing matters, but sometimes healing happens when we do the next right thing anyway. Here's how I learned to take action even when motivation was nowhere to be found.
The First Signs of Healing: When You Start to Notice Life Again
Recovery from depression isn't dramatic—it's in the small moments when you start noticing sunsets again, tasting food, feeling hope. Here's what emerging from darkness actually looks like.
My Check Engine Light Won’t Stop—But Neither Will This Teacher’s Christmas Comedy
Teaching Chekhov's comedy while my life feels like Shakespeare's tragedy. Seven dimensions of wellness spinning out of orbit, but Charming and I built a Dickens village anyway. Maybe the genre depends on how we react after the conflict—not the broken car, broken plans, or broken sleep.
My ADHD Diagnosis Came Mid-Summer with Charming—Now I Touch a Heart Key to Lock My Lips
Two weeks after being diagnosed with ADHD at 34, I'm learning I interrupt because I'm afraid I'll forget. Charming needs deep conversation; I'm a poor conversationalist. Now I wear a tiny key charm—when I touch it, I imagine locking my lips. Summer's slipping away like sand, and maybe so is he.
Writer's Growth 