This place has failed to sufficiently produce dopamine in my brain and I am mad about it! — I started Medium in April 2021. I banged out a random article about skinny jeans going out of style. I didn’t think anyone would actually read it; I just felt like writing, so I did. Then I saw it was gaining claps and eyeballs. I decided to keep writing. I…

So much has changed. — Back in March, I started a fitness journey. This was a big deal at the time; while I was already fat to begin with, the pandemic made me even fatter. …

Sometimes, things just don’t go as planned. — I glanced at you from the opposite end of the couch. You had dozed off during the movie. Your head rested on your left hand, your arm crooked upward to hold yourself upright. The TV screen in your living room’s bluish glow illuminated your face, highlighting your peaceful slumbering face. …

I really don’t understand what I did wrong. — Wednesdays are my busy day this term. Not only do I teach two classes right on top of each other, but the location is a 50-minute bus ride from my home. …

Sure, let’s restimulate my money trauma. Why not? — Disclaimer: Yes, I’m aware this is 100% my fault. If you come at me in my comments, I’m going to assume you didn’t actually read any of this. This morning, I was causally sitting in my armchair drinking coffee. I was chatting with my husband about something random — I…

Let’s talk about what happened. — If you are unfamiliar with the term, quiet quitting involves workers rejecting “hustle culture,” which is “the mentality that one must work all day every day in pursuit of their professional goals.” The general attitude of hustle culture is that if you aren't constantly productive, then you aren’t a “team…

Yes, the movie sucks… but not for the reasons people said it sucked 7 years ago. — It was Saturday, February 14, 2015. A so-called “Arctic cold front” was pummeling the Midwest, USA; though to us Midwesterners, that is pretty much normal winter weather. I was working as a merchandiser at the time; after completing my early morning shift, I came home brandishing a cute little Valentine’s…

Lord have mercy, this is a mess. — Within the last week, the controversial social media influencer and musician Gabbie Hanna posted a crapload of bizarre TikToks. This has raised serious concerns about her mental well-being. It has also called into question the role TikTok and other platforms need to play when their creators do things like this. …

When you psych yourself out. — Tonight, I took my 8ish-year-old jackabee (i.e., jack russell/beagle mix) for a quick walk. This is our usual nighttime routine, and it has been since my now-husband (boyfriend at the time) and I adopted him in October 2015. We hadn’t even planned on getting a dog that day. The plan…