personal
What does it mean to belong in a place? I’ve lived (for at least a few months) in nine communities across six states and two countries. No matter where I go, I seek connections between myself and the people who live there. I may identify with certain aspects of
personal
I celebrated my birthday this week with friends old and new, virtual and in-person. I have known most of my closest friends for at least a decade, and some many more than that. Other people I’ve known for just a few years. I’ve been thinking back on how
personal
Earlier this week, the pacific northwest experienced record high temperatures. Antarctica recorded similar extreme temperatures over the same few days. California is in a super drought. Nearly every corner of the world is already feeling the effects of the ongoing climate crisis. In an ideal world, this is when everyone
personal
One day I received an email from a colleague of mine. Someone from the community had reached out to her in search of food. He was living alone, disabled, unable to travel for food or stand in a line. A local church delivered groceries to the apartment where he lived.
personal
the disappearing pool One of my earliest memories is using the pool in my neighborhood park when I was three or four years old. I don’t remember much about the experience itself. When my mom tells the story she says I was so cold my lips were blue. What
personal
Around the time I started this website back in 2019, I listened to a podcast by one of my role models, Vu Le. Vu’s blog Nonprofit AF has helped me throughout my career. On this podcast, he gave a piece of advice to up-and-coming bloggers that boils down to
personal
Like most millennials, a lot of my reading these days takes the form of news and pop culture. It was a natural progression for the voracious reading habits that began when I was a kid. When you only read about current events, a lot of what you read is useless
personal
camping I don’t remember the first time I went camping. I was a baby. I don’t remember the experience but I remember the photos with a vivid intensity. My family ate well on these trips. When my dad was a boy scout, he remembers grilling a steak on
personal
Even before the pandemic, television has always been my favorite form of visual media. I worked three jobs through college and was well known for falling asleep during movies. I enjoyed the theater and acted in a few small plays. I had a favorite improv troupe (it was the early
personal
Jeffrey Gibson’s exhibition Like a Hammer was on display at the Seattle Art Museum in the spring of 2019. It’s one of the rare exhibits I’ve gone to see more than once. Another exhibit with repeat viewings was Gordon Parks’ Segregation Story at the High Museum. The
personal
In an earlier post, I shared a resource I use by Tema Okun. People suspicious of phrases like “white supremacist culture” will dismiss it immediately. But even for someone who believes we live in an anti-Black racist society, I struggle with it sometimes. “Really??” I ask myself. “Being on time
personal
I recently listened to a podcast called Intersectionality in the Diaspora. It’s co-hosted by my friend Clara. The podcast feels like listening in on a conversation between two friends. Clara and her co-host Melo have been friends for several years. They describe themselves as Centro Americanxs raised in Los
