All Stories
First Times
My grandmother forced me to ride a unicycle at a county fair, and I wobbled on, unsure what horror would happen next, while a sign behind me spelled out "Laugh-A-Minute" in crooked letters that made me doubt everything else in life.
Work
As I click the "generate" button on my sales team's fancy spreadsheet, the machine whirs to life, belting out a staccato melody that's somehow still considered a sound, my colleagues' ears tuned in with the enthusiasm of cats at a dental check-up.
Dating & Relationships
Sometimes after a long shower, when steam still clouds up my mirror, I catch myself practicing my nervous grin - a goofy curve of the lips, an attempt to make myself almost, sort of non-threatening. Like that'll ever work.
Tech Fails
I'm starting to think the only thing my smart coffee maker is intelligent about is its ability to judge me. Every morning, I try to hack its user interface, but it just doesn't cooperate.
Pets
I'm pretty sure the dust bunnies under my cat's favorite bed have more life than the actual cat does these days. They scurry faster, for one.
Public Places
As I lugged shopping carts down the crowded mall corridor, the fluorescent lights above us hummed a disquieting serenade. My sweat-stained t-shirt clung to my back like a damp shroud, and the scent of stale air clung to everything.
Kids
It seems ridiculous to be having a crisis over this, given that my sister's hand drew on the entire living room when we were kids, but right now, that's somehow more appealing than this sticky note in front of me.
School
My palms are stuck together in a sweaty handshake with itself. It's 7:50, exactly three minutes before my morning lecture on advanced chaos theory.
Awkward
My palms sweat when remembering that one time I tried to give a plant to my professor during office hours. I'd spent the previous evening hand-picking the perfect succulent from a store down the street, carefully re-potting it with a matching ceramic bowl.
Travel
I woke up in a small hostel room in Tokyo, my mind foggy from last night's Karaoke adventure. Today was my last day in Japan – a country that had bewitched me with its vibrant colors, eclectic food, and enigmatic people.
Misunderstandings
I stepped out into the pouring rain, coffee-less and already in a bad mood. I had just spilled coffee grounds all over my shirt, and now my favorite pair of shoes were soaked.
Travel
I stepped off the train in Tokyo, the neon signs a shock to my system. I'd traded the familiarity of home for an adventure, and I wasn't sure if I'd made a mistake.