• "Collins Family 23" drawn in the sand.
    General Thoughts

    First summer beach vacation

    Childhood vacations I remember the first time I went to the beach with my family when I was a teenager. We didn’t stay right on the beach, nor did we swim in the ocean, but it was an experience all the same. I remember getting to go out on the beach at night, and I saw a shooting star. I made a wish on that star to meet the man I was supposed to spend my life with by the time I was 23, and it came true. I met Jonathan right before my 23rd birthday. Road trips were always our thing because the expense of flying was out of…

  • Young family watching television.
    Essays,  General Thoughts

    The importance of traditions

    Childhood memories What do you remember most from your childhood? It’s likely you remember big events and any trauma you might have experienced. Those types of things tend to leave an impression. Another way memories stick with us is through repetition, often in the form of family traditions if we’re fortunate. Holiday traditions Traditions I remember most from being a kid were centered around holidays. Getting to open one present on Christmas Eve. Waking up at the crack of dawn on Christmas Day, only to be told to go back to bed for an hour while the house warmed up. Raking leaves the day after Thanksgiving (weather permitting). Waking up…

  • Essays,  General Thoughts

    Desperately Seeking Friendship

    I feel like there needs to be an app for people seeking non-romantic relationships. The Tinder for friendships. Maybe there already is an app like that. I should check since I don’t get out much. Married female seeking friends. Loves books, dogs, and has a manageable obsession with Snoopy®. Enjoys movies, writing, and leisurely strolls outside. Dislikes politics, laziness and most country music. People who are rude to service workers need not apply. Maybe it’s not specific enough? Lonely married female seeks companion for shopping, snarky comments, occasional concerts of hard rock or 90s grunge or alternative, and decent servings of chick flicks or scary movies at the theater. Too…