What I didn't expect to learn about myself
Father's Day weekend and Jake is out doing his thing, so I have the apartment to myself for a few hours. I made coffee, rolled out my mat, did about twenty minutes of movement, an…
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99 entries tagged #reflection.
The conversation that changed how I lead
Three days later and I'm still unpacking that whole situation with Alex. The conversation that changed how I lead Not the confrontation itself - that part was actually straightfor…
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What three weeks of cold taught us
Been sitting here thinking about those three weeks when our heat kept cutting out, and honestly? It stripped away all the polite relationship stuff we didn't even realize we were…
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The hardest leadership lesson nobody talks about
Been thinking about that whole situation with Alex at work last week, and I keep coming back to the same realization: sometimes being a good leader means stepping back instead of…
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What broken things teach you
Funny how three weeks without reliable heat can strip away all the surface stuff and show you exactly what you're working with. What broken things teach you Not the romantic versi…
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The uncomfortable art of calling people out
Three days since I called out Alex's competitive intensity during our workout, and I'm still processing what happened in that moment. The uncomfortable art of calling people out N…
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What I learned from frozen mornings
Been thinking about those three weeks when our heat kept cutting out. Not the part where I woke up to 52-degree mornings or Jake's impressive collection of creative curse words di…
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The thing about difficult conversations
Three days since I called out Alex's competitive intensity during our workout, and I'm still processing what that moment taught me about leadership. The thing about difficult conv…
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What broken heating teaches you about unbroken relationships
Three weeks of working heat, and I'm still thinking about those freezing mornings when Jake and I huddled together, problem-solving our way through blankets and space heaters. Wha…
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Saturday morning leadership lessons
Three days since I called out Alex's competitive intensity during our workout, and I'm still processing what happened. Saturday morning leadership lessons Not the confrontation it…
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What cold apartments teach you about warm relationships
Three weeks of proper heat now, and I'm finally putting away all the evidence of our winter crisis. What cold apartments teach you about warm relationships Found myself sitting on…
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What stays when the heat comes back
The apartment's been properly warm for three weeks now, but I keep thinking about those February nights when our heating was basically a suggestion. What stays when the heat comes…
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Learning to lead without apologizing
Been thinking all afternoon about that situation with Alex last month. You know how sometimes you handle something in the moment, think you did okay, but then weeks later the real…
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What crisis reveals
Three weeks since our heating drama got resolved, and I keep coming back to those chaotic days when everything was breaking down. Not just the heating system, though that was defi…
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What broken heat taught me
Three weeks since our heating drama finally got sorted, and I keep thinking about those two mornings when Jake and I tackled the whole mess together. What broken heat taught me No…
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Leadership lessons from messy moments
That whole situation with Alex three weeks ago keeps coming back to me, but not in the way I expected. Leadership lessons from messy moments Instead of replaying what I could've d…
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Hindsight clarity
Three weeks out from that whole situation with Alex at work, and I'm finally seeing it clearly. Hindsight clarity Had my journal out tonight trying to process some other stuff whe…
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Research notes
Spent the afternoon finally tackling that corner where random papers migrate to die. You know the spot - every apartment has one. Bills, receipts, Jake's work notes, my old study…
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Learning curve
That conversation with Alex last week keeps replaying in my head, but not in the way you'd expect. Learning curve Yeah, it was uncomfortable calling him out on the competitive int…
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The reveal in the process
Funny how you think you're just planning a weekend getaway and end up learning something fundamental about how you and your person work together. The reveal in the process Spent t…
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Uncomfortable conversations
Been sitting with last week's situation at work for a few days now, and honestly? I think I needed that uncomfortable conversation with Alex more than I realized. Uncomfortable co…
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Setting the record straight
Been thinking about last week's situation with Alex at work, and honestly? I'm kind of proud of how I handled it. Setting the record straight When he started getting too competiti…
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What crisis reveals
Been thinking about our heating situation from a few weeks back. Not the broken thermostat part, though that was its own special kind of December torture, but how we handled it to…
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What confrontation teaches you
Tuesday's thing with Alex keeps coming back to me, but not in that replay-every-detail way that makes you want to hide under a blanket. More like... I keep finding new pieces of i…
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Lessons from a broken thermostat
Three weeks since our heating drama ended, and I keep coming back to how well we handled it. Not the technical stuff, we're still clueless about HVAC systems, but the way we moved…
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Leadership lessons from the firing line
Tuesday's confrontation with Alex keeps replaying in my head, but not in the way you'd expect. Not the uncomfortable part where I had to call out his behavior in front of the team…
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Crisis management aftermath
Been sitting with the aftermath of our heating situation for a few days now, and honestly? The whole thing taught me more about Jake and me than I expected. Crisis management afte…
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After the storm
Tuesday's confrontation with Alex keeps replaying in my head, but not in the way you'd expect. Not the heated moment when I had to shut down his pushback in front of the whole tea…
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Standing ground
Three days later and I'm still thinking about Tuesday's shift. Alex had been pushing back on every protocol suggestion for weeks, questioning my decisions in front of patients, ma…
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Planning revelations
Cleaning out my anniversary planning folder this afternoon and honestly? The scattered notes and crossed-out lists tell a better story than the actual weekend we ended up having.…
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Notes from the archives
Cleaning out my anniversary planning folder today and stumbled across Jake's note from that whole heating disaster back in February. You know the one - "Called the landlord again.…
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The art of going alone
Drove up to that little mountain town about an hour north this morning. No plan, no agenda, just me and whatever the day wanted to offer. The art of going alone Something about be…
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Leadership lessons from the trenches
Been sitting here with my journal for the past hour, processing that difficult conversation I had at work last week. Leadership lessons from the trenches Sometimes the moments tha…
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Behind the scenes of compromise
Spent the afternoon going through all our anniversary planning notes and realized something interesting. It wasn't really about picking the perfect destination or finding the idea…
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Professional growing pains
Had one of those uncomfortable work moments last week that's been sitting with me ever since. Professional growing pains You know the kind - where someone pushes boundaries in a m…
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Control freak recovery program
Finished organizing all the anniversary planning stuff this afternoon and had to laugh at myself. Control freak recovery program Three color-coded lists, backup restaurant reserva…
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Pattern recognition
Cleaned up all the anniversary planning stuff today and had one of those uncomfortable moments where you see yourself clearly. The evidence of my overthinking spread across the co…
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The calibration conversation
Thursday's meeting keeps replaying in my head, but now I'm seeing the layers I missed in the moment. The calibration conversation The whole thing started when Alex pushed back on…
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The archaeology of planning
Spent the last hour going through all these anniversary planning materials one more time before finally putting them away. The archaeology of planning Looking at the evolution fro…
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The aftermath wisdom
Three days of mental distance from Thursday's meeting and I'm finally seeing it clearly. That moment when I had to call out Alex's behavior wasn't just about standing up for the t…
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Small notes, big realizations
Found this little piece of paper tucked in my planner today while finally getting my organizational life back together. Small notes, big realizations It's Jake's note from when ou…
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The weight of necessary words
Three days later and I'm still unpacking Thursday's meeting where I had to call out a colleague's behavior in front of the whole team. The weight of necessary words Not something…
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The aftermath of standing up
Been thinking all day about that meeting on Thursday where I had to call out Alex for undermining the cultural workshop planning. Not the confrontation itself - that was messy but…
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Crisis archaeology
Cleaning out my school bag and found this crumpled piece of paper with Jake's handwriting: "E - called landlord again, left VM. Picked up space heater from Carmen. Made soup. Love…
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The planning autopsy
Finally put away all the anniversary planning materials today and had one of those moments where you step back and see yourself clearly. The planning autopsy Three binders. Three…
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What three binders taught me
Cleaning out my bag tonight and found the anniversary planning notebook - all three of them, actually, plus the backup folder and the contingency itinerary I never ended up needin…
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Learning curves
Spent most of this afternoon thinking about Thursday's meeting with the department head. Learning curves Not going to lie - it was one of those conversations where you walk away f…
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Afternoon silence
Jake's at his parents' place helping them move furniture, and the apartment feels different when it's just me. Not empty exactly - more like it's holding its breath. Afternoon sil…
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The planner's paradox
Found my anniversary planning notebook tonight while cleaning out my bag. Three pages of lists, backup plans, and weather contingencies for what turned out to be a perfectly simpl…
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Professional boundaries
Had one of those conversations at work yesterday that stays with you long after it's over. Alex and I finally addressed the elephant in the room about his intensity during our tea…
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Floor time philosophy
Three days of replaying that conversation with the charge nurse and I finally figured out what's been bothering me. It wasn't that she questioned my judgment about Michelle's disc…
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Professional boundaries and pad thai clarity
Had one of those nights where your brain won't stop replaying a conversation, so I ordered way too much Thai food and pulled out my notebook to work through it. Professional bound…
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Sunday stillness
Carmen brought over this mystery novel she's been raving about and ended up curled on our living room floor, completely absorbed. Sunday stillness Something about watching her rea…
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Boundaries and breakthroughs
The apartment's quiet tonight - Jake's at his guitar lesson, and I'm sitting here with my notebook, trying to process what happened with Alex last week. Boundaries and breakthroug…
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Learning what we're made of
Three weeks without consistent heat will teach you things about yourself and your relationship that you never thought to ask. When our radiator decided to become decorative instea…
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What broken things teach you
Three months later, I still catch myself checking the thermostat twice before leaving the apartment. What broken things teach you The heating crisis feels like ancient history now…
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The aftermath of planning
Staring at this coffee table covered in three weeks' worth of anniversary planning notes, I'm struck by what the whole process revealed about Jake and me. The aftermath of plannin…
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Setting boundaries isn't being mean
That confrontation with Alex last week keeps circling back in my head. Not because it went badly - actually, it went better than I expected. But because I realized I've been confu…
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What crises teach you
Been thinking about last month's heating disaster - three days of space heaters and calling the landlord every few hours while the temperature dropped to single digits outside. No…
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Leadership lessons from uncomfortable conversations
Had one of those conversations at work last week that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. You know the kind - where you have to address something that's been brewing, an…
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What planning teaches you
Finally closed my notebook after three weeks of anniversary planning, and honestly? The whole process taught me more about Jake and me than I expected. What planning teaches you I…
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Planning reveals everything
Three weeks of anniversary planning officially done, and I'm finally sitting down to process what actually happened. Planning reveals everything Not the weekend itself - that part…
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What crisis teaches you
Sitting here with my journal tonight, trying to process everything that happened with our heating situation last month. What crisis teaches you It's funny how you think you know s…
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Crisis management style revealed
Jake brought me coffee this morning without being asked, and it hit me how much that simple gesture captured what I learned about us during the whole heating nightmare. Crisis man…
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Lines in the sand
Pulled my journal out after dinner tonight and found myself writing for almost an hour straight. The whole situation with Alex this week has been rattling around in my head, and I…
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Leadership lessons learned the hard way
Pulled out my journal tonight to process what happened with Alex this week. The confrontation at work has been sitting with me for days, and I finally understand why it felt so ne…
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The spreadsheet says it all
Found myself staring at the anniversary planning aftermath this afternoon - sticky notes, printed restaurant reviews, and my color-coded itinerary that somehow turned into three p…
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The line in the sand
Been sitting here for an hour with leftover Thai food, trying to put words to what happened with Alex at the gym yesterday. You know that moment when someone pushes just a little…
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The planning autopilot
Jake asked me yesterday what I learned from planning our anniversary weekend, and I gave him some surface answer about restaurant research and booking timing. But sitting here wit…
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Crisis management for beginners
Three weeks of broken heat will teach you things about your partner that two years of normal life never could. Crisis management for beginners Jake and I survived our first real d…
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Leadership lessons from awkward places
Spent the afternoon finally processing what happened with Alex last month at the gym. Leadership lessons from awkward places Sometimes the most uncomfortable workplace moments end…
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Planning styles and partnership
Three cups of coffee deep and I'm still processing everything about our anniversary weekend planning. Planning styles and partnership Not the actual trip, that was amazing, but wh…
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Learning to navigate together
Three weeks later and I'm still thinking about that whole heating disaster. Learning to navigate together Not the actual fixing part - that's done and our apartment is perfectly w…
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The art of compromise
Jake's been gone for an hour and I'm still sitting here in the middle of our anniversary weekend aftermath - maps, restaurant reviews I printed out, hotel confirmations, and about…
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Drawing lines in permanent ink
The Alex situation from last month keeps circling back in my head, and I finally figured out why. It wasn't just about him pushing too hard during workouts or steamrolling convers…
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Finding my voice
Turns out there's a difference between knowing you should say something and actually saying it. Yesterday's conversation with Alex at the gym keeps replaying in my head, and I'm s…
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Lines in the sand
Jake's making pancakes and I'm sitting here on the living room floor, journal open, thinking about Friday's mess with Alex at the rec center. Lines in the sand The whole thing kee…
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Different roads, same destination
Jake's still asleep and I'm sitting here with my second cup of coffee, thinking about how our anniversary planning went down last month. Different roads, same destination We final…
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Drawing lines in the sand
Woke up this morning still thinking about yesterday's showdown with Alex at the rec center. Drawing lines in the sand There's something about the way conflict sits in your chest o…
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Crisis management and coffee
Funny how a broken heating system can teach you more about your relationship than months of normal life. Crisis management and coffee Jake and I spent the better part of last week…
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What broken heat teaches you
Three weeks without reliable heat and I learned more about Jake and me than I expected. Not the dramatic relationship-testing stuff you see in movies, but the small things that ac…
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Lines drawn
Alex cornered me after today's staff meeting about the fitness challenge teams. Not literally cornered, but you know that thing where someone keeps pushing a conversation you've a…
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Full circle moments
Been scrolling through old posts this afternoon, and it's wild how this little blog has turned into something I never expected. Full circle moments What started as me rambling abo…
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Reading between the lines
Been sitting here for the past hour with my notebook, trying to make sense of everything that happened during our anniversary planning marathon last month. Reading between the lin…
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Processing time
Michelle came over this afternoon ostensibly to talk through her half-marathon training plan, but somehow we ended up dissecting everything else instead. Work stress, relationship…
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Finding my voice
That conversation with Alex from last week is still bouncing around in my head. Finding my voice I keep thinking about how nervous I was beforehand - like, actually nervous to add…
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Navigation patterns
Jake's been gone since noon helping his buddy move furniture across town, which means I've had three hours of apartment silence to fold laundry and think. Dangerous combination. N…
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Lessons from the cold
Sitting here with my tea getting cold (again) and thinking about how much you can learn about someone when the heat goes out for three weeks. Lessons from the cold Jake and I have…
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Digital connections
Coffee getting cold while I scroll through old blog comments, trying to figure out how exactly I ended up here. Digital connections Remember that post I wrote about finishing the…
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Pattern recognition
Cleaning up the last of our anniversary planning papers this morning and I keep thinking about something Jake said yesterday. We're sitting here with our color-coded lists and bac…
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The process matters
Funny how planning something can teach you more about yourselves than actually doing it. The process matters Jake and I finally nailed down all the details for our anniversary wee…
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Mirror mirror
Jake decided to preheat the oven for leftover pizza this afternoon and somehow managed to scare himself with his own reflection in the oven door. I'm talking full-on startled jump…
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The planning tells the story
Been thinking all afternoon about how our anniversary weekend came together. The planning tells the story Not just the final result - though I'm still excited about the mountain t…
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Crisis management
Sitting here next to our perfectly functioning heating vent, and I keep thinking about last month. Crisis management Three weeks of freezing mornings, space heaters, and that one…
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Team players
Three months later and I'm still thinking about our heating disaster. Not because I miss being freezing cold in the bedroom while sweating in the kitchen - definitely don't miss t…
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Crisis management 101
Three weeks ago our heater decided to play favorites - blasting the bedroom while leaving the kitchen arctic. Last night we finally got confirmation from the landlord that it's fi…
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Unexpected bridges
Three drafts later and I'm still trying to figure out how to write about something I didn't see coming. Unexpected bridges When I started this blog last year, it was mostly just m…
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When support changes everything
Been thinking a lot today about that phone call with my parents last week. When support changes everything You know when you're bracing yourself for disappointment and instead get…
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Morning after clarity
Nothing like waking up in yesterday's jeans to make you think about your life choices. Morning after clarity Last night started innocent enough - Carmen and I were supposed to gra…
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