I left the track in shock, asking myself, “What did I do wrong? Is this really how the story ends?” — I had just competed in the qualifying rounds of the women's triple jump at the Tokyo Olympics. The auto-qualifying mark wasn’t one that I couldn’t have easily done any other year, yet on this day, I was far from it. No one pursues a dream for a decade and expects…

How spring exposes those in despair. On the morning of April 1st, I was sent a portion of a poem, The Waste Land by the famous T.S Eliot. “April is the cruelest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing Memory and desire, stirring Dull roots with spring rain. …

Reframing what ‘realistic’ love means to me — I’ve loved love for as long as I can remember. When we passed out store-bought valentines to our elementary school classmates, I always made sure to give the largest one to the boy I liked. In sixth grade, the boy was Sam. I anonymously wrote him handmade letters for two…

Exploring ways to brighten your mind, body, and spirit A grey looming abyss lurks outside my bedroom window. Is it dusk or dawn? It’s hard to tell just from looking outside. I haven’t seen the sun in days, maybe even weeks. Time does weird things when there is no light…

How a night at the beauty shop fueled my sense of belonging — I am an African American woman living in Athens, Greece. I’m used to going to the grocery store and seeing people that look like me. I am accustomed to attending events or bars and seeing other black people dancing and having fun. I grew up in a black Methodist church…

A journey of growing trust, seeing beauty, and deepening connection — 365 days ago I embarked on a journey that I knew would elevate my life if I allowed it to, the journey of locking my hair. They say hair is the antenna to the universe, and when you lock it up, you’re allowing yourself to connect more deeply to your…

What The Flight of Pigeons Can Teach Us About Flowing With Life — I saw something beautiful the other day. A pigeon. I know that may seem weird. Very rarely do people take a look at a pigeon and think, wow, what a beautiful majestic creature. In fact, it's likely the opposite. Pigeons are often referred to as “sky rats.” They lurk on…

Things I wish little me knew, words I hope I never forget — A decade ago I turned 20. The last 10 years have been full of ups and downs, depression, joy, love, tears, new connections, and some I’ll never talk to again. I traveled the world, from the horn of South Africa to the corners of West Canada. I competed on the…

I always felt like the (literal) black sheep growing up. I lived in a predominately white neighborhood, and I was the only black kid in my entire school (at least until my younger siblings aged in). I always felt different and not completely included. On top of being black, I…