Category Archives: Uncategorized

There are many reasons I am lucky to have my husband and his unending support while I am pursing my master’s degree, but one nice perk of marriage is shared health insurance. Obviously, I lost my health insurance when I quit my job, but because Ethan and I had recently gotten married, I could beContinue reading “The Price of Peace of Mind”

“You want to jump over to the other tube?” my friend asked me. I shook my head. I was fine just where I was. She shrugged her shoulders, and then as the boat pulled us behind it, she effortlessly moved from one flotation device to the other, a stream of water underneath her. Recently, IContinue reading “The Leap: Beginning A New Chapter”

There are dozens of them in my email – some I have deleted and others I meant to delete but didn’t for one reason or another. Many of them have the same stock phrases,  such as “not the right fit” and “we wish you the best.” They are from agents, magazines, literary journals, and websites,Continue reading “A Stack of Rejection Letters”

I don’t like to call it depression. I suppose that some would, but it’s not a term I use to describe these somber phases. A malaise, sadness, rough emotions. They eventually pass, and I feel like myself again, but when I am in them, it feels like walking through a dark room of cobwebs. I’veContinue reading “A Road Map for Malaise”

“Did you get the offer?” the woman said. I noticed her because her jacket was not zipped. Having secured myself a seat on the Red Line at rush hour, at each stop, I glanced around to see who was standing in front of me. I like to do this to make sure I am notContinue reading “The Kind of Person I Want to Be”

“Can I wear this to the opera?” I lifted up my arms and looked down at my own body, dressed in black leggings and a plaid shirt underneath a green sweater. My co-worker, who goes to the opera frequently with her husband, nodded slowly before we both broke out into laughter. The answer was notContinue reading “You Don’t Belong”

On Friday night, Ethan and I met up with friends for dinner and a show, and it was really special to me because I haven’t been out of the house much in the last six weeks. I was so excited for the evening that I put on a dress and heels. The food and showContinue reading “You Don’t Like Me, And That’s OK”

I’ve been in a mood all day. One of those moods when my coworkers can hear me complaining down the hall. When I set the treadmill a little higher on my mid-day run because I am currently not drinking and need to relieve the stress some way. When you just want to hit the fastContinue reading “I feel a little less South Dakotan today”

My love is coming to me. My love is coming to me. He will be here by the end of the year. … Clean up your heart to be ready for your love. Rest assured, he is coming. No need to seek. Just live. … Oh sweet, Heather, I wish you wouldn’t torture yourself. YouContinue reading “A letter to myself on Valentine’s Day 2015”

I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking and talking about my future. Actually, that statement simply put makes it seem like the process is graceful and poetic, as if I was sitting near a windowsill with a hot cup of tea and staring out into a kind world. Rather, it’s more that I amContinue reading “Be”