Everyone has their big ticket fears. Those ones that go beyond heights, flying, or clowns. They’re the ones that sneak up on you in a moment of soul-searching lucidity, or when the alcohol lowers all your boundaries, not just the sexual ones. They keep you up at night and peek at you from the shadows when you just can’t get back to sleep no matter what you try. For many, it’s the fear of being alone, of never finding someone to share their lives with. For others, it’s a fear of…

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Last night, in the final session of my favorite class of the semester, my professor broke out the champagne to celebrate our time together (I know, grad school rocks). And as we sipped our bubbly from paper coffee cups, she proposed a toast. Not to our bright futures, to the semester ending, or even to the time we spent together, but to two things, two words actually: courage and curiosity. Courage to push boundaries, curiosity to explore what is unknown. The courage to be curious.…

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If this post is any indication of how the next month is going to go, you will have a very frustrated blogger on your hand (this is the third incarnation…oy vey). Tomorrow kicks of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), which I naively signed up for back in August, in an attempt to kick myself into at least attempting my dream of becoming a writer. Considering the fact that I’ve gotten in the habit of writing nearly every day for this blog, my journal, my grad school classes, or just…

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I’ve never considered myself to be a writer (which sort of makes 100 plus posts on this blog an unexpected accomplishment). A scribbler, yes. A dreamer? Most definitely. But a writer? Calling myself a writer seemed to imply a certain amount of talent that I just didn’t seem to possess, or at least could never see in myself. I never won essay or writing contests at school, though we were all required to enter. Sure, I wrote a mean paper in English and history classes, but that’s mainly…

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To put myself out there, to try with the potential of failing, is always something that I have anxiety about. Whether it’s a job or a man, the simple act of showing interest makes you vulnerable. You let a certain amount of control out of your hands and allow yourself to be judged. And more times than not, the question I think I’m being asked is, “Are you good enough?” even when it may really be, “Is this right?” And it’s actually a bit hypocritical.

 

Because how often…

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We’ve rocked the reverse cowgirl, master “the look”, and stumbled through the walk of shame. But when it comes to love, real non-fairy tale love, we haven’t got a clue. It’s basically the entire premise for Sex and the City (both the book and the show): “Cupid has flown the co-op.” And although dating in the city can seem twice as hard as in small towns, I didn’t really believe it until I came home for an extended stay. After all, everyone has trouble with love…right?

 

Well,…

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One of the (many) things I love about this city is its infinite possibilities for overcoming your fears. Stage fright? Maybe some karaoke will cure what ails you. Afraid of heights? Do a little rock climbing—it works wonders, trust me! For me, it’s a sometimes heavy case of social anxiety that holds me back. However if you’ve ever met me, you’re probably cracking up at this or flat out… Continue