Layoffs are an opportunity for a reevaluation of the role of work in our lives — With all these layoffs happening, from Twitter to Meta and beyond, I can’t help but wonder: is this a good time for a career break? People have only just now started to normalize gaps in resumes in the last year thanks to the Great Resignation, Quiet Quitting, and the collective…

Reflections on going to Paris — Today, I’m flying back to the country I was born. The country that shaped my childhood, my life. I feel nostalgic, happy, sad, excited all at once. To have once been called ma puce to now be called Madame, just like that. I’d been meaning to reflect on my departure…

The story of a White man who ain’t mad about it — The police stopped my brother. He had just turned into my parents’ neighborhood going 28 on a 20, eager to get home after an 8-hour drive from dental school. If you ever get pulled over, he told me, turn on the light and put both hands on the wheel. …

I lost a friend after communicating my needs — I asked my friend to listen more and advise less. It did not go well. In an act to honor myself and the friendship, I expressed my needs as kindly as possible, and it backfired. After months of reflection on whether and how I should address how I felt, I…

A 2022 Los Angeles tourism guide — Ahhh, Los Angeles, California. The cinematic capital of the United States. Hollywood glitz and glamour. Bright lights, celebrities, famous Youtubers. The media paints a sensational image of the city that’s hard to shake. …

Why look far and wide for what ultimately comes from within? — I jumped on a trending hashtag: 100happydays. The premise was to share a photo on Instagram of whatever made you happy for 100 days in a row. The key guideline was that: “It is not a happiness competition or a showing off contest. If you try to please / make…

How living in a women’s only dorm transformed mine — After graduating college, I felt ashamed of living in a women-only residence thanks to internalized misogyny. That old thing. “What would people think? Were women really full of gossip and drama? Will I have to dodge any cattiness?” As a surprise to no one, I’d actually found the best living…

We’re almost three years in. It’s a lifestyle now. — Remember when the world reopened last summer after people got their second jabs? It felt like a collective unclenching heading into a more hopeful future. People re-gathered and bonded over the awkwardness of renewed social connection. So out of practice, every conversation felt floppy and slightly cringe. Pfizer or Moderna…

Especially when you don’t know anyone — Moving somewhere new is disruptive at any age, whether it’s for a new job, further education, or simply just because. There’s so much to uproot: routines, relationships, community, work, home, school, neighborhoods, culture, a sense of self and identity, and more. For some, it may be the first time you’re…