Category: reflection

• Not Typical, But It Works

  Dec 28

  I was asked recently about my experience writing a book. It was one of those casual questions that slowly opens a door you didn’t expect. As the conversation unfolded, it… more ›

• Shelved Dreams

  Dec 19

  Writing a book was a long-held dream of mine—one I carried quietly for years. Not the kind of dream I announced out loud or chased with urgency, but one that… more ›

• Experimental Build: Human Edition

  Dec 15

  A self-reflective observation made under the supervision of that Guy in the Mirror. There are days when the world goes sideways—days when it feels like the gods themselves are pacing… more ›

• Me, My Thoughts, and That Morning Cup of Joe

  Dec 15

  As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate the morning quite a whole lot more. Not the dramatic, cinematic kind—the kind you see in a travel magazine with the sunlight… more ›

• Author in the Wild: My First Book Signing 

  Dec 6

  There’s something a little magical about seeing a dream take shape in front of your eyes. Today, I got to do just that. My very first book signing and meet-and-greet… more ›

• On Being a Writer (Ay, Sí… Mira Qué Chingón)

  Nov 27

  As a writer—ay, sí, mira qué chingón—I’ve discovered something both humbling and infuriating: I find myself completely at a loss for words far more often than I care to admit.… more ›

• Home Alone (Yeah, not that one…)

  Nov 17

  Every now and then—usually when I’m sitting around minding my own business, sipping something cold, letting the world drift by—I’ll get hit with one of those memories from way back.… more ›

• The Hierarchy of Everyday Life (According to an Overcaffeinated Educator)

  Nov 13

  Or: A Day in the Life of Someone Who Wakes Up Already Tired Let’s be honest: adulthood is basically a group project where nobody knows what’s going on, and the… more ›

• I Think My Fence Has a Drinking Problem

  Nov 7

  I was outside grilling, enjoying a cold one, just watching the smoke drift up and pretending I knew exactly what I was doing. I take a sip, and out of… more ›

• Somehow, I Published a Book (And Survived)

  Nov 2

  Ideas have always shown up unannounced, like they were crashing a party I didn’t even know I was hosting. Some linger politely, evolving over months or years, migrating between my… more ›

• An Invitation Home: Remembering, Celebrating, and Holding On

  Oct 31

  I’ve known about Día de los Muertos for as long as I can remember. Growing up, it was always there—on the calendar, in the stores, in movies and at school—a… more ›

• Being me…

  Oct 23

  The hardest thing about being me is forgetting how hard it is to be me. I wake, I move, I mend the cracks and call it progress. I joke, I… more ›

• Cooking: the world’s most delicious dehydration project

  Oct 20

  Did y’all know that cooking is basically just strategically drying your food to a preferred edible status? That’s it. That’s the whole operation. We’ve spent centuries building cuisines, writing cookbooks,… more ›

• Under the Friday Night Lights

  Oct 12

  There’s something almost magical about a fall night at Calexico High, warm and humid, with a light drizzle turning Belcher Field into a glistening diamond under the Friday night lights.… more ›

• The Curiosity of Curiosity

  Sep 29

  Curiosity is one of the first languages children learn. Long before they master full sentences, they’re pointing, tugging, and asking questions in a hundred different ways—“What’s that?” “Why?” “How come?”… more ›