A Birthday to Remember: Thank You (Part 1)

For years while on house arrest, I imagined what holidays and birthdays in prison would be like. In every version I dreamed up, I never came close to predicting the reality. This birthday turned out to be one of the best of my life, all because of the incredible...

BR: Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne

I wouldn’t have picked Around the World in 80 Days on my own. It wasn’t on my book list. But I’m really glad my mom’s friend, Johanna, sent it my way. This one turned out to be a true classic — and definitely should’ve been on my radar from the beginning. As one of...

BR: Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Lord of the Flies is a young adult book I read in middle school, yet it remains a classic and a stark story, which is why I included it on my list. Turns out, 30 years later, I still appreciate it. The book was published in 1954, at the height of the Cold War, which...

A Fever, a Blanket, and a Dose of Reality

I had planned to write a whole journal entry about my fitness routine—my goals, progress, and how I was starting to feel stronger every day. I had it outlined in my head: I’d just finished yoga class on Monday, followed by a tough ab workout and then a light 4-mile...