Bittersweet Moves and Ketchup Mistakes

This week was kind of a bittersweet one. It started with one of my good friends — and my cube mate — getting transferred to the other building. He’s the same guy who burned himself making me a pizza for my birthday (I mentioned him in a previous post). He’s a real...

Halfway Home, Not Halfway Done

When I first got here, time felt like it was crawling. Every day dragged, every hour felt like it would never end. But now that I’m at my halfway point — officially more time behind me than ahead — it’s surprising how much faster it all feels. Once you can see the...

Freedom Run, Prison Lockdown

This week was a pretty big one for me — and another dramatic one for the compound. But honestly, most weeks are at least interesting when you live in a prison camp. First, some good news: July 1st marked my official halfway point! Half my time is now behind me — more...

Heat Flags and Half-Baked Push-Ups

The theme of this week? Heat — lots of it. We’ve been hit with a nasty heat wave rolling through the state. I think it’s been scorching the whole country, but we don’t exactly get the Weather Channel in here. It all kicked off Monday when I made the genius decision to...

War—What Is It Good For?

I usually try to keep these journal entries lighthearted or at least optimistic, but I’ve been thinking lately that maybe I’m painting too rosy a picture of prison life. Some readers might get the impression that I’m doing just fine here, like this place is some sort...

Cycles, Ceilings, and Cellblock Shenanigans

This week has been packed with antics at camp, but before I get into the chaos, I want to talk about my running. One thing I’ve learned about distance training: your body adapts in cycles. When you first start, it’s your legs that give out. Mine were in agony during...