Today was the first day of snow in Yamaguchi!I woke up this morning to hear my husband say, "Oh my God," from the living room. Sure someone was dead, I clenched up, waiting for the bad news. I should know better. Mr. Louise is missing the chip in his brain that tells him how to ...Continue

The world is a condescending place that typically tells women what they should do and feel instead of listening to their own wants and needs. Maintaining our reproductive rights is a constant struggle, and my friends who don't want children are regularly assured they'll regret not becoming

I like to think that I am inherently adjusted to Alaska’s extreme winters; I don’t mean extremely cold—after -20F, it’s all the same. But the bleak, 3-hour days are starting to get to me. I have an itchy, creeping feeling, the very same that one gets from watching a clock for too long. Days have

Surprise, surprise. I'm sick again. I feel like a significant amount of posts I've written for xoJane start with some version of, "Aaaaand I'm sick again..." I don't just get "the sniffles" or "a bit of a cough". Oh no. The overachiever-must-do-everything-to-the-nth-degree-"THERE'S NO ...Continue

Towards the end of summer, a day comes where I gather up all my summery garments and pack them into a giant space bag. As I vacuum all the air from the plastic storage unit, I can't help but think that's probably how my soul looks like when the weather turns cold — all shriveled and heavy, holding