I want to take a moment today to remind people that mental illnesses are just as real and life-altering as physical ailments. I wrote this poem about a year and a half ago, when I was not doing well. I was also especially struggling with the difference - the separation - between how healthy I looked and how terribly sick I felt. Today, I'm doing so well! My external appearance matches my internal health. I feel confident. But it's been a long, hard fight to get here. A figh

In classic Ruby fashion, I gave myself terrible anxiety upon starting my research on traveling Europe. I've traveled a lot before... Within the US and Caribbean, sometimes alone and sometimes with a friend. I'm quite comfortable with getting on a plane and going somewhere new. But I've never "gone over seas". So, naturally, I'm a little bit intimidated. To kick start my planning and ease my nervousness I started seeking out info/photos of the most beautiful places in Europ

It’s two weeks until Halloween and I just saw my first Christmas advertisement. I’ll be honest, it made me a little sick to my stomach. I’m just barely beginning to adjust to summer being over, and now the commercial world wants me to be thinking of winter, red and green lights, the smell of pine trees, and gifts with big bows. No thanks. Not yet. Nope. As I’ve said in previous posts, I’m on a mission to enjoy my life. Appreciate being alive. And ultimately take care of mysel

I bought a plane ticket Monday night around 9pm, for a flight the next morning at 10am. It was an impulse buy that I do not regret in the slightest. I went to Boston. I booked an Airbnb while at the airport. And I googled the must-visit sights of Boston while waiting for the plane to take off. In general, I am not that bold, not that impulsive, and certainly not outgoing/confident enough to chat with fellow flyers, bus riders, and bar-goers. But going to Boston 'blind' forc