Mass shootings, a looming pandemic, nearly 800 million starving people in the world, and here I am, well-fed, housed, healthy, safe... and sad. It’s hard for me sometimes not to be angry at myself for my anxiety and bouts of depression when I know that there are people out there suffering so, so, so, so, so much more than I ever will. I feel somehow unjustified to feel bad. I feel guilty for being joyously grateful that my life is so good. But that’s not fair. That’s not a he

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

Because I would escape into my mind, my mind became a cage. Maladaptive daydreaming is something I wish would be discussed in the mental health community more often. Although it is not formally recognized as a mental disorder, it can be harmful to one's overall health and is absolutely considered a psychiatric condition. For me, daydreaming started as a coping mechanism but soon became a detriment to my life. As a youth, trying to avoid dealing with my depression and emotiona

I had a friend recently convince me to start writing down one line summaries of random and/or bizarre things that have happened in my life... the result? Realizing that it's no wonder I became a writer. I've had a lot of inspiration. Some sad, some strange, and most - extremely unexpected. I've worked on a blueberry farm and for a logger. I've babysat and dogsat. I've worked in a pool, a coffee shop, a grocery store, a pharmacy, and a cookie cafe. I've worked on the west coas