Dispatches from the Great In-Between

A Very Long Instagram Caption Re: My Birthday That I’m Posting Here, Instead

I’ve been silent online for most of the year leading up to this, my 35th birthday, because simply put, I had no words. Ran clean out of them. And when you’ve built your livelihood — and reputation, and self-worth — on words, that’s a miserable place to be.

So far, I’ve had two great blessings in my life — my friends and family (one and the same), and my career. I’ve worked in online publishing for over a decade. (Can’t believe I’m old enough to have done anything for a decade, but math’s math.) And in that time, my work as a writer and editor has given me the opportunity to teach and learn from so many amazing people, to make a difference in people’s lives, to experience the simple joy of being good at something and being recognized for it. I know how rare and special it is, to do what you love and be appreciated and even well-compensated in return (though that part didn’t happen overnight). It’s something I think everyone deserves to experience, and I’m forever grateful to count it as one of my own.

But in April, after five years at a company that checked all those boxes for me — and more — I left my role at Medium (meta!). A lot of factors played into my decision, but the simplest and the truest for me…