February 18, 2021
I am a writer!
About three years ago I was on a plane writing before takeoff. Since high school (with a few notable breaks in between) journaling has been my most consistent daily practice. I carve out a little time to do it every single day, no matter what.
Journaling on flights is one of my favorite uninterrupted moments for free-flow and stream-of-consciousness writing. As I wrote, I was interrupted by the man next to me looking down and asking “so, are you a writer?” My first instinct was to say “oh no, no, I’m not a writer I’m just... writing”. Realizing the ridiculousness of this I replied with something along the lines of “sure, I guess I am?” And then politely shut down the conversation to enjoy the rest of my 8-hour flight in peace.
Those little non-interactions can sometimes have the biggest impact. Whenever I say that I write, I do it with hesitation. It’s like I don’t want to explain that I’m not writing “Dear Diary” entries each day and I’m not sure why I write or how to explain what I write. I write in journals and I write on my computer. I take notes about the things I see. I write short stories and essays and musings and observations. I write about my daily life and the lives of others. Sometimes I write fiction. Generally I write non-fiction. I write about wellness and yoga and embodiment. I write about friends and women and lives that are mine and lives that are not. I write a lot about Italy.
Last month, I got published (!!!) Like in something that is printed. Here I am with Lauren, my dear friend and the magnificent editor behind @opendoorsreview holding a copy of the literary magazine. It’s a pretty proud moment of mine for 2021. My essay is called Italianizzata and if you like what I write about my life in Italy on here, it’s something I hope you’ll enjoy. Go to the Open Doors Review page to order your copy or access the digital version online. I hope you enjoy it and I’d love to hear your feedback! I think that’s something that writers say? But what would I know? I’m not *really* a writer
