I spent over a decade going to night school while working full time. The last 3 years of that were perhaps the challenging, and as I finished my undergraduate degree and turned around and finished my graduate degree immediately after – everything else fell by the wayside. Creative writing, knitting, and even many friendships suffered or disappeared entirely from my life. I accomplished my goal, and have been picking up those parts of my life I had dropped off as ‘extra weight.’

Art and community aren’t burdens: they add color and depth: a space for grace and breath. So I am re-turning here.