Finding My Soul in the Heartland

Chasing and Catching the Girl of My Dreams

I became scared when I realized that falling in love with someone who lived in a city an hour away from my home would not only take me away from my familiar surroundings, but it would also take me away from everyone I loved. It would mean separating the family we had built. I could only hope that when everyone received the news, they would forgive me and recognize how much I had struggled with accepting the truth.

I Left My Heart in Philadelphia

By the time our three days together had passed, and I was boarding the train to go back to the airport, I felt something fluttering inside. Feelings that hadn’t pulsed through my veins in a very long time. I immediately felt guilty and insecure. I couldn’t have a crush on one of my colleagues. Especially when I was in a relationship, right?

The Rise of the Second Son

My phone vibrated in my pocket as I walked through the canned-goods aisle in an overcrowded grocery store. I pulled the phone out and saw my brother’s name pop up. Most of our conversations took place over text messaging, so I hesitated before answering. “What’s up?” I asked. “Grandma died this morning,” his emotionless voice replied. “Oh, no,” I said. I stopped in front of the corn and stood there, leaning against the shopping cart.

Having A Ball in Belgrade

DISCLAIMER: This episode takes you to Belgrade, Serbia where I share my lower surgery experience.  The sound of a door opening and closing and a plate sliding onto the nightstand next to me woke me from a lucid dream. I began to blink my eyes and focused on the blurred image of a small woman in a white dress and a stethoscope around her neck. She held in her hand a syringe, which was full of a clear fluid, and set a chart at the end of the bed by my feet. My body was too long for the metal bed, so my legs ended up dangling over the tiny mattress. “What did I do?” I asked.

When Will I Be Complete?

On August 10, 2007, I agreed to make my first appearance on Larry King Live! It didn’t fully sink in that I would be on live television and watched by millions of viewers until I stepped into the studio and felt the heat from the lamps, which surrounded the table, rest on my forehead. When will you be complete?” Larry asked. His other questions had been slightly awkward, but this one stopped all wheels from spinning in my brain. He had just asked the question that I was struggling with the most. I wasn’t ready to answer it; and I knew that being on live TV, I didn’t have time to think about what I’d really like to say. I knew I couldn’t sum up a question about feeling “complete” in one sentence.