The single tax is alive and well, and it’s only getting worse — I live in an area of the country that has seen an overwhelming swell in housing prices since the beginning of the pandemic. Rent followed suit. It’s flat-out weird but completely understandable. We are inundated with people fleeing Southern California in search of lower-cost housing in a still desirable location…

Emotions and feelings are one thing. Data are another. — It’s officially been four years since my marriage ended. Four years that consisted of almost 50 first dates. Maybe a dozen of those resulted in second dates. That dozen garnered an unhealthy on-again-off-again relationship, an early pandemic boyfriend, and the relationship that broke the camel’s back. If you had asked…

Why I went out in public in a crop top at 48, stretch marks and all. — One of the reasons I moved downtown was that I wanted to be able to do all the cool things I never got to do in suburbia, like walk to the farmer’s market on Saturday morning with my very large reusable tote bag. It’s a thing. When I went last…

I’ve found my people. We’re a little weird. It’s fine. — I have lived my entire life in suburbia. It was incredibly convenient while also being horribly not so. There’s some privilege in living in suburbia. It comes with a certain status that allows folks to declare that they’ve made it. They have slid into home plate and been called safe. …

My neverending pursuit of freedom is exhausting me. — I had a plan. It was a long one. There was one goal in mind: to find as much freedom as I could in my life, in as many areas as possible, and run with it. Far. I put everything in place to make this happen. Now, I have no…

There is, indeed, a point of no return. — I always knew there was a potential tipping point. I saw it out there. I wrote about it. It just never seemed real. This vague concern always stood like a beacon that both guided me and served as a warning. I am just coming out of a period of aloneness…

Saying goodbye to my partner for the last 15 years — Everyone told me it was a bad decision, and it was. The timing was awful. Still, it was an emotional decision based on a desire for stability in my life. I had just gotten divorced and had to start my life all over again. …

It took me four years to figure out how to do this. — I am an old soul and modern dating has always been rough for me. With the advent of dating apps, dating has turned into the basket of chips and salsa that gets dropped at your table the minute you sit down at a Mexican restaurant. …

I wanted to see if the tangible world held any space for me. — Nine months ago, after a breakup, I decided to wade back into the dating pool by doing the same thing I had done time and time again. I redownloaded dating apps. I hold very much true the fact that if you download a dating app and you are not in…