Callie Byrnes

Callie joined Thought Catalog as an intern in 2017 and now works as the Editorial Director for its sister site, Collective World. She enjoys writing personal essays and articles about pop culture, astrology, and tarot. She published her first book, ‘The Words We Left Behind,’ in 2024.

I Don’t Know Why I’m Always Sad

I told my friend I thought I was depressed and he said, “What do you have to be sad about? You’re a white girl with so many opportunities.” And I have to admit he had a point. But that just makes me more sad. Why can’t I be happy when I have everything in the equation that should make me feel happy?

All The Different Ways I Said ‘I Love You’

I listened to you favorite songs and watched your favorite movies. Even when I didn’t like them, I said I did. And it wasn’t completely a lie — I liked anything that reminded me of you.

This Is Why You Should Date The Adventurous Girl

Fall in love with the girl with the girl who travels, who jumps on a plane whenever she gets the chance to and plans to see as much as she can. She’ll have the best stories of anyone you know. You’ll learn things about the world you’d never know otherwise and find that you, too, want to experience everything she has. You’ll never truly understand wanderlust until you meet her.

Stop Telling Me To Love Myself First, Because That’s Bullshit

People act like they can only recognize your worth if you recognize it first. As if you are only as pretty as you believe and as valuable as you let yourself be. But the truth is that life doesn’t work that way — people can fall in love with you at any moment, at your best or your worst. People can fall in love with you when you don’t like yourself at all.

This Is What Heartbreak Feels Like, Based On Your Zodiac Sign

Leo: Heartbreak is like when the curtain finally closes and the audience all goes home. Being in love was dramatic for you — you felt like you could burst out in song at any moment, and you reveled in being in someone’s else’s spotlight. You don’t know what to do with yourself once the show is over.