“

Lately I’ve been reminded of the okayness of life. It’s okay for our friends to die. It’s okay for my mom to be gone. It’s okay that all this sometimes seems too big for my tiny human heart. It’s okay that I’m afraid.

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Today the world is loud, and I need to not be needed.

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My roommate sleeps with a smile on her face. We are here, in the Galápagos Islands, for a weeklong retreat.

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It’s Monday today, but I can’t talk until Friday. That’s the rules.

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The introverted and awkward individual that I am wanted to sit with my back to the wall and observe but the airy smiles and willowy heads of hair were so welcoming and risk-free.

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I liked Tribeca because it had open space and was mostly quiet, save for the occasional baby. I felt completely foreign down there and imagined myself to be in a completely different country. I soon learned that in order for me to happy living in New York, I must have that secret neighborhood I can go to.