I Remember #2

I remember weekly poker nights that lasted long into the night, fueled by sparkling cider and laughter. I remember how unashamedly I lay my head down and power napped in the library before starting the essay that seemed impossible. I remember choking on irony and tragedy as the vet told me she’d finally feel relief…

I Remember #1

I remember looking under the dining room table and finding a pastel basket filled with ten dimes, a handful of jellybeans, and a package of Peeps. I remember taking a wrong turn and preparing to fend for myself on the freeway on-ramp. I remember being his manic pixie dream girl. I remember silent tears dripping…

Split-Second Alhambra

History is all about stories: successes and failures, heroes and villains, happiness and tragedy. Traveling is the best way to see how history affects present-day stories. These photos are from La Alhambra in Granada, Spain. It is considered one of the most significant examples of Islamic architecture in Spain and has inspired various works of music and literature. Yet instead…

Expecting

I have a lot of day-to-day expectations. Some are basic, like having adequate food and water and a place to sleep. Others are higher-level, like that I can communicate with people around me and they will understand and respect me. I rarely consciously think about these day-to-day expectations, and that’s because they stem from various…

That’s Not My Name

Every now and then I get asked how I got the name Sabina. The question doesn’t bother me: it’s an unusual name and people often assume that it has an interesting background. The trick is knowing whether they want the short answer or the long answer. The short answer is that my parents first heard the…