Hold on to your sentimental hearts for this thought: I wholeheartedly believe that everyone brings something to the table. Chalk it up to island vibes and/or toxic positivity, but I continually found something to like about everyone I met in Galveston. In this section, I will highlight four individuals I’ve met during my journey down south. Below are the last two individuals. Grab your tissues and hold onto your hearts. Picture 1. Galveston Arts Center. Source The Research Partner      One of the first people I met in Galveston was my research partner, The Research Partner . She was the person I ended up spending the most time with on the island, and eventually, became a dear friend. Initially, however, I wasn’t sure if we would get along.       Research Partner and I got off on the wrong start simply because her stoic, no-nonsense personality contrasted with my overly friendly, nonsensical personality. It was as if we had both embodied the core attri...

     I’m sitting on a wooden bench outside the Galveston Island Brewery, having just wrapped up two pints of what has instantly become my favorite drink, the mojito seltzer. With two days left before I venture back north, discovering this place has been a pleasant surprise, like discovering a home away from home. My eyes are fixated on a graduate student, discussing the time she visited an African country to do some field work. Her discussion proceeds to intertwine with rambling tangents of how she became a PhD candidate, the PhD world as she’s come to navigate it, and her life. Counting with my fingers, we were only four questions in… but it seemed that those questions were all she needed to share her many, unsolicited life stories. To be fair, I’d probably do the same if I were that inebriated and had a lot to say. I might've even included several dramatic reenactments to ensure my own unsolicited life stories were justly retold. Picture 1. The Galveston Island Brew...

A disheveled miso soup, because I’m a messy cook.      Ever notice how food bloggers have lengthy, sometimes unrelated, backstories to their recipes? Do you ever just scroll, for what feels like eons, just to get to the recipe at the bottom of the article?  ***      It was a dark and stormy night, many years ago. Or was it dark and windy? Let’s just say, it was some time at night at some point in my life, when I found myself hanging out at my friend's apartment. A few friends and I had gathered there to catch up. Our third year of college was just around the corner. A warm summer breeze oscillated in and out of the house, carrying our conversations with it. From the window facing the garden, shadows of tall, ripe bean stalks danced back and forth, hinting at the arrival of harvesting season. The kitchen was dimly lit. An old wooden table, placed in the center of the kitchen, was surrounded by hungry and energetic souls. From my spot at the table, I cou...

Types of stitches. Overcast stitch and running stitch.        Sewing is one of those basic handy skills that I like revisiting when the need is dire. It requires patience, hand-eye coordination, and focus. Generally, it’s both enjoyable and practical. To be clear, the sewing I am referring to is not creating a work of art or making clothes from scratch. It is the type of sewing that consists of simple techniques like running stitch and overcast stitch**. It’s the type of sewing that builds on something that already exists like pants or a jacket. Some examples include replacing a button or “taking in” a shirt.   The top (post-ruffles cut).      In the middle of winter last year, I spotted a beautiful summer tank top. The type of tank top that takes your breath away and steals your digits . I was in love with the gray-white scattered pattern, the thick fabric (a quality piece!) and the square neckline. And to be honest, the price point; half off at ...