Author Archives: Ryn PB

January 2019: How I’m Changing the Way I Approach Reading

Posted on January 31, 2019 by Ryn PB

What I Read: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green A Study in Scarlet (re-read) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Story of Green Day by Doug Small Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson Part of The Courtier by Baldesar Castiglione … Continue reading →

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Rock Band Wii Blisters: How I’m Gaining Confidence in the Things I’m Good at, Even if They’re Small

Posted on January 6, 2019 by Ryn PB

I’ve been home on winter break from college for the past month, and there have been ups and downs, but I managed to end the break on a high note. My dad, sister, and I went to the basement and … Continue reading →

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A Hospital, Twenty One Pilots, and a Fish’s Death: How Sadness Has Become Less Negative for Me

Posted on December 17, 2018 by Ryn PB

About halfway through November, I finally visited a friend who had been in the hospital for months. My excuse for not going was that no one invited me and I would figure out my friends had visited her after the … Continue reading →

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The Hydra Monster Woke Up Again: How I’m Trying to Look for Happiness in Spite of Anxiety Troubles

Posted on November 15, 2018 by Ryn PB

I haven’t been doing well lately. This is hard for me to admit, because I never want to add to the worries of anyone I love. And they worry. A lot. I have this outwardly calm exterior—some of my friends … Continue reading →

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Fall Out Boy, Five Hundred Dollars, and Feminist Authors: How I’m learning to accept the good alongside the bad

Posted on October 8, 2018 by Ryn PB

Over the past few years, I’ve gotten really bad at receiving compliments and accolades. It’s not because I’m modest; it’s because I’m self-deprecating. I indulge in negative self-talk and awkwardness when it comes to noticing good things about myself. Then … Continue reading →

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A Letter to My Skin: How I’m Learning to Accept It, Blemishes and All (TW: self harm)

Posted on September 19, 2018 by Ryn PB

Dear Skin, I have tattooed, cut, scarred, pierced, scratched, picked at, peeled, bruised, burned, and dried you out. Some of these I have done in pursuit of happiness and healing, some in pursuit of numbness, and others through mere ignorance. … Continue reading →

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Chester the Stud: How My Betta Fish Has Helped Me Feel Less Lonely and More Rooted in Reality

Posted on August 29, 2018 by Ryn PB

As Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day says, “I believe I’m a walking contradiction.” And I am. Actually, I am full of contradictions. I am a perfectionist, but I have several hobbies I’m not good at. I dislike crafting, but … Continue reading →

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I Can Lift a Car: How Walk the Moon Inspired Me to Meditate More and Keep on Trying to Make my Own Happiness

Posted on August 3, 2018 by Ryn PB

Going to a Walk the Moon concert has been on my bucket list ever since I heard their music, which was a surprise even to me. My typical music is angst-ridden pop punk, angry rock music, and the occasional musical … Continue reading →

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To The Homeless Man on Michigan Avenue with Swollen Legs

Posted on July 22, 2018 by Ryn PB

I’m sorry. I’m sorry I pretended to look the other direction, all the while gaping at your legs. Your legs that looked like they should be on a different body. Cracked, dry, swollen to twice the size of your emaciated … Continue reading →

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“For which of my bad parts didst thou first fall in love with me?”: How Shakespeare Finally Became Relevant to Me

Posted on July 8, 2018 by Ryn PB

You know how everyone talks about how Shakespeare is still relevant in this day and age? Well, it’s not that I didn’t believe this, but I never really saw evidence of this in my own life. I couldn’t imagine how … Continue reading →

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