MAY 2014

The physical achievement of the five borough bike tour was something really momentous for me. I’ve had a narrative in my head since I was young that I am smart and funny but not athletic. Clever and talented but not in shape. Training and being able to ride 40 miles in one day, to achieve something with my body, was huge for me, and a turning point in my brain. It was like giving the middle finger to everything I’ve ever told myself about myself — and while I’d achieved a lot so far this year — this felt like the biggest thing. The insurmountable suddenly mounted. To be honest, because of that ongoing chatter in my brain, I forgot about the weight of this accomplishment a little bit until writing it now (because that’s how our myths operate) but I am committed to continue rewriting that narrative in 2015. I chose this photo of me at the start of the race because duh. 

This month I also win the poetry chapbook contest with Tired Hearts Press with my book [ that I’d compiled since I started the 365 poems thing ] about Lana Del Rey. I also tried out for the Urbana Poetry Slam Team and made it — an event that would come to shape my summer entirely. 

Other Highlights:
-Impromptu trip to New Paltz on Memorial Day.
-Our annual Mother’s Day spent in Coney Island, riding the Cyclone.
-Practicing forearm and headstands in yoga and achieving them for the first time. Against the wall. But still.