On the first weekend of April, I joined 225 other people dedicated to untangling our biological roots and discovering more about ourselves and our histories. As a group, we are diggers—grasping our metaphorical shovels with determination and single-mindedness, despite gathering storms or punishing heat. We seek to pull our roots up, into the light, so we can finally see what has been hidden beneath the surface for so long.

Are you someone who associates the word “story” with a thin, hardcover children's picture book? Of course, we all know that children love stories. But how many of us are aware of the prevalence and importance of stories in our adult lives and how integral they are to our histories and identities?

Three weeks away from the terrifying milestone of putting my draft memoir in the hands of a developmental editor, I started to question the wisdom of registering for a writers’ conference. I was in the final stretch of getting the manuscript in as good a shape as possible and attending the conference would mean five days off task at a time when I could least afford to get sidetracked.

I love this line from David Bowie’s song, “Changes.” When I was young, I thought he was saying, “turn and break the chains” (which is also kind of apropos). Now there was a man who wasn’t a bit scared of change! What about me? Something new is coming my way and it’s more than just a change of costume. I’m both freaked out and excited.

This is me in early December in a Toronto recording studio talking with This American Life host, Ira Glass. My smile is genuine—I wasn’t nervous at all. In fact, I enjoyed our conversation! Ira was authentic, engaging, and funny, just like when he hosts the show. My interview opened the episode, The Ghost in the Machine which aired the first weekend of January 2022.

Alas, although we talked for nearly an hour, I am on the show for mere minutes! There were many moments from our interview that I wish could have been included, but there was one where Ira caught me off guard and I’m grateful it didn’t make the cut. It has been bothering me since that interview.

It's December 4th and I am feeling both excited and melancholy.

2021 has been a horrible year in many respects, but it has also been a year of unexpected achievements. After two years of slogging away in my basement writing, this year I finally experienced the thrill of validation from the outside world. In May, when I received word that Salon.com would be my first byline, I thought it was the best possible development. Then, in September, the unthinkable happened: my essay, “Hearing his voice changed everything” was accepted in the New York Times’ Modern Love column! Wow. Just wow.