Published Essays About Reactions in the wild Contact

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Published Essays

AspenTimes •

I’m better at explaining pepperoni pizza than the Middle East

In my religion, the most solemn day of the year is set aside every autumn for spiritual renewal, deep reflection and collective starvation. Yom Kippur is a grueling and emotional day, usually spent in a synagogue, that brings us together to ask for forgiveness and ignore our thirst. Growing up in the dense hub of the East Coast, I experienced this yearly ritual as something inherited and inflexible. My identity and my faith were defined as much as my last name “Schwartz” would allow. 


I never...
AspenTimes •

Dancing in the moonlight

Walking through the grocery store aisle looking for something to pair with the evening’s taco dinner, the song playing over the loudspeaker comes to a crescendo. I’m ready. As I reach for a can of refried beans, I sing the chorus audibly, and my hips give a little shake. Apparently, I’m now a spectacle, because I earn a few looks from other shoppers. No one knows I’m listening to one of my all-time favorite songs, and I’m instantly reminded of a dear friend.
Vail Daily •

Opinion | Chacos: Why is a graduation tassel so important?

In a breath the room fell silent. Even the baby wailing throughout the entire ceremony seemed to know something important was about to happen and stifled another uncomfortable cry. It would be years before the fidgeting young adults in stiff caps and itchy gowns would appreciate the high-stakes emotions coming from the audience. Many in attendance worked hard at keeping their feelings in check and will exhale when the ceremony concludes. The soon-to-be graduates simply want to say good riddance...
AspenTimes •

A flair for small rebellions

Back in high school, I shaved part of my long hair and permed the rest in an attempt to be edgy. “Edgy” was not what my family nor my teachers used to describe the gnarly mess atop my head. My decision skills being what they were at the time, I then went and dyed part of it purple. I believed my hair to be a puce masterpiece, both bold and dramatic at the same time. I was secretly pleased with how others would contort their faces upon seeing me, as if they were squaring off with Medusa in a dark...
Vail Daily •

If I don’t get caught speeding am I breaking the law?

The cost of the rental car was a bargain, yet the driving ticket that casually came in the mail after I returned home was not. Weeks earlier, I was driving in another country on the wrong side of the road navigating a manual transmission with constant traffic. I was being brave and bold trying to model strength to my daughter sitting scared in the passenger seat. To make matters worse, there were funny-looking street signs posted all over the place.
AspenTimes •

The art of gift giving

I cursed the package delivered to my doorstep and let the box sit on my kitchen counter for a couple of days, unmoved and unopened. I knew it was another present from the fabulous friend that raises the gift-giving stakes one dazzling offering at a time. She curates every gift as if raised by deep-sea pearl divers and then exquisitely wraps everything with the care you’d expect from someone who sadistically bombs gift boxes with glitter and colored tissue paper.
Post Independent •

The summer slowdown

June is when the vibe in the air changes and my winter malaise magically melts. I wake from a hibernation that puts me out of social commission for many months of the year and I say good riddance to winter and its long, bipolar shoulder season. No more confusion when to put on a waterproof snowsuit or take my chances with shorts and flip-flops when heading out the door for the day. I tuck away my underutilized skis, my self-diagnosed Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), and my introverted moodines...
AspenTimes •

Beware — a redhead ahead

Generations of gingers have burdened my family with fiery attitudes and overly assertive personalities. My redheaded grandmother was a strong-willed, intense Hungarian. My mother is the same. I was also born possessed by a deep desire for self-control, perfection, and require frequent reminders to take my surly, “know-it-all” attitude down a notch. Hating my red hair and the hot-headed temperament that comes with it has always been at the top of a list too long and sad to print here.
AspenTimes.com •

When your car’s license plate stands out in the crowd

I drove through the four-way stop sign without slowing down or stopping because I didn’t even see it. Someone to my left pressed on their car horn so passionately that I thought I was the star in some sappy Hallmark movie. I slammed on the brakes before hitting a pedestrian in the crosswalk and then proceeded to roll through the intersection in indecisive fits, waving apologetically in all four cardinal directions.
PostIndependent.com •

Why we love and hate the family chores

I ignored the heated dispute by pretending to be an overworked human resources executive and prayed the team would utilize the problem-solving skills I’ve been coaching them on for years. Soon I heard a door slam, a few zesty words that would make a kindergarten teacher blush, and the whirr of a lawn mower. The other teenager dramatically dragged the vacuum out of the closet and then washed the sink’s dirty dishes as if teasing them to break.
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