It felt like I was “too much” in that moment. It felt like Johnny was afraid of me owning my sexual power. — It was our first time apart for a few weeks. He was going on holiday with his family. I was staying back in the dreary, cold, wintery city. We can do this, I told myself, thinking about how in the past, I often struggled with communication—or lack thereof—when we were…

My friend warned me beforehand: he’s short. As if now was my opportunity to get out of it if I wanted. — I hate that as a society — in dating — height is considered a preference. I hate that it’s something men are forced to include in their bios, along with if you care about that sort of thing because it’s clear that so many people do. Just like women have…

This seems to be a repeat cycle: download, swipe, go on a few dates, disappointment, pause, feel lonely again, start swiping. — It’s week ten, and my commute buddy and I have seemingly run out of interesting topics to discuss. We’re talking about diets. How do you afford salmon in this cost-of-living crisis? …

As the weeks go by, I feel myself starting to fit into this mold slowly, but surely. — It’s my first time back in a corporate office environment in nearly six years. I didn’t have time or money to shop for a new outfit so I pull out an old pair of black work pants that have been sitting in the back of a cupboard getting dusty. All…

Challenging compulsory heterosexuality asks that we deprioritize our romantic relationships with men. — My friend sent me a podcast the other day: “You have to listen to this,” she said. I clicked on the link she sent to the episode — “Heterosexuality is a Trauma Response” by Binchtopia. Part of me chuckled when I first saw it and nearly rolled my eyes. Really…

Are we a reflection of what we choose to do for a living? — He sat across from me and said he was a criminal defense lawyer. I thought this was fascinating and we spent the whole night talking about his work. When I got home that night, I told my friend about the date. “Yeah, but what if he has to defend a…

As I sat there and tried to convince my friend — or rather, myself — that it was “just sex,” I knew I was lying. — “It’s just sex,” I said to my friend as we sat in my kitchen over a coffee. She rolled her eyes and gave me a look that said, suuuure it is. “I know he doesn’t want a relationship, but I can separate the two.” A few months ago, I ended…

I stopped applying to jobs. I’d lay in bed and scroll on TikTok all morning. I felt hopeless. — I’ve been on the job hunt for the last few months. I freelance and was working part-time but have since decided to search for something more stable. This isn’t my first job-hunting rodeo. I was prepared for rejection. I was prepared to be flexible with where I wanted to be…

I left, giddy, and as I looked out the window I thought to myself, shit. I’m starting to like him. — A situationship: an undefined, non-committed casual relationship. Or, according to Urban Dictionary: emotional trauma in a gift box. At the start of my situationship, I didn’t mind that whatever it was we were doing. I was unsure about my feelings for the guy, who we’ll call Zach. …