The Xylom™·Dec 19, 2021Hurricanes and HopeEvery year since I have had access to the Internet, on June 1st, I start watching the National Hurricane Center for tropical cyclone activity. This is a pretty common practice in South Louisiana. When I was a child most grocery stores had hurricane tracking charts at the registers for people…The Xylom9 min read
The Xylom™·Dec 15, 2021Searching for the Tree of Life Near the Gates of Heavenनेपाली I’m cramped on the back of a 160 cc Honda unicorn motorbike, speeding along an ill-pitched twisting road in rugged terrain 5200 feet above sea level, thinking about my final year internal exam on ecology and fisheries that I ditched for a supposed hassle in some remote jungle of…The Xylom15 min read
The Xylom™·Dec 12, 2021My Role Model Taught Me How To Be a Strong Woman in ScienceGrowing up in Turkey as a Muslim with Turkish origins, I didn’t know what it felt like to be different. But, that changed when I moved to the U.S. to pursue higher education. Here, I am a foreigner. Even after spending half of my life in this country, when I…Black Women5 min read
The Xylom™·Sep 9, 2021Dealing With the Dark Days: A Personal Struggle With PMDDThis story is supported by a grant from #BlackinScicomm Week and COMPASS Scicomm. All stories under the brack•ish series can be found here. I reached for my pack of tissues, hissing at myself when I realized that the pack was empty. I opened my eyes and stared around me. My…The Xylom10 min read
The Xylom™·Aug 24, 2021In the Heart of the StormBefore the pandemic began, I had already burnt out. I worked as a pharmacist in the British National Health Service in different sectors and enjoyed the roles I had. But in early 2020, I wanted to run as far away as possible from the profession. In the UK work culture…Mwc Space8 min read
The Xylom™·Aug 21, 2021Listening Is a Superpower: Hard Wrought Lessons From Conversations With VotersThe cold, dry snow of the Northern Rockies makes a low creak when you walk through it; a sound oddly reminiscent of Styrofoam.Mwc Work9 min read
The Xylom™·Aug 21, 2021Why You Should Add “Talk About Death” To Your 2021 ResolutionsIt is painful to think of a loved one dying, but it is likely that you have thought about your own death, especially with COVID-19 having affected so many. I started thinking about my own death when I was very young. My mom was a tough single mother, and she…Mwc Death7 min read
The Xylom™·Aug 18, 2021Sometimes the Way Forward Is To Return To the BeginningThis story is supported by a grant from #BlackinScicomm Week and COMPASS Scicomm. All stories under the brack•ish series can be found here. I was born in New York City, but in the 3rd grade, I moved over 2500 kilometers (1500 miles) to the Dominican Republic (D.R.), which shares the…Mwc Reentry8 min read
The Xylom™·Aug 17, 2021Science Writing Was Worth It. It Just Took Longer Than I Thought.What is 25 dollars worth to you? A pair of slides? A Roku? 25 dollars was what I’d get after days of hammering out an article about anything from being a cat owner to brain science — even writing Facebook quizzes about cheese. Every day, in my small D.C. apartment…Mwc Work8 min read
The Xylom™·Aug 17, 2021In Search of Insight: A Chronological Dissection of My Mental Illness JourneyTRIGGER WARNING: This story contains graphic language about substance abuse. The morning alarm rings. You dismiss it, stay in bed, and stare at the ceiling. Dread and melancholy begin to invade wakefulness with every passing moment (symptom #1: inexplicable sadness). Your body stays still as your mood tends to spiral…Mwc Reentry10 min read
