Carmen Ye

I didn’t always want to be a writer.

Online dating is not a novelty to me. My last two serious relationships both began on OkCupid.

I never saw my living room in such clear detail as the night I picked my heart up off its floor. “I came down by train because I wanted to talk to you in person.” Our welcome mat is black.

I imagine spring will be easier, as it brings warmer weather and a time in DC that holds no memory of you in it.

If you miss her, don’t tell her.

Last summer, I went through the most devastating, emotionally difficult period of my life. This is not an understatement. It wasn’t the kind that could be cured a few weeks later after a dozen pints of ice cream.

As a 20-something, I hear so much advice along the lines of, “Travel widely. Be vulnerable. Love deeply. Learn forgiveness.” But for those just starting out on the path to adulthood, what would they need to hear?