Being the eldest daughter comes with its perks and its pressures. It often feels like riding a rollercoaster where the turns are unpredictable, yet you learn early on that preparation is part of survival. Growing up in a first-generation immigrant family, I was not simply raised by my parents; in many ways, I grew alongside them. They were navigating parenthood for the first time, learning what it meant to nurture, guide, and support while adapting to a new world themselves.

We have all experienced the specific exhaustion of a "productive" day that somehow leaves us feeling hollow. You checked every box on your list. You responded to each message with lightning speed and performed the role of the ideal professional to perfection. You were exactly who everyone expected you to be. So why do you feel like a ghost by 6:00 PM? Why does a successful day leave you feeling like you have been drained from the inside out? Most of us treat our lives like a

Asian American Adoptees on Identity, Memory, and Belonging Adoption is not what people think it is. I feel like people want it to be simple so badly, like they need it to make sense in a clean, comforting way. A child is “saved,” placed into a better life, and grows up grateful. That’s the version that gets told, repeated, and accepted without much questioning. But that version leaves so much out. It ignores the parts that are harder to explain—the parts that don’t fit into s

When I made the decision to relocate to Indianapolis in the summer of 2021, I arrived with a mix of focused determination and an eager, open curiosity about what the city held for me. It was the quintessential fresh start. Much like countless others who arrive in a new landscape, my immediate, primary focus was directed toward establishing and building my professional career and, perhaps more abstractly, discovering where I truly fit within this new community. I threw myself

Looking back now, I can say with certainty that I would not be here today, in the United States, pursuing an education and a dream, if not for my aunt. Her hands were roughened by work that should never have been hers. Her dreams of education were traded for a life of sacrifice. She shed her blood, sweat, and tears so my father could learn, so he could build a different future. He did just that, but unfortunately, not with her. My aunt was born five years before my father.

From roller derby skates to motor homes, these portraits prove bravery is the boldest kind of beautiful. Let me be honest right Indianapolis is a city of momentum. The Indy region is a place of opportunity—ranked among America’s Best Places to Start a Career, a Best Food City, and one of the Hottest Housing Markets in the country. It’s a place where careers take off, ideas are nurtured, and communities welcome you in. But beyond the numbers and accolades, what makes this re

Art is often described as a mirror, but for some artists, it functions as something more powerful. For Indianapolis-based photographer Jordan Connor Christie, the force of art lives in the act of embodiment. Through her work as Animal in a Dress, Jordan uses boudoir photography to help people step fully into themselves, reclaim their stories, and see their own beauty reflected in lasting images. Jordan did not set out to be a boudoir photographer. Her journey began with se

In popular media, people’s background context is often told explicitly to help us, the audience, understand characters quickly and get focused on the storytelling. Blockbuster movies tend to quickly attribute the highest influence to those characters who have an Ivy League education or surged to success within their careers in record-breaking time. Iron Man is a great example because he’s a super genius who went to MIT, and that equates to inherent goodness as a superhero. Wh

Based in Philadelphia, Authenticity Projects is a model and media startup committed to empowering individuals of all genders and culturals.

Sometimes going sober means that “one day at a time” is even too big to manage. Breaking it down to a few breaths, a few hours.

Menopause is a natural transition in every woman’s life, yet it remains a topic that’s often hushed, misunderstood, or stigmatized.

I have a Spanish last name, brown skin, curly hair, and thick eyebrows. I was a kid when I started having to explain my entire background.

Bows, Ribbons, and all things Pink. I love how women are embracing the little girls in them by making little tweaks to their fashion.

My name is Nikitha Manikonda. I am currently a junior at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) studying bioinformatics. I’ve been doing...

There’s a reason that the story of Beauty and the Beast got so popular. The shock of something so seemingly lovely, meant to be preserved...

Even as we age, grow, and mature, I believe that the youngest and most vulnerable parts of us always exist deep within. You can picture...

While growing up, I envisioned love by finding that significant other who felt like the other half of you was finally found and...

I am a Pinterest gal, so I usually tend to start all of my writings with a quote, but this time, I couldn’t find one as relatable as I...