Kelly Burch

“You have nine new messages.”

Growing up, travel was a luxury that was simply out of reach, so I know firsthand that travel is a privilege that not everyone can enjoy.

By introducing my father’s illness as a fact during a time when his mental health had no negative effects on my life, my parents enabled me to live without stigma, which in turn empowered me to advocate for my father’s treatment when his health took a turn for the worse my freshmen year of college.

Don’t talk politics. Do. Not. This old adage is more important than ever this year, with an election that started off bad and has gotten consistently worse.

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My toddler was twirling in her tutu bathing suit while I shimmied into my plus-sized polka dot bikini.

I clearly remember the first time that I was forced to accept that something was wrong.