I don't only long for the thrill of being in the middle of a war, I must understand it; I must make other people understand.

Because that’s the thing about the exact moment when you get somewhere that has required effort: There’s a freeze-frame instant of total fulfillment, when every expectation has been met and the world is perfect.

I know firsthand how critical support systems are.

I, too, was carrying around my own fate. All the things I couldn't know sat somewhere inside, embroidered into me-maybe not quite fixed to the point of inevitability but waiting, in any event, for a chance to unspool.

Contemplating Christmas when you are isolated and far from home brings its own unique pain.

I don't think I'm unusual in that, in my 20s, like many people, I felt invincible.

Maintaining my dignity is so important for me.