All Stories
Tech Fails
As I struggled to reconnect the severed wires on my latest DIY robotic project, my roommate's loud karate instructor in the flat below us made me misspeak into the walkie-talkie for what felt like the hundredth time, "Echo-1, this is Nova-12: status unknown." Silence. Probably he'd muted it by now, judging by the way he glared at me through the floor vents whenever the walkie-talkie's incessant bleating disturbed his focus.
Drinking & Parties
My hand involuntarily tightened around the cold glass as I stared at the pulsating DJ's eyes, their gaze flicking towards me, then away. I've been pretending to know this song for hours now, nodding along like some sort of rhythm-deprived robot.
Work
In the fluorescent-tinged monotony of the office, my feet move as if on autopilot, navigating a maze of cubicles that all bleed into each other in my haze of coffee-fueled half wakefulness. The constant din of keyboard clacking and stilted office chatter grinds against my eardrums like fingernails on a chalkboard.
Work
Last night, I set my company's CEO's phone to play 'Who Let the Dogs Out' every thirty minutes – a prank so juvenile, even I wouldn't have thought that far down the line. I was just trying to 'relieve the atmosphere', my boss later described it.
Drinking & Parties
My aunt's famous three-tiered Jell-O mold was already wobbling when I arrived at the outdoor BBQ. The last time I was this close to my second cousins, I was 14 and wearing a Nirvana t-shirt.
Misunderstandings
The smell of last night's pizza wafted through our morning coffee, overpowering the aroma of over-brewed grounds. I awkwardly juggled spoon and pastry, trying not to get crumbs on my interview outfit for a job I was fairly certain I couldn't get.
Food & Dining
There's still a crumb stuck to my sweatpants from lunch, a faint outline of a peanut butter and banana sandwich my mom made this morning. I remember trying to tell her I'd lost my lunch, then catching myself glancing at her hand, at the crumbs scattered on her apron like tiny fingerprints of my dishonesty.
Food & Dining
My aunt once accidentally set her dining table with a velvet Elvis painting as the centerpiece because she thought the silver glitter was for decorations, but the smell alone was enough to put me off the mediocre five-layer lasagna she'd spent six hours assembling – its bland cheese and burnt noodles a perfect match for the eerie, kitschy presence lurking between the wine bottles and the flowers; that was dinner the day I decided to develop my habit of arriving very early to family gatherings.
Friends
The smell of stale coffee clings to our conversation, a lingering reminder of last night's 3 a.m. discussion about nothing in particular.
Work
I stare blankly at the stack of reports in front of me, my mind racing with everything I need to get done. Suddenly, the coffee machine starts beeping, reminding me it's time for my caffeine fix.
Awkward
I tripped on the bus steps and face-planted in front of a group of giggling school kids. On my way to work.
Pets
My hands are still sticky from the peanut butter incident. It's been weeks since I attempted to train Lola, our hyperactive corgi, to 'shake hands'.
Family
My grandmother once turned our kitchen into a crime scene, declaring that the culprit behind the great lasagna heist was none other than myself, caught red-handed. The smell of burnt garlic still lingered days later as a family of detectives worked tirelessly to clear my name, but the real mystery remained unsolved – how she managed to memorize my every move, even when I was stuck in the bathroom, too engrossed in the world outside to realize I was being watched.
Travel
The smell of my aunt's famous fried chicken follows us onto the plane, an aromatic anchor tethering me to the suburbs. As we soar into the air, the seatbelt sign flickers above, and I squirm in seat 17C, the armrest digging into my ribs like a judgment.
Holidays & Events
Sometimes my relatives' house feels less like home than a giant awkwardly-shaped closet. The Christmas tree in the corner, covered in gaudy ornaments and half-undone bows, casts long shadows on the worn carpet as I stand there, clutching my obligatory gift.
Texting & Social Media
Glancing down at my palms, I noticed that last night's pizza sauce stains were now expertly paired with my morning coffee rings, like two old friends embracing on my hands. This is why I always swipe right on "no makeup selfies" for solo nights at home.
Misunderstandings
I tripped on my cat and face-planted into the breakfast cereal. I was late for a meeting anyway, but I was pretty sure my coworkers hadn't seen me with Froot Loops stuck to my face before.
Travel
Sometimes my mind wanders back to the time I got lost in Rome's Termini Station because I thought our hostel was near a gelato shop that I'd seen earlier, and by 'lost' I mean I stood on the exact same platform for three minutes, watching my family hurry towards the escalators because they'd already given up. I stared down at the faded advertisement for a local beer, wondering if it was an omen.
Texting & Social Media
It was as I sat on the bus that I noticed my thumbs hovered involuntarily above the cracked screen of my mother's old flip phone. We'd had the conversation - or at least a heated monologue - about the futility of paying full price for a smartphone and, by extension, all its attendant costs.
School
My backpack weighed more heavily than my grades when I lugged it onto the bus. It was as if I'd spent all night cramming textbooks, but really I'd spent all night trying not to trip on my mom's antique vase.
Friends
I've spent the last three days practicing how to cook eggs, mainly scrambling and making overeasy; my friend Claire asked casually while we sipped coffee if she could come over for a cooking session before work and honestly, nothing's changed, still slightly overestimating our kitchen skills.
Food & Dining
My mouth puckers every time I recollect that Thanksgiving dinner I ruined by accidentally using hot sauce instead of cranberry sauce. I had just gotten home from the supermarket, exhausted from fighting for the last can of pumpkin, when I realized my mistake.