I reached the train station excited, nervous, and a bit out of breath, having had to rush a bit to make it. I’d met Jess online a few weeks back, originally just hoping to find someone to play vorny D&D games with, and she almost immediately became one of my favorite people to spend time with. We played a few games together, from deeply emotional stories to casual runs of reactive games, her perspective adding a bit of light to everything she showed me. She expressed so much love for my wr

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as we walked up the stairs. I’d never really been the type to do this; I transitioned pretty late in college, I was always too anxious, too awkward, too inexperienced...And yet despite how excited I felt now, how momentous this all felt, I didn’t feel the slightest bit nervous. I couldn’t remember a time I’d been this attracted to someone, probably not in my entire life. I’d been a bit hesitant to go on a date with a stranger, but my friend Av

Helping organize queer student groups in college gives you an eye for this sort of thing. You see a shortish, twinkey guy walk in, eyes darting around in a mixture of excitement and nervousness, his dirty-blonde hair poking out like a soft glimmer of light from behind a deliberately nondescript gray hoodie, and you already know: gosh, she’s gonna be gorgeous. Over the next few months, you slowly see her blossom. She’s picked the name Bridget, which suits her playful demeanor perfectly. After

You finally arrive back at your apartment after one of the most exciting, non-stop days of your life. After half a decade of reading musty old studies, tutoring thankless undergrads, pitching idea after idea to your thesis advisor and your department for funding, and having to learn how to run an entire research project by yourself, you had actually done it. Your thesis presentation was behind you... it was over! As of today, you knew you were getting your PhD.
You find yourself getting h