There are certainly far more important topics to cover than social media, but I’ve had some thoughts on this topic bottled up inside my brain for about a year now and I felt it was a good time to unburden myself of them. Our collective preoccupation with social media may seem pretty innocuous, if not wholly ridiculous, but I feel strongly that it can have some really negative consequences for both mental health and interpersonal relationships.

I’ve gone through periods of time when I get completely jaded with social media and I’ll temporarily deactivate or delete all of my accounts. Part of …

A few weeks ago, I spent some much needed rest and relaxation in my home state of Michigan. Not only was it good for the soul to go back in summertime because northern Michigan is a true gem, it was an opportunity for me to introduce my partner to family and to show her some of the prettier parts of the state since she had only been to Flint (no offense, Flintstones). Besides, I was starting to get a little bit bitter about spending all of my vacation time on frigid Christmas holidays.

One of the biggest things I miss about home are the lakes. Their beauty and charm are ubiquitous to …