Note Taken — Hannah Buck

This morning, I managed to forget my yoga mat. Twice. It was 8:43 a.m. by the time I had walked the dog, readied myself, gathered my belongings, and finally locked the front door. Three steps later: Oh, crap. Where’s my mat?…

Being in a committed, loving, long-term relationship is a distinctly intimate experience. It is the most intimate experience of humanhood many would argue. To see a person walking by and say to them, “Hey, you’re fairly OK-looking. Would you like to hold hands for forever and accrue…

I’ve had headaches since I was 10. Debilitating, eye-crushing, every-bone-in-my-face-feels-like-it’s-been-smashed-with-a-baseball-bat headaches. Depending on what doctor you ask, they either can or cannot be classified as migraines. (Well, depending on what doctor you ask, there’s really no difference between headaches and migraines in the first…

I feel the freest when being told what to do. Take 1 tablet by mouth three times daily for 14 days. Flush each lumen of intravenous catheter with 5 mL as directed. Do not exhale into the mouthpiece…

No matter how many times my parents, my friends, or my therapist insist that having cystic fibrosis is a full-time job, I can never seem to internalize the concept. When I’m healthy, walking to class is easy, I sleep through the night, and my bones…

I’ve decided that I don’t want to live in poverty. Okay, so I’ve known that forever. I’m not trying to say it hit me this week while scraping peanut butter on my toast that, “Hey, maybe money is a nice…

Happy New Year, friends! I’ve always loved this holiday. The fresh chances, the deeply felt hope, winter snow, fruity champagne (real or not), and kisses all around. Yes, I’ve always loved this holiday … For the first 24 hours. You…

In the three years that I’ve spent away at college, I’ve learned oodles of life-changing lessons that can only be taught by good ole Professor Experience. Freshman year, I learned that duct tape won’t keep twinkly lights on your walls, but will allow…

You’re about to read something I wrote two years ago. I had been diagnosed with anxiety and depression not long before then. Both left me utterly crippled, and would continue to do so for several months, but what I struggled most with…

“OK, I have to go, Han. I’m sorry. I love you, OK?” “I love you, too.” My boyfriend leaned down, kissed my cheek, and walked through the hospital doors. He had just pushed my wheelchair inside the lobby, but this was only a drop-off — a…