On My 18th Birthday, My Parents Gave Me an Ultimatum That Changed My Life Forever

forms over and over until my eyes burned from the flickering screen. Forty-seven applications in five days. Forty-seven variations of “tell us why you’d be perfect for this position” when I wasn’t even sure I was perfect for anything.

By Friday evening, my feet had blisters from walking in shoes with worn-out soles. I’d eaten one meal that day—a granola continue reading …