Kristin Wong is a freelance writer who has written for MSN, Bankrate, and NBC News. She regularly contributes to Lifehacker and Mental_floss and is a recipient of the Society of Professional Journalists Northwest Excellence in Journalism award. Kristin chronicles her experiences as a full-time freelance writer at her blog. Visit: www.kristinwong.com
I come from a long line of worriers. I’m a worrier, my grandmother was a worrier, and my mom worries like she’s getting paid for it. On the topic of worrying, she once said: “I feel like if I don’t worry enough, something bad is going to happen.” Lots of people feel the same way….
Parking tickets are almost a rite of passage when you move to Los Angeles. You’re not a true Angeleno until you’ve racked up four or five of them. Everywhere you go, there are rules and meters and permits dedicated to how, where, and when you may park. It’s inevitable that, at some point, you will…
Seven years ago, I started dating this guy I was crazy about. We had the best conversations, he was cynical in all the ways I was cynical, and we were on the same page with just about everything. It was easy. Eventually, we started alternating between his apartment in Los Feliz and mine in West…
Confession: I am a nosy house guest. I won’t rummage through your drawers, but I will scan your book collection, wall art, tchotchkes, kitchen appliances – you name it –silently piecing together your identity. Whoa, you have a Chemex? You appreciate good coffee and must have a sophisticated, cultured palate. Wow, a window full of…
It’s back. That creeping, insidious feeling that you’re out of your league. That nasty, destructive voice telling you you’re not good enough. That you’re only here because you got lucky. That you’re an idiot and sooner or later, everyone will find out you’re an idiot. You know this is a thing. You know about the…
Despite your best intentions and efforts, it is inevitable: At some point in your life, you will be wrong. Mistakes can be hard to digest, so sometimes we double down rather than face them. Our confirmation bias kicks in, causing us to seek out evidence to prove what we already believe. The car you cut…
Work is crazy, your schedule is crazy, and you feel like you’re going crazy. You attempt to buy your way to calmness, so you hit up your favorite store or you hit the BUY NOW button online. Somehow, you feel a sense of satisfaction. Relief, even. We’ve all been there. Impulsive spending is certainly nothing…
I grew up in a small town outside of Houston, and like most Texans, I have a fair amount of state pride. Still, by my mid-twenties, I was ready to get out of dodge. There was a whole world out there, and I wanted to see it. Specifically, I wanted to go to Italy. Even…
I used to pride myself on how little maintenance I required. “Workout? What’s that?” I joked. “Exercise? I thought you said extra fries.” I drank all the coffee all day long, then switched to alcohol, then ordered a chili cheese dog and smugly judged all the Crossfit crazies who jogged by me, huffing and puffing. “These…
Have you ever tried to build a website without being a web developer? I have, and I don’t recommend it. Last summer, I spent days trying to fix some random error on a website I was building. A box on my web page wouldn’t center, and no matter what I tried, I could not get it to…
