“At that moment, I realized that I had lived my life in a room that was so loud, all I could do every day was deal with how loud it was. But with the help of my wife, my doctor, and medical science, I found a doorway out of that room.”

Author Jayne Martin on physical rehab after a fall: “It’s been almost three weeks and you are standing in between the parallel bars when Sandy says, ‘Okay, now let go and walk forward over to the wall.’ A cold chill snakes its way down your spine. ‘You can do this,’ she says.”

“Books and articles have been written about reverse culture shock. The identity crisis. . . . I find this state of consciousness intriguing rather than distressing. The thrill of disorientation and shattered perceptions. Besides, I never fit in to begin with.” J.D. Riso returns home after 19 years of a nomadic life.

Team USA Paralympian Andrew Kurka writes on his hopes for PyeongChang: “There are so many responsibilities, so many thoughts, and so much good I want to do. When looking at it all, the journey, the sacrifice, the glory.”

“I remember going for a walk in the woods behind my house instead, finding this tree and carving my initials into it, pressing the sadness and rejection into its innocent bark.” At Kindred, Kerstin Pless Grant recalls being 14 and rediscovers a tree she had hoped to return to someday.

An essay on escape and self-discovery by Regina Belmonte: “There is no race to relevance here, nothing to live up to, and no ladders to climb — just a gentle shift from one day to another, and a train or two to catch to the next destination. Breathing room, and space to explore myself…”

Joséphine Mwanvua on the difficulty of asking for help as a person of color: “Here, in the West, black communities and other POC communities still carry a taboo around mental health issues.”

At Croissants & Conjugations, Jessica Journey refines her French speaking skills: “Sometimes, even now, a notable language mistake or inability to communicate will make me feel like a child. But maybe that’s not so bad. Babies have a big, beautiful world in front of them, full of unknowns, ripe for the exploring.”

“Of all the things that I am sure about, I am sure that my perception does not describe the reality, it is only my reality.” At A Light Circle, M.P. Baecker writes a thoughtful, poignant essay on self-centeredness and awareness.

“For much of my life, I’ve thought that it hasn’t mattered that I’m Jewish, that it in no way changes how I live in the world… Now I think it matters a lot that I’m Jewish. Though it has nothing to do with what I believe — and everything to do with what other people believe. They think I’m different.”