A little bit of pink never hurts. My bedroom has been pink since I was a little girl. If I had to guess, my grandmother picked the color out. There’s a comfort in the soft, powder pink that I’ve appreciated ever since. I have sweaters, shoes, backpacks, and even books that I chose simply because

The west coast of Ireland reminds me most of home. The climate and topography does not match that of small town Illinois: no consistent rain, hardly any hills, and wider car lanes. But there’s a similar ruggedness in the air. What hills northern Illinois does have are scattered with trees that pre