"There is no greater agony than to bear an untold story inside you." - Maya Angelou

Stories are a way we can connect to one another. Through our personal narratives, we share our common struggles, triumphs, joys, sorrows, and passions. Everyone deserves to have their story told, heard, and shared with others. This is how I make connections. I won't say, "Who are you?" but rather "Tell me your story." Sound cheesy? Good. I make no apologies for who or how I am.

I am a 49-year-old American-born Filipina, wife, and mom of two teenage boys on the Autism Spectrum. I work in higher education, but my passion is storytelling and creating special things for people I care about. Whether that be an amigurumi doll, a crocheted accessory, a new song, or even a work of fiction, I enjoy being creative and artistic. I'm crafty like that I suppose. My other passion is social justice, especially for those with disabilities or from disadvantaged or underrepresented backgrounds. I listen to music from all sorts of genres. Anything from Ella Fitzgerald and Sinatra to Led Zepplin and The Cure to K-pop and Christian metal, and even lived through a few Ska and Ska-punk fangirl years in college. If it sounds good, I'll download it on iTunes. One of my favorite authors is Paolo Coelho, but I do a lot of cultural reading and spiritual/inspirational reading too.

I am seeking a pen pal who doesn't mind my aimless rambling or long stories. I am on the older side of 40 and lived a lot of life, but would love to hear others' experiences. I'm not particular about where you are from, just that you are real and not some chatbot trying to sell me more meds or an investment opportunity. I don't have time for that. Hopefully, this post resonates with you, and you send me a DM. I'm open to snail mail, email, messaging apps, or keeping it here in chat. Whichever you are comfortable using. As long as we write.