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Relearning Confidence — Imposter Syndrome Outside of Government
For most of my career at USAID, I lived by one quiet motto: fake it till you make it. And for a long time, it worked. Not because I was pretending to be qualified, but because I trusted myself to learn fast, adapt quickly, and build the right relationships to fill in any gaps. I…
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The Emotional Math of Job Searching at Five Months Unemployed
Finding a job in this economy feels like its own full-time work—except it doesn’t come with a paycheck, benefits, or any clear sense of progress. After nearly five months of unemployment, I’m realizing how emotionally draining a prolonged job search can be. Even after narrowing my focus to social impact jobs, mission-driven organizations, and public…
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The Companion Who Became Family
Unconventional relationships have been the thread running through my life lately, and this one might be the most unexpected of all. I met him in the early days of COVID—not at USAID, where he also worked as a foreign service officer, but in the unlikeliest of places: our neighborhood dog-walking circuit. At first, I wrote…
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Between Parents and Parenthood: The Millennial Sandwich No One Prepared Us For
A reflective story about caring for aging parents as a Millennial and stepping into motherhood — a deeply personal take on what it means to be part of the sandwich generation. I became a caregiver long before I ever became a parent. In my late twenties, while most of my friends were climbing career ladders…
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From Searching Alone to Finding My Fit: On letting go, leaning in, and redefining what alignment means
I’ve always been independent—someone who tries to figure things out on my own and only reaches out for help as a last resort. But this year has knocked that approach sideways. Since January, the international development field has essentially disappeared, and I’ve been left wondering: where do my skills even fit in the private sector?…
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When Control Meets Chemistry: My Gestational Diabetes Diagnosis
I was recently diagnosed with gestational diabetes and anemia. Diabetes runs in my family. My mother developed it when she was pregnant with me — and it never went away. My father, on the other hand, managed to keep it at bay through diet and exercise until his sixties. Their paths have always been a…
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From Pandemic Companion to Big Sister
When I think back to the pandemic, I don’t just remember the fear, the uncertainty, or the long stretches of isolation—I remember Bailey. She was my anchor, my comfort, and in so many ways, my first born child. I brought her home when the world felt like it was spinning out of control, and somehow…
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From Bangkok to Bureaucratic Healthcare: Finding Care that Feels Human
Growing up, I spent much of my childhood in Asia. Bangkok, Thailand, in particular, was where my family would go for annual check-ups or any health issues that came up. Looking back now, I realize I was accustomed to something many would consider a luxury: concierge healthcare. Doctors knew me, appointments were thorough, and there…
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500 Classes Later
Three years ago, I walked into F45 Edgewood with one simple goal: shed my pandemic pounds and start getting my body ready for pregnancy. What I didn’t know then was just how much that studio would come to mean to me. Not long after I started, my dad’s dementia worsened. F45 quickly became more than…
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Balancing Two Worlds: Bengali Roots, American Choices
Holding Space for Myself in Family and Culture From a young age, my father had me living in two different worlds that often contradicted each other. At home, I was encouraged to be empowered, independent, and ambitious — a girl who could think for herself and chart her own path. Yet, when his extended family…
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Bureaucrat to Baby Steps 