Writing With Abandon

Reflections and ramblings about life as an educator, writer, reader, knitter, and over-thinker. Trying to do the writing only I can do.

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about

I’m Amy. A born and raised New Yorker, currently living in Miami. Here to reflect on my experiences as an educator and learner, working things out as I write.

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  • APT.

    Apata-pate. Apata-pate. Apata-pate. Uh! Uh-huh, uh-huh. Apata-pate. Apata-pate. Apata-pate. Uh! Uh-huh, uh-huh. The lyrics of ROSÉ and Bruno Mars’ “APT.” have been spinning like a merry-go-round through my head all afternoon. Apata-pate, as I wait for Korean takeout, bibimbap. Apata-pate, as I work on copywriting and feel myself fading. Apata-pate, as I try on some…

  • A New York Slice

    While on vacation, it’s hard to find the time to slice. I snuck away after dinner while my mom gets ice cream for my niece and nephew, who are watching college wrestling with my dad on the iPad. Maybe I can get a slice done now? But our apartment is not very big; I’m in…

  • It’s Time to Check In

    Mar 20, 4:16PM Hi Amy, Your trip is almost here and we’re excited to see you on board. Check in to add your bags, choose your seats, and get your boarding pass. That way you’ll have everything ready for your trip. Finish packing what you can tonight. Make a list of all the things not…

  • Knitting Club

    In November, I started a knitting club on Mondays after school. Vero had been asking me since my first year at KLA, but I couldn’t bring myself to add something else to my to do list. At the time, my commute was also a lot farther. But this year, it felt like the right time.…

  • Reading Ripple Effect

    I sit crosslegged on the bench, anchor charts behind me, the students before me on the rug, a book in my hands. I’m about 6 chapters into reading aloud one of my favorite middle grade books ever, one I’ve read to two other 5th grade classes before this one: Refugee by Alan Gratz. I first…

  • Giggle Incontinence

    At the start of every year, we hold interviews with our new students’ parents to find out their hopes, goals, and concerns about their child. It’s always informative, and my favorite part is watching their eyes light up as we say: “Tell us about your child.” “She’s just, the best kid,” I remember one mom…

  • This Body of Mine

    “Can you tell me all the things you like about my body?” I ask softly. After an afternoon of shopping and feeling like nothing I tried on looked good on me, my self-esteem has fallen and I am trapped in the upward comparison loop. “What do you like about your body?” He flips the question…

  • The Sanderling

    The bird scurries so quickly, it looks like he’s ice skating across the sand. One leg moving as the other hover-floats, skiing between the seaweed slopes. He speeds back and forth, drawing loop-de-loops, but remains ever ahead of me at my easy pace. I walk along the shoreline, sun beaming on my face, wind strong.…

  • Surrender

    “Are you a religious person?” she asks me. “No, but I’m spiritual, I think,” I tell her. “Do you believe there is some sort of higher power?” “I guess so, yes,” I say, “though I don’t think there’s a God, per se.” “For me, the highest power is divine love,” she shares. “Your sensitivity is…

  • The Last Time

    There’s something bubbling beneath every day lately at work. A thread weaving between the seams, a whispered undercurrent. “This might be the last time you…” it says. I try to shake it off — it jars me. But it’s a persistent little f***er. “This might be your last chapter book read aloud,” it whispers to…