A close-up spread of fresh strawberries on a dark background, showing their bright red color, seeds, and green leafy tops.

Was it Strawberries or Was it Stress?

November 13, 2025November 13, 20252 Comments

I've always had itchy skin. Sensitive skin. Problem skin. Whatever polite term the adults around me used, the reality was simple: I reacted to everything. Dryer sheets. Scented detergent. Some makeup made my eyes puff up. Perfumes that smelled terrible and made my arms and neck itch. The solution was also simple. Just avoid ever … Continue reading Was it Strawberries or Was it Stress?

A wide sunrise over rolling hills, the sky shifting from deep teal at the top to soft orange and gold near the horizon. The low mountains are dark silhouettes against the warm glow of early morning light.

upon a Wednesday morning…

November 5, 2025Leave a comment

My circadian rhythm and I are no longer on speaking terms. 4:00 am-ish: My partner wakes up for no discernible reason and gets out of bed. I ask the time. Upon learning it’s 4 am, I roll over in an attempt to re-engage with sleep. 4:05 am-ish: From the bed, I request that he please … Continue reading upon a Wednesday morning…

A Halloween-themed charcuterie board arranged with layers of meats, cheeses, crackers, fruit, nuts, and spooky touches like tiny skull decorations and olive “eyeballs.” The display includes blackberries, grapes, pomegranate seeds, and bright orange cheese cubes, all set against a dark wood background.

This Halloween I Order In

October 23, 2025October 23, 20251 Comment

I love Halloween. I always have. But I’m at a time in my life where I get to decide how to celebrate it differently. There are no tiny ghouls or goblins in my orbit now. I’m allergic or sensitive to almost everything. I’m easily exhausted. And I’m easily disappointed when plans fall through… even when … Continue reading This Halloween I Order In

A single hand reaches out from between heavy red theater curtains, caught in warm light against the deep fabric folds, as if revealing or hiding something unseen behind the stage.

Masking Monday: The Illness I Pretend Isn’t There

October 20, 20251 Comment

Monday is therapy day for me. It maybe doesn’t seem like a good idea to stack lifelong trauma work and mental health check-ins at the start of a new week in the hellscape we’re all living through… but somehow it works. I get just enough distance from the last week to reflect and reset before … Continue reading Masking Monday: The Illness I Pretend Isn’t There

masking monday: showing up

October 13, 20251 Comment

Yesterday I went to brunch and the ballet with two of my dearest. In the process I was around thousands of people. I watched them. I got to know everyone in my vicinity in my own quiet, introverted way. I named people. Formed attachments to humans who may not have even noticed I exist. I … Continue reading masking monday: showing up

Nighttime view of downtown Portland, Oregon, featuring the Hawthorne Bridge lit with purple and red lights and a glowing Ferris wheel spinning near the waterfront. The city skyline rises behind the bridge under a cloudy, pink-tinted sky, with reflections of the lights shimmering on the Willamette River.

dispatches from hell… sorry, I mean, Portland… 01

October 9, 20251 Comment

When I was a kid, we had drills. Fire drills. Earthquake drills. Soviet-bombing drills. That was pretty much it. I’m nearly fifty now. The active shooter and lockdown stuff came later, when my daughter was in school. Back then, there were only two moves: Get the fuck out of the building in an orderly fashion. … Continue reading dispatches from hell… sorry, I mean, Portland… 01

this month’s letter comes from Cover Story…

September 29, 2025Leave a comment

This column first appeared in the September edition of Gal Pal’s monthly publication. If you want to read Dear Cami as soon as it’s released, you can subscribe to Gal Pal's Museletter. The theme for September’s Museletter was Power… There are so many ways to talk about power. Today, I want to start with the … Continue reading this month’s letter comes from Cover Story…

Person in a black-and-white striped shirt with a small red heart patch covers their face with a bright orange book, standing against a plain white wall with part of a leafy houseplant visible.

do not see me…

September 22, 20251 Comment

There are times I do not want to be perceived. Whole stretches. Weeks when I am strictly available to my tiny family and no one else. I’ve always been like this: I withdraw, go hermit, disappear. In chat apps you can flip yourself to “away.” Your dot dims. People can still ping you, but the … Continue reading do not see me…

Interior view of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, looking upward toward the soaring ceiling and branching columns that resemble a stone forest. Light filters through colorful stained-glass windows, casting warm tones of red, orange, and blue across the geometric vaults and intricate details overhead.

No One Sees the Dial

September 18, 20251 Comment

I started the morning with a video a friend sent me. In it, a guy was talking about his workout attitude. He had been all-or-nothing. If he couldn’t do it perfectly, he wouldn’t do it at all. That hit me. Hard. I’ve been circling around this idea for years: literal thinking, binary thinking, the trap … Continue reading No One Sees the Dial

A collage of sixteen square photos showing a woman with long, bright pink hair and black-framed glasses against a light background. The photos capture different angles of her face and hair, from straight-on portraits to close-ups of wavy strands, highlighting the vivid color and texture.

Masking Monday: Not Natural, But Real…

September 16, 2025Leave a comment

I’m realizing only now, as I near 50, that I haven’t actually hated my hair my whole life. That sounds dramatic, so I should explain a little. I love my hair now. I really do. It’s crazy and wild and it doesn’t care what I want to do with it, it’s just going to be … Continue reading Masking Monday: Not Natural, But Real…