The empty bottle bounces into another; a slight thwop sound echoing through the bustling plastics factory. This is the start of its story. The polyethylene terephthalate it once was, transformed into the shape of a drinking bottle. It doesn't know it yet, but this is the beginning of its brief and eternal life. Its first trip is to the bottling plant, carbon dioxide exuding through the truck’s exhaust along the bumpy ride. Now arrived, the bottle patiently waits in line among

Dear younger me, Life as a teenager is like riding a rollercoaster blindfolded. Thrilling, confusing, and most of the time, scary. You will laugh loud, cry hard, and feel so deeply, more than you would ever imagine. Right now, you’re probably dreaming about growing up and becoming older, but please, slow down because being a teen isn't all about freedom and fun. In high school, friendships will change. The people you thought would be your best friends forever won't stay aroun

One day, she shows up for the first time. Then, you start seeing her everywhere. Her name is Change. You cannot escape her.  The first time I saw Change, she had been standing at the corner of the street behind my preschool. It had been an otherwise unassuming Tuesday. The clouds hung in the sky wearily. They had been dark and threatening, as they so often are here in Vancouver.  At that time, I must have been no older than six. I remember thinking that my clothes were shrink