Category Archives: People

What do Assassin’s Creed and Taking a Phone Call Have in Common?

Posted on February 2, 2016 by Ciara Darren

Freedom is precious. And before you think I’m going to jump on the bandwagon of one U.S. presidential candidate or another, no, that’s not what this is about. Let’s get personal, not political. It’s a complicated idea, freedom. People bat around … Continue reading →

Posted in People, Productivity | Tagged assassin's creed, awareness, bucket list, college, consumerism, decision making, decisions, energy, freedom, Life, living space, millennials, saying no, stress | Leave a comment

This Should NOT Have Happened

Posted on November 14, 2015 by Ciara Darren

Yesterday afternoon, as I was getting ready to wrap up at my office, I heard a shriek. Someone said, “There’s been a mass shooting, in Paris.” I put my head back down and kept working. I think a lot of … Continue reading →

Posted in Identity, People, Religion | Tagged horrible, intolerance, Paris, shootings | Leave a comment

Relationships: Holding Them Together

Posted on October 17, 2015 by Ciara Darren

I had an exciting text from one of the teenagers in my life this past week. She just starting going out with her first boyfriend — they look so cute together! The truth is, young love isn’t always built to … Continue reading →

Posted in People, Relationships | Tagged communication, relationship advice, Romance, staying together, young love | 1 Comment

Ritual: A Standby of Human History

Posted on May 11, 2014 by Ciara Darren

Rituals. Hm… Let’s tackle this one. We all have them. Like little puppies or monstrous fat mean cats. Definition: (because I have that bachelor degree for a reason and it wasn’t to party 🙂 rit·u·al noun 1. an established … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, People, Productivity | Tagged coffee, habits, human history, positive, positive habits, ritual, starbucks | 10 Comments

An Apology to My Sisters: Looking for the Line Between Survival and Betraying Myself

Posted on April 13, 2014 by Ciara Darren

Recently Janna G. Noelle wrote a very honest and interesting post on marketing and feminism. The comment stream became lively and stimulating. You should go check it out. This post is partly inspired by the conversations I had with … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism, People | Tagged discrimination, female passivity, job interviews, lean in, sexism, Sheryl Sandburg | 16 Comments

Packing Suitcases: Saying Goodbye and Letting Go

Posted on March 23, 2014 by Ciara Darren

The four suitcases left for the airport yesterday. Three days ago, we trundled three boxes of books and personal papers and nearly gave the postmaster a heart attack when we announced we wanted to ship them via sea to California … Continue reading →

Posted in People | Tagged Leaving, let it go, saying goodbye, suitcases, travel, unknown | 7 Comments

Strong Women, the Love Story and What I Learned with Speculative Fiction and Slash

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Ciara Darren

Fiction, more than anything else, has changed my view on family, morality, and sexuality. Combine that with a university education and living abroad and I’ve spent the last eight years in demolition and reconstruction of my world view. It’s been … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism, People | Tagged fiction, love story, Lyn Gala, m/m, Romance, strong women | 6 Comments

Walk Away Girl, Walk Away

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Ciara Darren

The moment of walking away stays with you forever. The emotions can be so pure and yet conflicted. Sitting on the back of a public bus driving towards the international airport in South Korea, I remember clear pictures, flashes of … Continue reading →

Posted in People | Tagged fear, freedom, joy, Leaving, liberty, South Korea, terror, travel | 2 Comments

Ghosts, Demons, and the Gray Line of Reality – Part 1

Posted on February 7, 2014 by Ciara Darren

Before I went to university, I didn’t believe in ghosts, hauntings and specters. I had a well developed knowledge of angels and demons, based on the King James version of the Christian Bible and dozens of missionary bibliographies my parents … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Mythology, People, Social Norms, Speculative | Tagged bad feeling, Buffy, Christian Bible, churches, demons, ghost stories, ghosts, haunted, scared | Leave a comment

Telling Tales, Knyght and Podcasting

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Ciara Darren

My husband and I started a podcast a just over a week ago. Two episodes are published as of yesterday. You can find us on iTunes as 23 and 1/2 Miles or on pod bean and here at on 23andahalfmiles.wordpress.com. … Continue reading →

Posted in General, People, Social Norms | Tagged 23 and 1/2 miles, Ciara Darren, Dash Zhukova, funny people, iTines, Life, podcasts, society | Leave a comment