Carla is a teacher, writer, and serial to-do list creator. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, daughter, and imaginary dog. You can follow her on Twitter @carlawaslike.
It was April of 2009, and immediately upon our arrival in Marrakesh, I was accosted from all directions with the joyous cry: "La soeur d'Obama!"
Obama’s sister was a much better reception than I'd been expecting, based on my mother's advice to me when I told her Pedro and I would be taking this trip: Don't tell anyone you're American. Say you're from Jamaica.
Carla Bruce's previous work for The Toast can be found here.
Like many English majors during their college years, I scoffed with disdain when met with the all-too familiar, well-meaning query: Do you plan to teach?
And like many English majors post-graduation, I ended up becoming a teacher.
My feelings about my profession toss and turn as wildly as the tiny human in my uterus. How
As far back as I can remember, I’ve had a complicated relationship with self-confidence. When I was very young, people in church lobbies and in long grocery store lines would often smile and jokingly ask whether I was wearing eye makeup, and compliment my thick eyelashes and eyebrows. I said thank you because that was what I had been told to say, but I didn’t care much one way or the other. The most important…