In a sense, Becoming Allie began when I did. It has unfolded over time, and continues to unfold as I continue to grow. In another sense, the project began in October of 2019, as I was lounging on the couch with my friend telling stories about dating experiences over cups of nasty tea. She encouraged me to put these stories to paper, to share them with the world. That night, sitting in my bed with my laptop, I made a list of topics and stories to write and easily generated more than 100. The next day, I wrote my very first essay: Unlearning.

I set about creating a website in January of 2020 and published my first posts in February of 2020. Bringing the website to life required patience and persistence. And now there is the task of sharing the deeply personal stories. It is taking courage and deep breaths to let myself be seen in this way. I trust I’ll get better at vulnerability with practice.