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Hi everyone! Happy Valentine's Day! I'm Coulson (they/them), I went by St.Owl on the CB. I think I was active from 2015-around 2019 or 2020, which means this year's reunion is very special for me; it's my ten year CBversary!
I try to come back for the Valentine's Day reunion every year, but I was checking back and it looks like I missed it last year because of the website crash, so I guess I have more to catch up on this year! I am in my third and final year of college now, and set to graduate in May. This year has been extraordinarily busy for me because I'm working on my undergraduate thesis and I was applying to PhD programs. I am proud to report I am going to be starting a PhD program in classical studies next year!! From the results I've gotten so far, it seems very likely I'll be going to a school in Washington state, which will be a big change for me – I live in New York right now, so I've had to start mentally preparing myself to move across the country. I'm really excited, though. I think my last few Valentine's updates have contained plenty of waxing poetic about how much I love studying classics, and near the middle of last year I formally decided I wasn't done with it yet. Ideally, I'd love to pursue a career in academia eventually, but humanities positions are dwindling and the school I've gotten an offer from is not in the highest tier of graduate programs in the country – which, unfortunately, is mostly what you need to be successful these days. I'll give it a try, of course, but right now I'm mostly very excited to spend the next five years of my life studying a subject I love so much.
That's my big update! I'm so happy to see you all, both those I know and those I don't! I've got a busy day ahead; for the first time I actually have Valentine's Day plans, my boyfriend and I are going to get lunch at a place we call Italian Restaurant. That's not its name – I have no idea what it's actually called, honestly – but we call it that as a joke because ITALIAN RESTAURANT is displayed so much more prominently on its signage. That said, I'll do my best today and following to check in and say hi to everyone. How have you all been?
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Hey Coulson! "ITALIAN RESTAURANT" sounds so fun. There's this entirely Texas themed restaurant near me (doesn't actually serve Southern or Mexican or Texmex food) which is so funny to me because I'm in Pennsylvania, which is not anywhere near Texas at all.
Good luck with graduate school! Moving across the country sounds daunting. I have a hard enough time just packing up to move the two hours back into my dorm each semester. I honestly have so much respect for anyone who goes into humanities. Certainly not what I chose to do, but I think they're really important to support, especially now.
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Hi Sybill!!
Oh I've totally heard of those; I love those American-y Western themed restaurants that are already in America. It's a real peek into the romanticization of our own country.
Totally agree about it being daunting!! I also live like 2-3 hours away from school and I shlep such humiliatingly large amounts of stuff with me each time, I have no idea how I'm going to get all that on a plane?? Unfortunately I'll probably just have to leave a lot behind, which is hard for me both because I'm ridiculously sentimental and because I've actually been stocking up on apartment essentials for a while. I basically took my grandmother's whole kitchen home with me when we moved her into memory care and now I won't even get to use it!
Haha, thank you for the props for the humanities, we definitely need it. I can't pretend I don't have any misgivings for committing to them, but I also couldn't imagine doing anything else. That said, I have SO much respect for STEM students too – we've talked about this before, but I think your potentially going into endocrinology is so fabulous and important. 5-year masters programs like yours are really handy, too. Will you be able to go straight into a health career afterward?
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That's the plan, at least! My university specifically preps us to work in underserved areas in our state– mostly focusing on extremely rural areas like where I grew up. We have to start doing occupational hours and clinical rotations next summer, which will continue throughout grad school, and because most hospitals and clinics in the area have a high demand for PAs and other medical workers, the occupational hours usually just turn into a career. My college also sponsors programs to get certifications and start working during undergrad and grad school as a phlebotomist or CMA. I haven't entered in any of those programs yet (no time to, plus I'm already training to become a tutor which pays about the same), but I probably will once I enter graduate school so I can get occupational hours while making money. It's definitely a lot of work and very high stress, but the payoff is the fact that a job as a PA is pretty much guaranteed right now so long as you do well in your clinical rotations.
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Omg fellow pre-health majors!! (Idk if you remember me, I went by Mei and was active around 2016-2018ish) and I'm premed!
also when did the captchas starting doing 5 letters? The 4-letter captchas were iconic :/
Hi, Mei! It was several years ago that captchas went to 5 letters to make it harder for Spam comments to get through to us.
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Oh that's so cool!! Is there any specific field you're planning to go into?
Also, I think I do remember you. The name sounds extremely familiar, though sometimes I can't tell if it's because I know someone from when I was active or if I know them from a past reunion lol.
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I'm premed and want to do neurology!
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Coulson! Hi! It's SO cool that you're going into a PhD program – I remember you talking about classics at past reunions and it's wonderful to hear that's still going. As a fellow humanities major, it's cool to hear where the people a few years ahead of me are headed. (Personally, I don't think academia is the path for me, but I haven't figured out what I'm doing instead… adulting is hard.) I'm a history major, but I've been really tempted by classics and adjacent fields – I had a lot of fun reading the Epic of Gilgamesh for class this year, and then also going down a massive rabbit hole regarding translations of the Iliad. Also – Washington state is a lovely place, highly recommend 🙂
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Hi Kitten! I totally feel you about not going into academia, in fact somewhat hypocritically I encourage that mindset! And you should totally join us in classics…. I know I already tried to convince you to take Latin and I stand by it!! But also if you have more chances to read ancient lit I totally encourage it. It's incredibly fulfilling. And once you get me started talking about translation I won't shut up, but the ability for English speakers to also engage in questions of Greek translation through poems like the Iliad that just have such variety to choose from I think is amazing. There was a table of some kind going around on the internet recently comparing the first like 20 lines of the Odyssey from four major translations and while a lot of it was mean-spirited I also really liked it as a tool for seeing all the variety that the translations produced in such a short span of lines. Some were really literal, some were more loose and poetic, I think one rhymed, the line lengths varied incredibly… it was a fantastic little snapshot into what each translator was grappling with.
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Happy 10 year anniversary! And good luck with grad school. it's comforting to see a fellow humanities major completely unbothered by job prospects. I get raised eyebrows whenever I say the words "English major", which is so irritating. learning for the sake of learning has gotta be good for the soul.
moving across the country is scary stuff! you're braver than me. I hope you have/had a great time at Italian Restaurant:)
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Oh I get that all the time too. If "I'm majoring in classics" doesn't get confusion it gets "so…. what are you going to do with that?" I can't really blame them, it's fair lol! I wouldn't say I'm completely unbothered about career prospects post-degree; as I mentioned, positions that would let me actually use all the specialized training I'll be doing, and the work I really like to do (translation, research, archiving, all that fun stuff), are few and far between. But I also am optimistic about the practical elements of any humanities degree for a wide range of occupations! My parents both work in a college English department and they are well-primed to explain how many applications an undergrad degree in literature has. I think it's still very possible to find a career that is fulfilling and makes good use of your training. Being a good writer and critical thinker will get you really far in life as far as I'm concerned.
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I’m back! Hey all! I’m Claaws, if you were ever on kyndom you probably recognize the name haha. Gosh, I don’t even remember when I was active from. Like,, 2014? 2015? To probably around 2018? Wow, it’s been awhile. 7 years. That’s a long time. Was that my bones creaking?
Anyways, I’m always so happy to see how much the cb has grown since we were on it. It always makes me so happy to see you all free to talk about your authentic selves. The cb was my safe space growing up, and I’m glad it can still be others too.
On to life updates! I have graduated with a bachelors in poli sci! I majored in political science, minored in philosophy, and got a fancy certification for LGBTQIA+ studies. No more school (woo!) although my life is still on hold at the moment. I am still very sick, I have collected several diagnoses (I could be a Pokémon trainer at this point) but they’re still running tests and doing labs and I see between 4-10 different doctors a week, it’s getting to the point of medical burnout. I’ve had two major surgeries in the past year, with only one major complication that will hopefully get fixed in the next couple months. I have at least one more surgery for this year, and it’s looking like I might have to do one or two more depending on what they find in some of the new tests they’re running. I would list my diagnoses cause it’s interesting and I know y’all are curious but it would legit take up an entire page so we’ll just say it’s mostly autoimmune, some nervous system disorders, lots of musculoskeletal stuff, a sprinkling of some genetic conditions I’ve had since I was little and just recently got diagnosed, and all the gi issues. It’s been a chaotic year even besides the medical stuff, I had a very scary situation involving some pretty intense ableism from some roommates that ended up making me houseless for 3 months, and then had an absolutely epic breakup with my ex on Christmas Eve because her family tried to kick me out over my ‘disability making people uncomfortable’ and some other fun ableist things, and she agreed so that was that. On the bright side those two situations caused me to get an OCD and partial DID/OSDD 1a diagnosis, so at least now I can start receiving treatment for those. I’m doing better now, I’m in stable ada housing (without roommates) and have mainly been isolating (friends don’t tend to stick around when you suddenly become more disabled than your grandma) which is probably the best course of action for me at the moment, it’s honestly been great for my mental health and what I needed. I am still too disabled to work enough to support myself, and I probably always will be. But you know what, that’s ok! We all have our own journeys and maybe mine wasn’t what I thought it was going to be (curse that degree I will never use), but I’ve been trying to make the best of the cards that were handed to me and find my footing. Hopefully this year I’ll make some new friends and find some new opportunities that are doable for me and I’ll have a more positive update for y’all next year 🙂
Wow that was longer than I thought it was going to be! If you’ve gotten this far, thank you for reading! Hope everyone’s year has been a little less chaotic and life altering than mine has XD
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Hi Claaws!!
Wow you're 22! I wasn't active at the same time as you, but I've read a lot of your posts (posts on CB never die lol). Congrads on graduating! I'm very sorry to hear about the ableist things people have said. You are very inspiring, strong, and positive. I have OCD too, but I haven't received any treatment yet. I hope you can get to a place in life where you have friends that support you no matter what. Friends that are mean because of any sort of disability of diference are not real friends. Thanks for dropping by! If you ever just want to randomly post, we'd love to hear from you!
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Hey Piano Man! Yeah, 22! So old ;-; (my body sure thinks so at least haha). Aw man, I was so incredibly chaotic when I was active on here I can't look back at my posts without cringing lol. It's ok, it is what it is and I am out of all of those situations now. And now I have the space to find and build connections with new people 🙂 Thank you, it's been hard and I've had a lot of 'why me' moments but I've radically accepted it and I'm learning to navigate around my disability. Things won't ever be the same, but now there's fun new things and a whole new community I have unlocked and maybe this will end up being the better path anyways. Aw OCD twins! Honestly I'm not sure why it took me so long to notice it and get diagnosed, I literally worked in mental health *with* people with smi like ocd before I got too sick. I'm supposed to start an OCD intensive outpatient at some point, but honestly I think that would be a bit too much right now with all of my other doctor appointments so it is on the side table. It's more manageable now that I am in an environment I have complete control over, so it isn't as pressing of an issue as it was like a month ago. If you ever want someone to talk to about OCD I'm definitely here for that! Thanks for replying! :p
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Hey Claaws! Wow its so cool to hear from old CBers – I think I remember reading posts from you in Kyngdom from way back then. Congrats on graduating highschool! And I hope things get better for you health-wise and friend-wise. Happy Valentines Day!
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Thank you 🙂 Happy Valentine's Day! I love your username by the way!
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Hi Claaws! I think we only had a little bit of overlap in terms of when we were active, but I always admitted you.
Congrats on getting your degree! even if you aren't using it as you hoped. polysci and philosophy is a fascinating (and brilliant!) combo. I'm not gonna go off with the "you're so brave!" tirade I'm sure you've heard a million times, but genuinely, you're tough as nails for getting through everything you've described. I'm so glad you're safely housed now and I hope your year continues to look up 🙂
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Aw thank you 🙂 Honestly the minor in philosophy was just a coincidence, I took several classes freshmen year thinking they were poli sci credits and they ended up being philosophy ones instead (even though they were very much about politics and political ideologies which is a class of credits you need for the degree) and so I had basically half of the minor credits already and I was like well may as well take the extra few classes and get the minor as well haha. I'm just very educated on the way the state of the world is going now (unfortunately). Aw I hope it continues to look up too! Thanks for commenting, it's nice to hear from you!
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Hey, everybody! I'm Catsquill, AKA Sabrina, she/her pronouns. I just got into college and i'm slowly preparing myself for it! it's been so long since i've been on this site lol.
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Hi Sabrina!! what have you been up to as a senior?
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Hi Catsquill, welcome back!! Your name sounds really familiar; I love your name too 😀 Good luck with college <3
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Summer here! (Wait… no, it's still winter, isn't it? Unless you're in the southern hemisphere… hm…)
With regards to me personally, I now attend university in Canada! It's great. My major is in cognitive science, and I'm also in the process of learning French. I highly recommend it here– the poutine is out of this world!
And with that out of the way, I'd like to shout out to… Amethyst, Hawkstar, celestial_mango, Luna-Starr, CelineBurning Bright, Hex, Poinsettia, Sybill, Moon Wolf, Kitten, InkTea, Writing_in_the_Dark, ZetaLupi, Amity, Juniper, WildWolf, Sempreverde, Jaybells, Tealeaf, St. Owl, Claaws, and all others who're just lurking on this thread for the moment! (Wish I knew your names.) There's a sense in which the CB sort of stays the same through the years (which I'm beyond grateful for; I loved this place back in 2019-2021 and I'm glad it still exists in limbo like that), but it also changes with every person who joins and adds something new. So if the CB is anything like what it used to be, it's because you all (plus the wonderful admins) kept it that way. And my brief glance over the sections just now suggests it's not only just like old times– it's so much more. Thanks for keeping it sweet and supportive for each other.
@Luna-Starr, you're reading Tress of the Emerald Sea?! I've been meaning to read it; should I? I'm halfway through the Stormlight Archive and really enjoying it so far, but I just don't have much time these days.
@Kitten, great to see you on here! I know we chat a lot but I was happy to glimpse your name anyways 🙂
@Sybill, health science sounds fun (but super busy). It's great to hear you've been doing well! I fondly remember many RPs when you would get the plot up and moving.
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Hi Summer! Aw, I'm touched you remember all that. I think I recall us both being in the sci-fi RP? I think I started that thread? I honestly barely remember at this point. Sometimes I go back to find the old roleplays I was part of and reread them. There was a superhero roleplay that still holds a place in my heart. Sometimes when I'm lacking inspiration I steal old characters and plotlines I started in RPs here and on Kyngdom, lol.
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Summer! It's fun to see your name here – it hits different to see it in that classic CB font with the age field and so on, you know? I love your musings about the CB; it truly is such a special place, and it's fun to see the ways in which it changes while still remaining the same in so many ways.
Imagine being in Canada. Couldn't be me.
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School? in Canada?? hello?? that's the coolest thing I've ever heard. I've never been out of the country before — I couldn't imagine going to college across a border.
Tress was lovely! impeccable vibes, great pirate story, excellent pacing. personally I didn't love how it was told from the POV of a side character — I didn't think it added that much to the narrative — but that's just me, I'd still highly recommend.
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Thank you! Shoutout to you too >:D I think I've seen some of your old posts, but I can't be sure…? Anyway, thank you for contributing to the CB too, and it's great to meet you.
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Hi Summer, welcome back!! I love your name 🙂 And ahh I've been meaning to read Tress, too!! I read book one of the Stormlight Archive and LOVED IT—definitely one of my top two favorite books of last year—but don't have the time to keep reading :/ Hex loves SA too :DD Canada sounds awesome! It's so prettyy there~ good luck with university, that sounds so cool!! And yes, CB culture is so interesting :0 I love the way you put it!
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Hey everyone!
I'm Piano Man! I went by a different name when I first joined CB.
How is everyone? I've been on here for almost 5 years, and this reunion is something I look forward to every year. I have been a little less active on Chatterbox lately. I am a freshman in high school. I like to read, sketch, code, sing, play piano (duh), be in musicals, and be on CB!
Thanks to Amethyst for making this thread, to all of you for commenting on it, and to the Admins for maintaning this place for over 15 years!
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Hello, everyone! I'm Viola?, she/her. I think I was active on the CB from 2017-2020 or so? If you remember me, it's probably for my drawings.
Life updates: I'm in college! I'm an English major and Visual Arts minor. Right now I'm mostly working on a big paper about Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and learning circus skills and screen printing. I also directed and acted in a production of Twelfth Night which went up last week. It was really time-consuming and kinda stressful, but pretty nice in the end. My cast is full of such interesting people. I also acquired a boyfriend about a year and a half ago (he got me chocolate and flowers for Valentine's <3) and my twin came out as trans almost two years ago so now I have a sister!! I'm still not over it. I used to wonder what it would be like to have a sister and then I GOT ONE. She's so cool you guys. Anyway yeah, nice to see some familiar old names and some new ones! What are your favorite flowers? I've been very excited about snowdrops lately.-
Viola! I still have fond memories of your drawings. It's so cool that you're entrenched in Twelfth Night – don't you share a name with one of the characters?
Circus skills? ooooo. What kinds of things have you been learning?
I'm partial to hydrangeas, since they're my mom's favorite flower.
(Side note – thank you so much to the Admins for reviewing so many reunion comments in short succession! I really appreciate all the work you do.)
You're very welcome. We just love hearing from all of you!
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hey, English major buddies! Twelfth Night sounds like a blast, I was in Comedy of Errors a few years ago and it was one of my favorite theater experiences. who did you play?
In terms of prettiness my favorite flower is a purple crocus, but I'm sentimental about marigolds because I used to grow them in little hand-painted pots at my windowsill.
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Hi Viola?! One of my cousins runs a theater down in Arizona and it sounds so stressful but also so much fun. Also, twin twins? Ironically both my twin and I ended up being gender diverse in some way lol.
Right now I've been really into carnations. Whenever I have white carnations I like to put a few drops of food dye into the water of their vase so the petals change colors.
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Yep, sure enough, I've seen your drawings, and I'm very much a fan! Woo, Twelfth Night is so good; congrats for participating in that. What part did you act? For favorite flowers, I like violets and hyacinths, with daffodils and spring flowers in general enjoying immense popularity.
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Hi, Viola?!! You feel so iconic to me, it's a pleasure to meet you 😀 I think you drew the confetti fairy…? I can probably go dig it up later, but I remember loving that 😀 And I think I've seen your other picturings around too, and your art is amazing!! Welcome back to the CB 😀 And hm, flowers? I honestly just love any flowers. There are specific ones that I think are so pretty but I don't remember their names lol. Snowdrops are really pretty!! I also love their name~
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Hey, y'all! I'm Thunder, formerly Emekittycon Kitten, but y'all can call me Em. Pronouns are she/her, and I have a maybe-bf. Hope y'all are doin' well! 🙂
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I’m Blackfooted Bobcat (but might change that, probably to bottled_haze, but possibly withered_rose_thorns or something else, idk). I never know what to put for pronouns – there are various neopronouns i like, if i ever got brave enough to post them or fully decide on any i liked, but i don't really like any "normal" pronouns. irl i go by he/they. It doesn’t really matter though, nobody uses them. I’ve been on here for a long time. Idk how long though. I don't ever want to leave.
I play violin and viola and fully intend to go to college for them and hopefully get a job as a musician. is there a chance for that? probably not but eh. That’s pretty much my life. That being said I have a lot of health issues which have been interfering, which is annoying because that’s the main thing i had still been able to do (which doesn't make sense in any way but *shrugs*). The worst part as of late is that I am sick nearly constantly. I’m getting monthly ivs that help though, so i’ve been able to practice a bit more, but still haven’t gotten the habit back to where it was, and also i currently have something also (somehow my toe got infected and now it's more of the foot and i'm really bleugh and tired). I’m waiting for when i get the magical skill of being able to work through being really tired that i often hear others describing.
My favorite composers are probably Bach and Tchaikovsky, which I love because they have the exact opposite critical reputations, where Bach is perfect technically but not particularly emotional. (i don’t know where that one came from – St. John Passion, anyone??? Violin partitas??? Pretty much any work he’s written tbh? But it seems to be not that uncommon of a description.) I feel like I need to have a shout-out here to Rebecca Clarke’s Viola Sonata, the first movement of which I have been stuck on for months bc i haven’t been able to practice but still deeply love and have since I first listened to it. I should be able to move on pretty soon, though. Which is great because it’s really not that hard i just haven’t been practicing. It’s super fun to play though.
I’m also incredibly obsessed with ballet. I don’t dance, but I love it. I also like marine biology but especially sharks and sea jellies and the deep sea (especially the deep sea floor, hence transient_whale_fall being a considered name) and tea and gardening/herbs. I sound like i have more interests than i do when i write it out like that. Pretty much my life is ballet and music and sometimes i hyperfixate on the other things a bit. Oh, but i also write. I’ve been trying to get more written on various things, including poetry, but i’m really bad at actually finishing things. Also music, which I really need to get into more and learn more of the rules and such. I also love ghosts and vampires.
this is a very convoluted and poorly-written description of myself. it's not wrong though.
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Hey guys! It's me, Luna Silvermoon! I was around here from 2019 all the way to last summer. I took a hiatus from here because I was constantly busy. It's great to be back for this. Some things about me: My pronouns are They/She( I think that I announced that last time I was here) and I am Omnis*xual! I'm also Ace now I think. I really missed this wonderful community, but I felt like I wasn't making enough effort here,hence my hiatus.
Anyways, I love y'all! Glad to be back!
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Heeeey Luna!
Missed, you!
I was originally Reuby Moonnight (and then GloomyBear, but I changed…again)
How have you been??
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Hey!! Oh wow, nice to see you again! I've been well, you? Another thing I'd like to add really quick is that for about two months I went by the name of Spring Calamity.
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I've been okay. Not doing too well with all the snow where i am though.
Ooohhh, that's a nice name! Very pretty.
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Luna Silvermoon, hello!!! It's good to read you again 🙂 How've you been?
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Hey all, I'm Periwinkle, or Peri. I joined in January 2021 and, while I guess I could still be considered a current CBer, I'm no longer as active. But I still cherish my memories from here and this place will always be very special to me <3 I was probably best known on here for Make a Friend, my AEs, and my ski lodge (which is still unfinished ackkk)
Let's see, uh, life… well, I started high school and I've been doing some pretty cool music stuff. I did cross country and I'm in the school musical, and I'm taking a graphic design class, which I love. I also got into the school honors choir and I get to sing in that next year!I've been working on some creative stuff (and I do plan to finish my ski lodge! Someday…) and I'm still really into writing about my AEs. Writing (who I'm close with) is kind enough to humor me and my obsession with them.I guess that's about it. Feel free to say hi to me; I'll make sure to check this thread for the next few days. I miss everyone <3-
Peri, there you are. my AE is somewhere at the very last page on art posting thread…….. Yes, she can be used for your ski louge and can befriend your AEs if that is still what you want! this was your most recent thing so i just told you here.
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Hey Magic, sorry I didn't respond to that I completely forgot but I'd still love to rp with you sometime!!
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It's Okaayy!!!!!!! i should have just had Writing text you……… BUT THERE YOU ARE!!!!!!!!!! :3 my evil plan which isnt that evil shall……..shall….. idk . anyway, HOORAY!!!!!! Also i am taking commisions if you want one but i'm not forcing you, just if you want. <3 oh and the title is "Hey Everybuggy!" on the "Chirp at Cricket section…… btw it's so nice to see you! this isnt realated but thank you for being such a good friend to Writing. you will forever be cherised!
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Hey Peri <3 I miss you too. Honestly, I think what you're most known for on here is being super sweet and creative and friendly to everyone, which is so amazing. Hope to see you around a bit more, though no pressure ofc <3
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