Hi, I'm Melissa.
I started my blog in July 2017 to capture and share my experience volunteering at a refugee camp in Greece, and I named it The Tattered Journal because I planned to jot down notes about the laughing smiles of children, the tears of a mother recalling her long journey to the camp, the determined eyes of a Greek boat captain turned rescuer, or the welcoming greeting at my favorite local restaurant in my journal. By the end of my time in Greece, I expected my journal to be worn and tattered and full of the stories of others intertwined with my own. What I didn't expect was just how much writing helped me process the sadness, the anger, and also the resiliency of the brave and kind people I met in camp.
I continued posting when I returned home to San Francisco because Greece had been a truly life-changing experience for me that prompted self discovery and change, and I realized that writing was an integral and powerful facet of processing my existence.
In May 2018, I decided to take some time off from work to explore - explore the world, explore humanitarian relief efforts, explore what meaning and purpose looks like for me. I'll continue to write in my same tattered journal and share my experiences and thoughts here.
Thanks for reading!