So I met Thomas Jefferson the other day. 

Not literally — literally, he was a costumed interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg. But in my heart, in my imagination, in my mind, it felt like I was really, truly meeting Jefferson, writer of the Declaration of Independence, defeater of pirates, drafter of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom... and subject of my original song, "Jefferson."

It is a happy talent to know how to play...

But in order to play safely (and without having your time usurped by people you don't like) in this world, especially as a woman, you need to be good at assertiveness and boundary-setting. That is something I'm good at — and it's the reason I've able to been spend literally years abroad as a solo, female traveler.

Lately, it's also the reason I've been able to spend the last 13 months on the road as a solo, female RVer. 

Let me tell you a 100% true story that is going to feel so contrived, you'd scoff if it were fiction. 

​It's about a stalker named Anthony. 

#VanLife is in the news this week, for all the wrong reasons — a beautiful, vibrant 22-year-old woman is dead, murdered by her fiance. Body cam footage of a recent police encounter shows a terrified, distraught female and a calm, charismatic male discussing their domestic issues with police. 

Life isn't fair.

Most of us have known this since we were children. Life isn't fair — and that's just so unfair.

One example of life not being fair that's come up a few times, lately, is the fact that flirting with women is harder for people with autism or who are otherwise neurodivergent. ​

In a perfect world, a girl could pass out completely naked on a fraternity floor and no one would touch her. 

However, we do not live in a perfect world. We live in a world where girls and women have always been told not to go anywhere alone; not to go outside at night; and to keep an eye on each other at parties.

But considering how rape accusations have the power to royally fuck up a boy's or man's life, why aren't we also telling them that they should look out for each other?

I've always been a proponent of trust in relationships — I don't understand why you would date someone if you thought they were going to cheat on you. That's why I write articles like If Your Partner Loves You, They'll Let You Travel.

Maybe I fell victim to the false consensus effect, but I assumed most people would agree.

Until I started RVing full-time.

I know you mean well... but you're making it SO much worse. Image: @TheHappyTalent

During a recent trip to Cape Cod, I put on my swimsuit and frolicked in the gorgeous Provincetown water. The water was surprisingly warm — maybe 68 degrees or more! — and even though the air temp was dropping, the setting sun felt incredible on my body. 

I was completely immersed in this wonderful, magical moment, when my former buddy Glen jerked me from my bliss with an obnoxious question:

​"Aren't you cold?"

A while back, I wrote that there are no bad essay topics — there are only bad essays. 

Similarly, there is no such thing as small talk — only small minds. The good news is, if you're one of those people who "hates small talk" or thinks small talk is "boring" or "meaningless" or "shallow," you are not doomed to be boring and meaningless and shallow. 

"Small talk," like any social skill, is a skill. And this one is really easy to learn.

​All you have to do...