The Tattoo I Wasn’t Supposed to Read
Hot yoga, a stranger’s tattoo in a place she could never see, and a quote that landed exactly when I needed it. On Godwinks, the ripple effect, and the quiet…
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Sober-Minded Living: What I’ve Learned Since Alcohol Left the Building
I stopped drinking in the Fall of 2024. This is not a recovery post. It’s about what actually showed up once the noise cleared and what I wish someone had…
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The Eternal Knot: A Story About Beauty, Mongolia, and Finally Seeing Yourself
Two tattoos. Two very different women. Same body. A reflection on where we place our beauty, and who we’re placing it for.
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From Dark Places to Joy: Embracing Change and Support
A dream about a motorcycle showed me exactly what white-knuckling looks like. On the grip, the grind, and what happens when you finally find the start button.
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Overcoming Life’s SNAGS: A Journey Through Obstacles
On the stubborn, immovable, take-up-the-whole-road kind of obstacle. Iris Derke on SNAGS, what they teach us, and how to navigate around them without losing your mind.
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Navigating Life Lessons on a NYC Subway
A stranger named Brendan on a Brooklyn subway platform said exactly the right thing at exactly the right moment. On NYC connections, Mercury in retrograde, and the people who show…
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The NYC Lockout Adventure: Grace, Humor & Feline
Locked out of her own NYC apartment after a long day, with a cat watching from the other side of the door. A story about grace, humor, and the particular…
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Embracing Contradictions: Yoga and City Life
Finding stillness in a very hot room in a very loud city. On yoga, contradiction, and the particular peace of sweating in a small studio under a New York City…
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Saudade: The Power of Sober Clarity
Iris Derke and her sober sisters went searching for a word that captures the bittersweet ache of time, clarity, and things seen too late. They found it in Portuguese: saudade.
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Iris DERKE 