Olivia Petras
Bio
I live in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and spend many days exploring this beautiful province & reminiscing about past experiences. I owe my love of writing to homeschooled days on the farm, where I wrote lots and just got to be a kid.
Stories (8/0)
When a Store becomes Family, and a Community becomes Home
When you become an adult, spreading your wings can be one of the most rewarding things- but it's also amongst the most frightening. After finishing University, I was ready for the next step, and so I moved three provinces away, raring for a challenge. Although I quickly became enamored with the beauty and adventure in this new place, I was still missing something. I was missing the feeling of home- that feeling of contentment when you step into your favourite coffee shop; the amount of comfort you feel when you turn the key in your lock at the end of the day.
By Olivia Petras4 years ago in Journal
Finding Magic in Food in a Time of Fear (Part Three)
I'm perched in my lawnchair, carefully watching over my beloved souvlaki on the grill. It is a beautiful, sunny- albeit slightly chilly- Sunday afternoon. Not unlike so many Easters before, although, the loneliness of this one stands starkly on its own. The slightly charred, lemony scent reminds me of all those Easters spent in grandma and grandpa's backyard, Papa standing over the grill for hours as we delivered plate after plate of meat to be cooked. He stood there with a stoic seriousness on his face, every flip done with intent and precision, every plate handed back with pride.
By Olivia Petras4 years ago in Feast
Finding Magic in Food in a Time of Fear (Part Two)
There are certain foods that you cannot imagine life without. Maybe it’s your mother’s chicken noodle soup, which always makes you feel a bit better. Or a chocolate chip cookie recipe that brings you up, when you feel at your worst. Or your grandma’s mashed potatoes- mashed just the right way- that, try as you might, you have never been able to fully perfect.
By Olivia Petras4 years ago in Feast
Finding Magic in Food in a Time of Fear (Part One)
There’s not much magic in meal prepping. On any given Sunday- for the last five years or so- I would rush to the grocery store, hustling through the aisles with a fierce determination. Once home, I would proceed to cook food in mass amounts to get me through the week. Don’t get me wrong, this process has been a necessity for me in terms of staying healthy and saving money but, I struggle to find magic in tupperware and dry chicken breast.
By Olivia Petras4 years ago in Feast
Happy Birthday... or Not
Birthdays are akin to a double-edged sword- they can be either wonderful or awful. But, there really is no escaping them. Some people cherish this day, and make it a grand celebration. But for others, it becomes more and more dreaded as the weeks pass by and it gets closer. Chances are- dependent on the year- you’ve had a combination of the two, or perhaps your celebrations tend to fall somewhere in the middle. For me, it has always been an existential day. No doubt, this has to do with the fact that my birthday falls very close to the end of the year and so, the start of another. I tend to look back on the year that was with an even bigger magnifying lens. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that with every passing year, the pressure that builds becomes greater and more combustible. Well, you still haven't accomplished this… or that…
By Olivia Petras4 years ago in Humans
A Personal Tale of "Millennial Depression"
Growing up, I was a kid who craved attention. Looking back now, as a 26-year-old millennial battling mental illness, I seek to peel back the layers and delve into the question of, “why?” It is indeed an important question to ask, as my seemingly constant need for validation is a large part of the personal struggles I fight daily.
By Olivia Petras5 years ago in Psyche
Dear Old Dad
You gave me quite the scare, there. It’s not your fault, I know. I wasn’t expecting it- and that’s the real issue, I guess. Nobody ever is- or maybe they are, but are we ever truly prepared for the bad news? That trembling voice on the other end of the line, that shocking conversation that leaves you speechless? I don’t think we are. I’m certainly not. I remember when you called me and told me grandpa had passed. It made me hate my phone, made me not want to touch it. This was a close second. I now look at it with trepidation.
By Olivia Petras6 years ago in Families
