About Me

Hi! I'm Carina.

I'm a 22-year-old graduate of Wesleyan University in Connecticut, and I majored in psychology, with a concentration in cultural psych and emotions. I wrote a thesis last year on Palestinian refugees and emotions, specifically the emotions humiliation, pride, and hope. I interviewed a variety of people, individuals who were born before '48, before '67, and recently. I met with refugees in a camp in the West Bank, and a camp in the south of Lebanon, and compared the results--essentially studying one diaspora in different locations. It was a daunting task, but very rewarding, despite my troubles in Israel! If you're interested in reading my thesis, please don't hesitate to email me at cckurban@gmail.com.

I come from a very mixed background--my mom is Italian-American, and my dad is Lebanese-Palestinian Chinese-Trinidadian. And of course, something all these cultures have in common is delicious food! I have a huge awesome family that loves to cook and eat and drink and I love them more than anything in the world.

I love: my family & friends (#generic), playing piano, gaming, traveling, languages, Incubus, cooking, baking, sketching, Calvin & Hobbes, Nabokov, Peanuts (particularly Snoopy and Lucy van Pelt), sarcasm, laziness, hookah, traveling, making constant references to my being Arab, eggplant, making every savory dish spicy, practicing Arabic calligraphy during class, perfecting my smoke rings, etc.

Five years ago, I was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. I was way below a healthy weight, and none of the things above mattered to me. I couldn't even walk up a flight of stairs without falling over, and I'd black out for minutes in the middle of class. I thought it was possible to live off of 100 calories of broth a day and then exercise until 3 AM in my room.

But with the help of my family (especially my parents), friends, and a great team of doctors and therapists, I regained the weight I lost, and was introduced to the recovery mindset. Every day is still a struggle, as it is with most illnesses, but I hope to feel good more days than not.

This blog is a way for me to try and convert the energy that preserves my eating disorder into positivity. 

Now, I'm not the super-zen type that thinks everything is awesome all the time. I'm very sarcastic, and I'm a realist, which some people view as pessimism. My view on recovery is sometimes pretty bleak. But I do know a few things for sure:

I have an awesome family. A large Italian-American family (not all cousins pictured).

And a large Arab-Asian-Caribbean family.

I love to play piano.

And game.

And sketch.

And travel.

Galapagos Islands, 2007

Anyway, my hope is that this blog will help me fight ana on days where I don't particularly feel like it. And for sharing delicious recipes and crafts with you all, of course!

So thanks for stopping by! Enjoy the blog.

-Carina