David from Russia

 People ask me a lot - do you miss Russia? Yes. I do. I wish I could travel and visit my family over there. To see my beautiful city I was born in, Smolensk. I wish I could book a flight right now. But there are some limitations. I am technically viewed as a Russian citizen still. The country is currently at war. My Russian passport is long expired. My ties with US government make it a little tricky. I would love to set foot in Russia knowing I would not be locked up and out in prison for simply being American. If I can have someone guarantee 100% safety, please let me know.

 There’s something magical about a recipe that asks you to dump everything into one pot, walk away, and come back to something that smells like childhood memories and warm hugs. This Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings is my go-to when I need comfort, calm, and carbs — preferably all at once. I started making this dish during one of those weeks when everything was going wrong. You know the type: bad sleep, inbox full of passive-aggressive emails, and a fridge that looked like it had been abandoned in a zombie apocalypse. But I had a can of biscuits, some chicken, and a slow cooker — and that’s all I needed to bounce back. 🛒 Ingredients You Probably Already Have 1 onion, chopped 1 1/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 tsp. dried oregano Kosher salt & black pepper 2 cans of cream of chicken soup (10.5 oz.) 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 4 sprigs fresh thyme 1 bay leaf 2 stalks celery, chopped 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped 1 cup frozen ...

 Happy 4th of July to the United States of America and all my fellow Americans. Whether you agree with the current politics or not, it is time to put that aside and simply enjoy the fact we do have certain freedoms here that we take for granted. I wish all of you have an amazing day and enjoy times with your family and friends.

 Let me be blunt. It’s 2025. We’ve got high-speed internet, encrypted VPNs, cloud platforms, remote monitoring, ticketing systems, and full-blown virtual infrastructure. So why the hell are companies still dragging IT professionals into the office like it’s 1998? Seriously... what is the logic? We’re the people who literally built the remote work systems that kept companies alive during the pandemic. We maintain servers, patch security holes, deploy updates, respond to incidents, automate backups, and monitor uptime...all from a terminal. I can reboot your domain controller from my couch in 12 seconds flat while drinking bad coffee and wearing sweatpants. The only reason I should be commuting is if a data center is on fire. But no. Corporate America wants warm bodies in office chairs. They want to “see” you working. Never mind the fact that we’re more productive at home, with fewer distractions and zero soul-crushing traffic. Never mind the hours saved on commuting that we often r...

The sun’s out. The air feels lighter. And for the first time in a while, I’m letting myself just breathe. There’s so much shit happening in the world right now. War, hate, lies, greed. Everyone’s yelling over each other, nobody’s really listening. We scroll and scroll and scroll through outrage like it's fuel. And honestly? I’m tired. I’m tired of negative people. Tired of drama. Tired of the bad energy. We need more peace. More love. More real human connection. COVID didn’t just isolate us physically, it screwed with our ability to talk, to care, to slow down. Somewhere in the chaos, we forgot how to just be kind. How to sit in silence with someone and feel okay. How to not be afraid of being vulnerable or honest. So today, I’m choosing a better vibe. No more feeding the noise. I'm putting good out there, even if it’s small. Even if it’s just a smile or holding the door or saying, “Hey, I’m glad you’re here.” Because today is a good day and I want more of those.

We live in a world that moves too fast. Everyone’s busy proving something, running toward something, or running away from something. Somewhere along the way, we forgot how to love. Not just romantic love, but love for others, love for ourselves, love for stillness, love for the small, quiet things that keep us human. I’m realizing that a lot of healing starts when we stop trying to win and just start trying to care again. About people. About moments. About life. Loving isn’t weakness. It's what holds us together. We all need to take a step back and learn how to love again.