who the hell is this Karen?
I’m a 30-something San Francisco native who currently works in communications in the public sector and is in leadership for a couple of young professionals volunteer organizations. I love SF sports, hanging out in bars, live productions, astrology, and memes.
what’s the deal with this Substack?
I originally started this Substack with the title Track 5 (Karen’s Version) as a coping mechanism after an ex-boyfriend suddenly broke up with me over text message in February 2023. I’m a Swiftie, so the title of the Substack is a reference to where Taylor Swift places her most vulnerable tracks on her albums. And Karen’s Version is a nod to the re-recordings of her older albums. It originally started as a project in vulnerability, so it made sense!
I relaunched this Substack to match the domain name I registered under (Also my Instagram name, inspired by SNL’s Black Jeopardy skit featuring the late great Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa/Black Panther) to bring more authenticity to my online presence, and because I missed my old days of truly connecting with an audience through personal essays, entertainment reviews, and other long-form content. Blogging about my life and the world around me is something that has given me joy and purpose for decades, and I want to return to that because eventually, I’d love to write at least one book.
Expect words on everything that touches my life and possibly yours: dating and relationships, friendly connection, being very online, giving back to the community, the San Francisco city life, the travels to other cities, growing in my career, adulting, mental health, my sports obsession, how my past continues to shape who I am today, and more!
I may be a little bit vulgar and sarcastic and although I strive to be real and honest in all things, I still have boundaries and will do my best to keep a very healthy level of privacy and safety for my own sake and the sake of people around me.
If we are not already friends IRL or through the World Wide Web, I hope that you can feel a little bit of a friendly spirit through your computer/phone/tablet screen as you read the words that come through here. Look forward to connecting with you!
why should i let you slip into my emails / why should i give you taco money?
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