If you’ve come here from the rest of my website, you might notice a shift in tone. The professional pages – my resume, my portfolio, my about section – those show one version of me. The polished, corporate-friendly version designed to get past applicant tracking systems (ATS) and impress hiring managers.

This blog is different.

What this space is really about

This blog is the most unfiltered, authentic version of me. It’s 100% me, not a walking resume or a data point in someone’s ATS. I’m a full human being with experiences, struggles, frustrations, and stories that don’t fit neatly into bullet points on a resume.

I started this blog because I want to matter as more than just my credentials and qualifications and job titles. I want to be heard. I want to leave something behind. Maybe I’ll make a difference to someone reading this, even if it’s just one person who relates to my story. Maybe I won’t. But I’m trying anyway.

This is my legacy – me being completely myself and not some corporate, formal individual.

What to expect

I write about my life experiences – the good, the bad, and the shit I’ve been through. I’m honest about my struggles, my failures, the unfair things that happened to me, and the journey I’m still on.

I occasionally use profanity when it feels authentic to how I’m expressing myself. If that bothers you, this probably isn’t the blog for you.

I’m not trying to be a self-help guru or a LinkedIn influencer. I’m not packaging my experiences into neat lessons with inspiring takeaways. Sometimes there is no lesson. Sometimes things just suck and that’s the end of it.

If reading this makes you think I’m “difficult” or “unprofessional” or gives you some convenient excuse to eliminate me as a candidate – good. I don’t want to work for you or with you anyway. Feel free to move along. This blog is a filter. The right people will understand.

I write for myself first. If you get something out of reading it, that’s a bonus.

When I write (or don’t)

I don’t have a posting schedule. I’m not trying to build an audience or stay consistent for the algorithm. I write when I have something real to say, and I don’t write when I don’t.

Some months I might publish multiple posts. Other months, nothing. Life happens. I have commitments outside this website. I’m not going to churn out mediocre content just to fill space or add more noise to the internet.

Quality matters more to me than quantity. English isn’t my first language, so writing well takes time. I’d rather spend that time crafting something worth reading than rushing to hit some arbitrary publishing deadline.

If you’re looking for regular updates or a content calendar, this isn’t that kind of blog. But if you’re okay with reading honest, thoughtful posts whenever they happen to show up – welcome.

The practical stuff

About me and my writing:

• This blog is written and edited by me, Maryam Ajarrar. All opinions are mine alone and don’t represent anyone else’s views.
• English is not my native language. I chose it as my primary language for writing to broaden my horizons, but my proficiency isn’t perfect. There will be errors or quirky sentence structures. After all, I live in Ontario, an English-speaking province in Canada. So, you might understand why I use English, not French or another language.
• I can’t guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of everything I write here. This blog reflects my subjective experiences and opinions at the time of writing.

About the content:

• I own the copyright to everything I write here unless otherwise noted.
• You’re welcome to link to my posts or quote excerpts with proper attribution. That’s how the internet works.
• Don’t copy entire posts and republish them as your own. That’s plagiarism and also just shitty behavior.
• If I make significant updates to a post, I might keep the original version or replace it entirely. Updated information supersedes previous content.

About your responsibility as a reader:

• You’re visiting this blog of your own free will. I’m not responsible for how you interpret what I write or what you do with that information.
• These are my personal experiences and opinions, not professional advice.

That’s it. No complicated legal jargon. Just a person writing honestly about their life and asking you not to be an asshole about it.

Welcome to the real me.

Last updated: I don’t keep track—I make updates whenever I need to. (Wait, did you just say “Em dash, again!”?).