I think there will be a point in everyone’s life where they will realize how unfulfilling the world is. Once you discover that something is missing, you must go out. Over time, you must abandon the life you had in pursuance of the life you want or feel called to live.

At first it was just a hobby. But that summer, while I was home with more free time, I began investing in it. I cleaned up the design, bought the domain acaffeinatedcatholic.com, and started writing more regularly, sharing posts on my personal Instagram and sending people to the full version on my website.

I’ve always loved stories. From fairy tales and folktales to sci-fi and fantasy novels, I’d read anything I could get my hands on growing up. There were Catholic books in the mix, too—Bible stories and lives of the saints. But for a long time, I thought all the best stories had nothing to do with God.