Diary of a Soul

There’s no finish line in the war on anxiety—just awkward truces, rogue gummies, and the occasional poem read to a crowd of Dutch wedding guests. In the season finale, I retrace the long, winding road I’ve taken with anxiety: how it shaped my identity, my vices, my voice… and ultimately, my podcast. We cover childhood teasing, alcohol as a confidence prop, therapy breakthroughs, box breathing, rel...

What does home mean when you’ve lived in more than one language? When the version of yourself you were taught to be doesn’t survive every border crossing? In this episode of Diary of a Soul, I sit down with my friend Emil to talk about living a life in translation—linguistically, emotionally, and culturally. We explore what it means to build a queer life across countries, how HIV has shaped vulner...

What happens when your body refuses to play by capitalism’s rules? In this episode, I sit down with my friend Kelley to talk chronic illness and choosing a life outside the default settings. From autoimmune diagnoses to the quiet rebellion of doing nothing, it’s a conversation that explores what healing really looks like when it’s not linear, not cute, and not optimized for performance.

What does it take to walk away from something that once felt like comfort and face yourself with nothing to hide behind? In this chapter, Tim shares what it really took to get sober. From early memories of drinking, to the slow unraveling, to the moment everything shifted—this is a story of loss, resilience, and radical self-respect. If you love a good story of becoming, this one’s for you.

When Amber stepped off the path to a PhD and into a house shared with her parents, grandparents, husband, kids, a cat, and three dogs, she didn’t just change her address—she rewrote the story of what a meaningful life could look like. In this episode, we talk about the chaos and beauty of multigenerational living, the quiet grief of miscarriage, the transformation of motherhood, and the power of c...

What happens when everything falls apart and you drink a sacred Amazonian brew to find yourself again? In this first chapter of Diary of a Soul, Alvin sits down with his friend Shirley to explore their parallel ayahuasca journeys: what led them there, what they experienced, and how they’ve changed since. This is a chapter about grief, growth, and the messy magic of healing. Whether you’re curious...

Welcome to Diary of a Soul—a podcast where personal meets universal. I’m your host, Alvin, and in each episode, we’ll sit with the stories that shape us, life as it is: raw, funny, painful, powerful. From transformative journeys to the quiet moments that still echo, this is your invitation to listen in & reflect.