This Is Personal.
There's a human behind this computer screen. And she's telling her story.
This is mainly a test post. But if you happen to stumble upon it, this will soon be the home of a newsletter where I share personal opinions and insights, experiences, and stories, plus pictures, videos, and other media documenting my life and my experiences, and my opinions/perspectives on our world.
In this newsletter, I’ll take you inside a day, a week, a month, and a year in the life of RVAwonk — or as most of my friends and family call me, Caroline. Believe it or not, I have a life outside of studying and writing about online influence and extremism. And I had a life before this, too, when I was a graduate student and worked as a journalist, and before that, as a personal trainer and Pilates instructor. Maybe I’ll even provide occasional tips and guidance on fitness and nutrition since I have a lot to offer, and perhaps I’ll take you through my journey as I return to my roots as a distance runner. Mostly, I’ll introduce you to the human side of me that some people forget exists when they interact with me online. It’s not always easy to have a public profile, especially as a woman, and even more so as a woman who studies and writes about controversial topics. There are a lot of misconceptions about me swirling around social media, many of which are the result of targeted smear campaigns aimed at demonizing and delegitimizing me, and ultimately ruining my reputation and career. The harassment is constant, and at times, it’s extremely personal. It hurts. It hits hard sometimes, and it has triggered more than one PTSD episode in the last couple of years. It has made me censor myself when I shouldn’t have, and it has made me second-guess myself when I was right.
You may see a computer screen when you interact with me, but there’s a human on the other side of it. A person with feelings. A mother. A wife. A daughter. A survivor of violence. A woman with PTSD. An athlete. A scholar. A friend. A medical miracle. A southern girl at heart. A writer. A photographer. An old soul. Sometimes, an aching soul. Always a hopeful soul.
That’s who you’ll meet here. And I look forward to meeting the human side of all of you, too.
I will be checking out your posts frequently Caroline.
I am glad you are doing a "personal" Substack along with your "professional" one.
It's easy to forget to have interests and activities away from the political fray - especially in existential times like this.
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Hi Caroline, I’m glad to learn a little bit about you. Thank you for sharing that person who is inside of you that’s had a lot of hurt and loving magic occur in your life. I have two! I look forward to reading your writings on your Substack here.
You are a new name and person now to me since only tonight did I read you on Twitter. Heather Cox Richardson referred to your Twitter post in her Substack tonight I love history and often look at Heather’s Footnotes which is where I found your name!
Hi, too, am a Southern person. Grew up near the coast of Virginia, and named after an ancestor… Robert E Lee ~ my friends say ‘we won’t tell.‘ I too, am a medical miracle… Should’ve died from a brain tumor, the size of a grapefruit, but the neurosurgeons worked for eight hours on me, and here I am! Yes, we got to do our work and discover who we really are… yes, it is ongoing.