It feels like only yesterday that I started More to the Story.

And yet, so soon, it’s come to an end.

I started More to the Story with the intention of examining some of the biggest topics of conversation and most controversial debates, as well as some things we fail to think about as often as we should, from a more unique and nuanced perspective. A way of looking at things, if you will, that acknowledged that maybe all we’ve heard isn’t everything there is to hear.

And while I knew that there would be some unknowns and abstracts and uncertainties that I would explore, I don’t think I expected nearly as many perhapses and ifs and maybes as I wrote these last few months. Nor did I foresee being so speculative or needing to demarcate my opinion from fact.

Another thing that really stuck out to me: the influence of media consumption.

I think the bulk of my articles, a good 70-80%, were inspired by some sort of media, whether it was the books I was reading, reels I was watching, or whatever other form of content I was consuming. And I think that, more than anything, highlighted to me the influence of our surroundings and what we see and read and listen and watch in our day-to-day thoughts and musings.

Because, in addition to traditional forms of media inspiring my articles, I also saw – multiple times – conversations we had in class or topics and units we were currently exploring spill over into my writing and inspiring an article or a topic of discussion.

More to the Story was a unique, much-needed experience for me. After a year and a half of writing International Insight, I finally had the chance to explore a more casual style of writing but still got to stick to topics and issues that mattered to me. And I will forever be grateful for that opportunity and that experience.

It feels so strange that this is my last More to the Story article – just four months from my first one. And yet, this chapter of my story has now drawn to a close. 

I wonder what More the next chapter will add to my Story.