9. Wanting to talk about your concerns but not alienate your friends who aren’t people of color.
After each strange experience, I felt the urge to text my friends and tell them what happened. Even though they’re evolved people who Get It, I would hesitate because I didn’t want to seem like I was overreacting. A phrase like, “People stared at me a lot” is incapable of capturing how after a certain point, it truly starts to feel like you’re a creature in a zoo. Luckily, my friends (both women of color and not) are awesome, and the ones I spoke to sent me emoji-filled responses that instantly boosted my mood.