Irina Gonzalez

Journalist | Editor | Author of the Parenting in Hard Mode newsletter

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May 2018 Writer’s Life: Recovering from surgery isn’t easy [#yearofwriting]

Posted on May 31, 2018February 22, 2019 by Irina Gonzalez

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Last month was rough. I probably worked at about 60% of my capacity, and it certainly showed in my total April 2018 income earned ($2816), which is just over $2k below my goal of $5k a month. That’s really unfortunate, but I kind of figured it would happen since I had surgery in the middle of the month, had to take a week off, and then things didn’t go as well as I hoped with getting back to work. This month, well… it wasn’t all that much better, to be honest.

How much I made: $4040

I was only two weeks out of surgery by the time that May started. Just as the end of April was tough, most of this month was tough as well. I really wasn’t prepared to spend so much time with physical therapy (even though I probably should have been) or so much mental and emotional energy on recovering after major surgery (but, again, I probably should have been). The big thing that saved me this month, though, is that I had a huge social media project to complete, which added an extra $1k to my income.

Other than that, it was the usual combination of my News Editor gig at 21Ninety (which I started just before my surgery, and thankfully was able to return to normally!), writing for HipLatina, and a new regular contributor gig at  Fierce by mitú. Plus I wrote a quick, emotional piece that I am very proud of for Bella Books. All in all, it was a pretty good month despite still only being at like 70% of my overall capacity. Seriously hoping that next month will be EVEN better, though. As they say, little by little…

What was published: 

  • 25 Things I Want To Say To My 25-Year-Old Self Now That I’m Over 30 [Fierce by mitú]
  • Why Brooklyn 99’s Survival Is So Important For Rosa Diaz Fans And Bi Representation On TV [Bella Books]

HipLatina, specifically: 

  • 15 Mexican-Owned Restaurants Across the U.S. to Visit on Cinco de Mayo
  • Acclaimed Author Junot Díaz Faces #MeToo Allegations
  • 10 Tips For Eating Like A Spaniard During Mediterranean Diet Month
  • 10 Reasons You Should Travel to Hawaii in 2018
  • The Whole World Freaked Out to Childish Gambino’s ‘This Is America’ Video
  • Zoe Saldana Is Raising Her Sons in a Gender-Neutral Household And I’m For It
  • Daughter Posts Inspirational Message After 59-Year-Old Immigrant Dad Graduates College
  • Should You Really Try a Meal Kit Delivery? 6 Pros and 4 Cons to Know
  • 15 Memorial Day Dishes to Bring to Any Fiesta
  • How to Begin The Conversation About Money When In A Relationship
  • 17 Latin Grilling Recipes for a Super Delicious Summer

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Irina Gonzalez is a journalist, editor, and sober bisexual Latina mom with ADHD. She is the author of the Parenting in Hard Mode newsletter—for those of us who are raising social justice-minded families and getting real about mental health for parents navigating life on the difficult setting. She is also working on an upcoming book on impactful Latinx Americans with The Quarto Publishing Group.

©2025 Irina Gonzalez