carefully removed it from my skin. There, unmistakable against my palm: a lone star tick, marked by that single white dot on its back.
Now, I’m generally someone who brushes off nature’s minor annoyances. Mosquito bite? A dab of lotion, and I’m fine. Bee sting? A little ice, and I move on. But ticks? Ticks make me want to scream, cry, and run indoors all at once. They’re not just unsettling—they’re potential carriers of serious illness.
This was my first encounter with a tick. And of course, it had to
