Nothing is ever accomplished alone, especially book writing, so there are a lot of people I want to thank.
To Nicole Chung, who let me write the first iterations of these essays for Catapult.co, and who has been such a wonderful collaborator and cheerleader.
To Kate McKean, my agent, for always going to bat for me, for fielding all of my anxious emails and texts, and for helping me figure out that this was the book I wanted to write.
To Jhanteigh Kupihea, my editor (and former neighbor), for seeing that there was a book about crystals worth writing that was more than a guide to their magical uses, and who cherished the most vulnerable parts of my writing.
To Jess Zimmerman and Helena Fitzgerald, my dear friends and writing partners, for their generous notes and edits, for sharing their minds with me. I will always feel inadequate compared to the two of you, and that you see me as an equal and celebrate my writing is an honor. Also, thank you for all the cheese.
To the American Museum of Natural History, for being the place where I fell in love with crystals for the first time.
To the National Park Service and the managers of the Crystal Cave in Sequoia National Park, for protecting such important resources.
To Didu, who has taught me both science and magic, for reminding me that I always need gold touching my skin, and that I should protect myself with an amethyst ring. Main tumse pyaar karti hun.
To my mom and dad, for literally everything, but more specifically for never being stingy with your love and pride.
To Matt, for their undying love and support. Thank you for giving me gold stars when I needed to feel like I was accomplishing something, for taking care of me all the times I forget to take care of myself, and for listening to me rant about crystals for months on end. Your love is a gift, and I would not be who I am, where I am, without you.