Society and the Single Girl: The Best Dating Advice I've Ever Received

Dating is the single most confusing thing in the world. There are so many confusions and questions about what to do, what to wear, how to act and additionally, how to know if someone is actually really into you. This can cause anxiety, especially to those who may not have the most experience when it comes to the dating department. (Ahem, myself)
To counter this confusion, I began to seek the advice from friends, my beloved pastor friend who has never steered me wrong whenever I needed advice and my therapist when it came to approaching the dating world. The number one piece of advice, perhaps the best advice I have ever received, is be yourself.
And, today, I am sharing that with you all.
In the dating world, we present ourselves in the most prim and proper format possible. However, we are not meeting the Queen of England, rather we are meeting someone who could possibly be our potential partner. I think that while we should avoid acting like a cave person on a first date, we should just be ourselves, in all our flawed glory. In the confusion of going on a date, we often forget how wonderful we truly are, and that when someone doesn't like who we are, it's not our loss, but their own. And, if they like you for who you truly are? Well, that makes it all the more awesome.
So, for those who are new to the dating world, those returning to it after some time, the best advice I can give you, despite the cliche aspect is to be yourself and (try not to) don't worry about everything that follows.

Semester Reading List Final Update/Summer Reading List

Hey everyone!
So, it's been a while since I've last posted my reading endeavors, so I'm going to take some time to update you all what I've been reading since I've last posted a reading list update back in March. In January, I've posted about what I wanted to read this semester. Now that it's over, I can safely say that I'm satisfied with how I fulfilled my reading goals and am now am interested in creating a summer reading list for the summer. (Since that's when I do the bulk of my reading anyways)
Throughout the semester, I have read 15 books. They were:

1. "It's Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
2. "Distance Between Us" by Kasie West
3. "Better Than Before" by Gretchen Rubin
4. "What I Thought Was True" by Huntley Fitzpatrick
5. "City of Bones" by Cassandra Clare
6. "City of Ashes" by Cassandra Clare
7. "Crown of Midnight" by Sarah J. Maas
8. "Every Day" by David Leviathan
9. "The Geography of You and Me" by Jennifer Smith
10. "Girl Online" by Zoe Sugg
11. "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
12. "Wedding Night" by Sophie Kinsella
13. "The Fill-In Boyfriend" by Kasie West 
14. "The Rosie Project" by Graeme Simison
15. "All the Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven

This summer, I aspire to read:

• "Me After You" by JoJo Meyes
• "P.S. I Love You" by Cecila Ahern  
• "Rocks" by Joe Perry 
• Books 3-6 of the City of Bones series
• The rest of the Throne of Glass series 
• The new Emily Giffin novel (expected to be released in June!) 
• "Shopaholic to the Rescue" by Sophie Kinsella

What are you planning to read this summer? Let me know in the comments below!

New Chapters

A few days ago, I had received a letter from myself. Before you scratch your heads and wonder 'how could you receive a letter from you," let me explain. When I was a senior in high school, one of the final assignments from my AP Psychology class was to write a letter to me as I'm graduating college. Back then, the year 2016 seemed so far away and so out of reach. And now that it is here, Hamden High School seems so far away.

In that letter, I asked if I was still friends with my high school friends, if I was seeing someone (I'm not) and discussed some high school memories. Now, as I look at the letter written in purple sparkling ink, it feels like an entire lifetime ago. Next month marks four years since I put on that yellow polyester gown and walked the stage at graduation. Out of all of the people who I've mentioned, only one of those people still remains to be a person who I talk to on a regular basis.  It seems like my life has blossomed and changed completely since then. My list of accomplishments are an ever-growing list that doesn't seem to end-I've worked as an Opinions Editor, I currently hold positions at my local paper, have met several politicians/musicians and have travelled to different parts of the world. I've learned that my true calling in life is to hold a pen to write the stories of people who do great things, and that the best way to express myself is through the written world. I learned that sometimes you outgrow people, even though you have a textbook's worth of history with them. I learned that the friends that truly love you are the ones who are not only there for you when they are needed, but they also provide an outlet of entertainment as well. And finally, I've learned to stand up for what's right for you. This means that sometimes this can cause a relationship to end, all in the name of staying true and honest with yourself. 

I hate it when people say that "I wish I can go back in time to do that one thing over." I don't believe that is true. I think to be the person that we are today, you need to have lived through the cards that you were dealt with. In this experiment that we call life, you are the variable that is constantly changing. While I have another semester before I rock another polyester gown, I am still not the person who I was when I started. As expected, I learned some things and met new people. But, I also went through hardships and I went through periods where I've experienced exponential growth. Thanks to that growth, I am the person who I am today. I'm turning 22 in a few months, am learning to control my anxiety on my own and have a lot to look forword to. I said goodbye to dreams and ideas that I never thought I would get the courage to do so, and opened myself up to the new beginnings. 

This is similiar to how it was when I graduated high school. It was a new beginning, something that every 18 deserves to have. 

Here's to new beginnings. Here's to laughter, to working hard but knowing when it's time to stop. Here's to the graduates, the members of the class of 2016 who will enter a new phase of their lives, whether it may be to more education or the work force. Here's to the couples, whether it's for the ones who are just starting out or the ones reaching milestones. 

And most importantly, here's to you. 

Cheers to new beginnings.

2016 Summer Music Festival Bucket List

Hey everyone! So, it's been a while since I've been in this part of the Internet (gotta love the looming finals season). However, as finals approach, which signal the end of the semester, I am looking foreword to enjoying my last "real" summer before I'm expected to be an adult and have a job. One of the things I want to do this summer is to attend a Music Festival. Here's some of the ones that are on my list.

1. '90s Fest In Brooklyn, N.Y.--Who doesn't love the '90s? I am definitely interested in attending. Let's party like it's 1999! 
2. Grand Weekend on July 8-10, 2016 in Lakeville, Conn.--This looks like such an amazing festival, and a fun way to spend my birthday! 
3. Governor's Music Festival on June 3, 2016 through June 5, 2016--With big acts like Kayne West expected to be performing, I am so there. 
4. Northside Festival on June 6, 2016 through June 12, 2016--With a bunch of up and coming indie acts expected to perform, who doesn't want to be here to say "I heard of them first?"

What is on your summer music festival bucket list? Please let me know in the comments below.

*This is a sponsored post. For more information on Eventbrite Events, please click here.

Looking to the Future

Today's the fourth blogiversary of my blog. I started this blog as a senior in high school, someone who just wanted a place to write their thoughts and share them on the Internet. Four years later, I still post onto this blog, although some of the posts have changed. I write book reviews, connect with other bloggers and use it as a way to just tell you all my feelings about the world.
As I head into my fourth year of blogging, I am looking to make this blog go back to its' roots of writing funny essays about, well whatever I'm thinking about. I want to write about issues, as well as writing about what book I've been reading and how I've been spending my weekend. I want to write funny op-eds where I just talk about what matters. I don't know where this will lead to. I also don't know what my posting schedule will be, as I've proven that sometimes I just can't stick to a posting schedule.
At the end of the day, I just want to write a blog with subjects that I'm passionate about. Blogging should reflect the blogger, not how many viewers the blog generates.
So, happy birthday to my little place on the internet. Here's to many more years of blogging and posting. And here's to the future, as I reinvent this blog to being about me, my thoughts and my opinions of the world around me.
Cheers to four years. 

Private Life

Whenever I post things on Facebook, it's usually the following: a post of what I ate for dinner, something about my accomplishments as a journalist or student or something about my dog. Yes, I'm lame, but I think things that are personal--family, relationships, new cars--all should remain offline, in my opinion. I've probably written about this subject so many times before, however, my opinion remains more and more the same.

Sometimes, I go on Facebook and wonder what people are thinking when they click "post." Sure, it's cool to let your friends know what's going on in your life. I have a lot of my friends who I lost touch with on my Facebook that like my things regularly. However, I don't believe it's the Internet's business that I'm currently going through a mental illness (severe anxiety), nor is it the Internet's business that I'm not in a serious relationship. It shouldn't also be the Internet's business when I am in a relationship, because I believe those are private. (Other than the change of relationship status and occasional photo.) 

My qualm is that the Internet has taken over our lives, and is a permanent stake in our millennial world. Shouldn't we set the boundaries by dictating what it should or shouldn't know about us?

Music Monday: What I've Been Listening Too As Of Late..

It seems lately I've been interested in a lot of different types of music! I've been listening to Deep Purple, only moments later to blast the new Tegan and Sara songs that came out on Friday. (It's amazing, I highly recommend listening to them)

As we approach yet another Monday, here's a playlist to cure you of any Monday blues you may have.