Thursday, May 19, 2016

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.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

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!

Monday, May 9, 2016

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.