Shows I Need to Watch On Netflix

It seems like lately I have been far behind on my TV shows for whatever reason. However, as I head back to school and the constant chaos it ensues, I know I'm going to be needing some down time. Therefore, I know that I'm finally going to cross these shows off of my list, and making sure I get the most of my money using the subscription service. Here's what I'm planning to watch (in no particular order):

•  "New Girl," Season Four

Via

• "Sherlock"

Via

• "Friends"

Via

• "Everybody Loves Raymond"

Via

• "That '70s Show"

Via

What is on your 'to-watch' list?

Friday Night...At the Bookstore

Cupcakes, Star Wars, and impulse buys added up to be an awesome Friday night last week. After not hanging out for several months, we decided to finally get together and explore the shopping that was offered in North Haven, such as Barnes and Noble, Ulta and Target.

Elisia and I.

The first stop was Ulta, where I bought lipsticks and some BB cream, and she bought some eye makeup. After that, we went to Target, where I found a Snoopy watch and some other little presents for friends. Elisia found a Star Wars T-Shirt that she fell in love with and purchased.

After Target, we headed to Barnes and Noble, where we wandered around aimlessly at Barnes and Noble, since we're both bookworms and love to read. I got the book "Wicked," with an awesome coupon that I got online. After that, we decided to head to the cafe where they had the most amazing desserts. Elisia and I both got cupcakes, and a drink. We hung out there for a while and headed home.

Overall, it was a great Friday night, because it's not everyday that you get to go out and treat yourself. It's also not everyday you get to enjoy the company of good friends, especially when you're a busy college student, so you enjoy it while you can.

Under the (Negative) Influence

Last week, I wrote one of the most honest blog entries in a long time about my struggles with depression and anxiety. Now, I'm writing to talk more about it, because it's something that has taken center stage in my life, sadly. Furthermore, it's something that's affecting every avenue in my life, and something I have to deal with.
Today, I want to talk about something my therapist bought up to me in a session. He said to avoid people that bring you down during this negative time, because it's only going to drag you down even farther. If someone's making you feel bad or upset while talking to them, then just don't talk to them. After that session, I realized there was a grain of truth to what he said, and that through out my circle of friends I've been feeling dragged down by some. Whenever a friend says I'm anxious or upset, I am tempted to shout "try living my life! I have anxiety! I have three jobs! I go to school. I have no free time." That's not the most helpful thing in the world to do, but sometimes I feel that way.
While a lot of my friends are going through a difficult time themselves, I'm now beginning to realize that some people have truly made me upset to talk to. It's not that I'm upset with them or that I don't care about them, it's just I feel constantly dragged down whenever they complain. That's why in turn, I try to avoid talking about my struggles unless you are one of my closest friends. I'm fearful of being that friend who constantly brings everyone down.
As I deal with my anxiety, I'm realizing something. I'm realizing that I need to put myself first. Just like it's not someone's responsibility to 'fix' me, it's also not my responsibility to fix someone else's mess. As a friend, I can be empathetic and there for you when you need a hug or someone to talk to. But, it's also not my problem to fix what's wrong in your life. If you're constantly complaining about not having something and not doing something about it, chances are I'm not going to want to have you around me anymore. It's cruel and mean, yes. But I'm not in the place to be dragged down, because I have something else going on.
There's some friends who make me feel better about things, and are positive influences in my life. However, there's some that truly are not the case whatsoever. Selena Gomez once said "you are who you surround yourself with." Since hearing that, I can truly identify with what she was saying. I have some good friends already, however, if you're going to complain about your life consistently, I'm going to either encourage you to change it or talk to someone who can. Problems, can be fixed, just like things can. Sometimes, I'm not the resource to do so.
At the end of the day, being a good friend is important. However, Natalie's mental health is something I think is as well.

Having Fun or Being Responsible?

When I go out with friends, I often refrain from drinking, partying and doing other things such as using marijuana recreationally. I also don't condemn those who do those things. My Friday nights are often spent at home watching Netflix with my dog because I'm too tired to do much else. It's a choice I made personally, but when I do go out it's rare. I'm an introvert and I'm proud of it.
However, with some of my friends, I feel like when I go out with them I have to be the responsible one. I don't drink or smoke, so it's quick for me to become the voice of reason and to take care of those who have. It's not fair, and it's something I feel should be addressed. Just because I am not under any influence or high doesn't mean that I have to assume the right of caretaker.
Sure, getting drunk can be kind of fun. I can often be perceived as "innocent" for not partaking in a lot of partying activities. That's not a realistic way to judge someone. My version of fun isn't getting plastered on a Friday and Saturday night. My version of fun doesn't contain drinking. I don't drink because it's a personal choice I made for myself. However, I have friends whose versions of fun do in fact contain those things.
Let me say this first before I continue: I do in fact care about my friends. I don't judge them because they have a lot to drink. The reason why I take care of them is simply because I care about them, and want them to not do things that could potentially hurt them.
I'm not writing this to judge them. I'm writing this to say I'm sick and tired of having to be the "responsible" one when it comes to friends drinking.  I'm tired of worrying about friends who make unhealthy decisions, such as driving drunk and then feeling responsible for them when they do make those mistakes. I'm tired of having to take care of friends who indulge too much. This has happened a few times now and it's something that I'm sick of doing. It's really not fun nor is it fair to me, because on the rare occasion I do go out, I want to actually have fun. I deserve that, because I work hard enough.
I believe if you're going to drink, you need to be responsible for yourself. Just because you've had a few drinks doesn't mean that you forgo the right to make important decisions for yourself. Don't become someone else's problem to take care of you if you're drinking too much and making bad decision. If you want to have a drink, designate one driver to drive. Then, every time you're going out alternate them. Be sure to not drink too much so that designator doesn't have to take care of you if things go crazy. Be responsible, because you're an adult and need to responsible for yourself.
I'm writing this as a rant and to make people more aware about how I'm feeling. I shouldn't have to choose between having fun or being responsible.  It's just really unfair for me. 

Pepe's Reunion & Fall Hike

Between school and juggling many jobs, it's been hard for me to maintain a social life. Needless to say, I haven't. However, in the past week I managed to finally pencil in some time for some fun things for me to do.

                                                              A picture of some fall foliage.
The first thing that I did this past week was to go on a mini hike with Griffin, whose home from school. We first went to get food at the food trucks in New Haven, where you can get a lot of amazing food for an extremely low price. I got pad Thai with chicken, and he got a burrito. (I'm afraid I didn't get any pictures of the food)
 After we had Thai food, we went to hike (briefly) since it was a beautiful day since it was nice weather. The top picture shows some fall foliage that was spotted during our hike. It was nice to spend some time with him, especially since I haven't seen him in a while. I hope that we can go on a more lengthy hike in the future, because he's really fun to go hiking with.
 
 Enjoying some pizza!
This past Thursday night, I also went to Pepe's (which was recently voted the best pizza in the US) with Theresa and Verenized. It has been a while since we last hung out, so it was nice to catch up together. I had an original pie without cheese since I can't have mozzarella and it was amazing! They had a mushroom pizza, which I didn't get a picture of. If you are in the New Haven area, or with a Pepe's in general I recommend that you try it.
 
After we ate, we hung out a bit before heading home. Overall, it was a fun (and well-needed) night!
Hopefully, I'll be able to have more of a life and a chance to do fun things with friends (and blog about them) more frequently. #collegestudentproblems

They Took a Plane, To Spain!

 

Last Sunday, one of my best friends embarked on an adventure that they have been looking foreword to for as long as I can remember. That is? A chance to study abroad in Spain.
This past week, we've spent some time getting Thai food (a staple for us), getting Starbucks and hanging out. Last Saturday, we said goodbye. But first, we got cookies and just spent the last night hanging out. And watching them pack.
Even though we tend to not see each other for longer periods of time, this time it's a bit different. Being in a different country means that they will be about 6 hours ahead of me. Instead of texting and calling, we have to be reliant of Skype, iMessage, What's App and Facebook Messenger to keep in contact. I'm looking foreword to hearing about their adventures though, and hopefully will get my snowglobe ;)
Have fun in Spain Gabriel!

Why I Love Taking Photos So Much

 
 Griffin, Gabriel and I.
Whenever I'm with my friends, one of my most common phrases is "stop! Let's take a picture!" This is especially true with my friends that are scattered around the country and even the world. Needless to say, the only times I see my friends are usually in the summer or during school breaks. In some cases, I might not even see my friends then such as the ones that live across the globe.
 
 Alessia and Gabriel one night at the park.
So, when we're together, I take pictures. That way, whenever I miss my friends, I can look back at it and remember them. Looking through old photos gives me a sense of nostalgia, because then I think about the people who I love.I think about the times when they were there, and then miss them because they are gone. Photographs are the way for me that captures every moment, so then I can a: blog about it and b: have it in my little phone forever. I then look through them when I'm sad or when I miss people.
 
 Gabriel and I
So my friends in real life who are reading this, remember this. Next time I ask you to pose for a photo, please allow me the chance to capture the moment. I apologize for it's annoyance, but this just means you're an important person to me that I'll miss you when you're gone. And of course, sometimes I take pictures for the sake of artsy Instagrams.

Griffin, Gabriel and I.

Welcome Back, Alessia!

Alessia and I July 2013
Last Wednesday, I finally got to see one of my best friends that I haven't seen in over 2 years. And that was, Alessia.
Alessia, for those who aren't familiar, was the foreign exchange student in my high school a few years ago. We met through a mutual friend at a play one night, and immediately clicked. At the time, I was taking Italian, so she was the perfect resource. We bonded, and soon even took to hanging out without our mutual friend. I got to see her go to her prom, and we often were found getting our fro yo. But, soon enough it was time to say our goodbyes. I didn't know when I would be seeing her next, and that was okay.
 
Flash forward to two years later. When Alessia first told me she was coming to visit in America I was beyond excited. It's beyond amazing that we kept in touch all of these years and so we finally got to catch up over breakfast. (She was craving an American breakfast) On Friday, I took her shopping to some American stores like TJ Maxx and CVS. We even met up with Gabriel for a little while.
 
Alessia is going to be exploring California for the next week or so, but after that we're currently planning a trip to Boston before she leaves in mid-August. I am so beyond happy to have her back, because I really did miss her. However, no matter how far she is, I've learned that she's one of the truest friends that I have.

21 is the Loneliest Number

 
Birthday cake!
As of last Sunday, I am officially 21. Yup, that's right. I'm legal. I can now buy any kind of wine, wine cooler and drink I want. So far, I still haven't used the power other than to buy a Seagrams escape bottle the day of my 21st birthday. (No I didn't take a picture of it, sorry guys I'm lame.)
 
 Beachside selfies, cause it's my birthday!
This year, I went to the beach with Griffin and Gabriel at a state park. We went later in the day, since it was so hot out. After making many stops, we were finally there. The beach was amazing, even though it was a bit crowded since it was such a nice day.

Beach!
We even got bubbles, because awesome 21 year olds have bubbles.

Some bubble fun: Top: Griffin running through the bubbles. Middle: Me laughing while getting more soap. Bottom: Gabriel having some fun.
 After we got tired of the beach, we decided to get some Thai food. Thai food, is one of my favorite things to eat mainly since it's dairy free and I don't have to worry about it bothering my stomach. Being the foodie that I am, I naturally took a picture of it.

Thai food: Pad Thai!  
After the Thai food, we headed back to my house to get cake. (First picture) Overall, it was an amazing birthday, and I'm so glad I got to spend it with the people I'm closest to. 

What Up, What's Happening.

For many, today begins a three day weekend. For me, well every week is a three day weekend. ( I don't work Fridays, yay!) As we ease into this fourth of July weekend, I'm going to update you all on the happenings on my life.
New Haircut:
Back in February, I debuted a new haircut as I got ready to go to California. However, by the time July rolled around, I noticed that my hair has slowly become really unhealthy and thin. I decided that it was the perfect time to go short. (Well, shorter.) I've been admiring the lob hairstyle for quite a while, so I got a longer version of that. I neglected to take a before shot (I always neglect to do that, so here's a picture of how short I cut it back then)
Before:

After:

In total, I probably cut off about three inches, and I'm so glad I did because my hair is so much healthier and less dry. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm really growing to like shorter hair on me! I'm even considering going shorter before school starts, because I like how healthy my hair is now. (If I do, I promise I'll take before shots) What do you all think?
Planning my 21st Birthday:
I turn 21 in nine days. Watch out world. On my actual birthday, I plan to hang out with none other than Griffin and Gabriel. I hopefully will go to the beach and then go to order my first legal drink with them! (I'm a little too excited about this) Then on Monday, I plan to go to the casino with my mom. The following Saturday I plan to hopefully go out to dinner with some of my friends from school and home. I'm looking foreward to having some time for fun, and of course I'll be having something interesting to post about other than what I've been reading!
Alessia's visit! 
 
The day after my birthday, I get one of the best presents in the entire world. And that is, seeing one of my closest friends after not seeing her for almost two years. I'm so glad that I had gotten the chance to get to know her though, because she's one of my best friends. I'm not sure what we're going to do yet, however, I did take some vacation time at work to do things. I know for sure we'll be hitting up Fro Yo, which was one of her favorite spots and maybe even give her a tour of New Haven. I'm so excited to finally see her!
What have you been up to lately? Let me know!

The Thing About Long Distance Friendships...

Gabriel and I circa 2012

For those of you who don't know, one of my best friends goes to college 1,300 miles away in Saint Paul, Minnesota, while I reside in good ol' New Hay Hay, Connecticut. And that person? None other than good ol' Gabriel. 

Gabriel and I met about four years ago in my senior expository writing class, where all we did was sit around and talk for the entire period. When I first met them, I honestly was attracted to them. (I'm not anymore) However, by the end of the semester we became fast friends. The next semester we happened to have another class together-sociology. (Another senior year elective where we did absolutely nothing) We dominated that corner where they bought in pretzels on the daily and had our teacher yell at us for bringing unhealthy foods in the am. (aka Cheeseits)
When I graduated, I was unsure about what was going to happen with the majority of my friendships. During the summer, I lost touch with a good portion of my friends because I was on my way to going to college. However, Gabriel wasn't one of those people. In fact, we frequently stayed in touch and went for long walks.
Throughout my first year of college, I became closer to Gabriel but also to their family. I had gotten to know their parents as well as their sister Bethany. They are the most welcoming people I've ever met. I always go to their mother whenever I need advice and consider their little sister to be my own in some ways.
When Gabriel left to go to Minnesota in the fall of 2013, I honestly wasn't sure what was going to happen. Everything was going to change surely. They were about to embark on an adventure and meet new people. They would eventually try new things and work on improving themselves for the better.
However, as we grew in entirely different directions, we managed to remain friends. Close friends, even. We argue, yet they are the type of people that I can't stay mad at forever. I guess sometimes people fall into your life for a reason.  Some of this reason is good, while sometimes you just can't figure out why they are there. Gabriel's been there for me for the good, bad and ugly. They were there when I failed my driving test, they were there when I finally passed it and they were there as I went through my many freak outs. (And there were many)
As they say in "Toy Story", Gabriel "you've got a friend in me." Thanks for being so awesome. Also, if you happen to be reading this...don't get a big head over this...;)

Gabriel and I...last week.

New York I Love You, XOXO

 
A Pretty Building.
Hey there upper East Siders, blogger girl here with an enlightening tale of four Connecticut girls who made their way to the Big Apple. What started out as a conference, turned into an endeavor for adventure.
 
Monica, with map. (This picture was taken by Jess)
Spotted in Grand Central, my friends Jess, Jene, Monica and I headed to NYU where of course we couldn't find our way. We took the subway however, Monica's trusty map lead us wrong so we had to resort to Siri. Once we found NYU, we managed to find out the conference started two hours later than it actually planned. So we just stared around and looked at this lovely view.
Once the conference started, we soon realized that there was only one journalism thing so we decided to leave and enjoy the view instead. And explore.
 
Fountain.
We ate lunch at Bareburger, where I created my very own chicken sandwich. It was delicious. (I also took a picture of it, cause it was that good.)

After that, we got Macrons (my first time), and explored a little. We ended up walking about seven miles, and explored a good part of Manhatten. This trip, although exhausting was worth it, because right before finals, everyone deserves a break, right? We had such a great time, and I'm so glad that I could still maintain friendships that I made in California. They are such great friends, and I hope to spend some time in the summer with them!
You know you love me,
XOXO
(Some selfies, the top one is Monica's picture)
 

Ceramic's Night

                                             Verenized, Theresa and Elisia painting

Friends and I painting.

Finally, I spent a Friday night away from the Netflix and with actual people instead of my dog. (No offense, Maggie!) And, it was with none other than my awesome friends, Elisia, Verenized and Theresa.

                                                               bowl and cupcake.

We decided to go to the Clay Date, which is were you basically go and paint things. I painted a jewelry dish, and had some time so I painted a cupcake. Theresa painted a ballet slipper, Verenized did an elephant (I might do it next time), and Elisia did a beautiful bowl!

Secret and not so secret photos of people painting!

After ceramics, we went to Blue State Coffee, and then did a mini-photo shoot at my house. Hanging out with them was honestly well needed because lately all I've been doing is school and work related. Its important to have fun and see your friends! I hope to see my girls more frequently!

Elisia and I! 

Theresa, Me, Verenized

Elisia and I!

LA Day One-Venice Beach

                                                                Santa Monica sign
Hey everyone! As I'm writing this, I am currently trying to get adjusted to the eastern time zones. It's a bit confusing. For those of you who are new around here, I've spent five days in Los Angeles. The first day I spent in Venice Beach and Santa Monica. I went to the ACP conference, but we got to spent some of the time sight seeing.

                                          Left to Right: Monica, Jess, Jene, Me
As soon as we got off of the plane, my roommates (now friends) Monica, Jess, and Jene decided to go to Santa Monica beach because we wanted to see the beach. So, as soon as we got to our hotel room, we rented an uber car, and went.

Photo One: Pacific Ocean

Photo Two: Selfie with the Ocean, NBD.

As soon as we got there, we ran to the Pacific Ocean. It was so blue! Then we walked around. Santa Monica had a bunch of little shops, and then we went to the artsy Venice Beach. We ate dinner at a little cafe, and then watched the sunset.

Photo One: (L to R) Jess, Jene

Photo Two: (L to R) Me, Monica

On our way back, we went to this little coffee shop where they had delicious hot chocolate, and a warm cookie sundae. (all of my favorite things!) We then went back to our hotel, where we hung out by the pool for a while with the rest of our staff.

                                                     Sunset on Venice Beach
Day One was amazing! Come back for more of my California adventures!