Refreshingly Genuine

Hello, strangers.

The other day I met a girl. Upon first meeting her, I immediately made a judgment about her. I thought she was strange. She did things differently than other people I know, and I didn't know how to take her. However, the more I get to know her, the more I realize that my first impression was wrong.

Yes, she's different. Most people would probably call her weird... but I've realized that it's quite refreshing to meet someone like her. I think most people just follow the crowd. We do what we're "supposed" to do... the media tells us what we're "supposed" to like. But when someone goes against that and is genuinely herself, it's amazing to see.

I have to say that I think I've fallen victim to the constant bombardment of the media and society. I like things that are popular. So do most of the people I know... So, to meet someone who goes against the grain makes me think that she has got to be incredibly brave. She is herself, regardless of what others think. She seems unaffected by others opinions of her. To me, someone who is this way is a rarity... at least in my life.

So, I leave you guys with a quote... and hopefully, we can all learn to take this advice a little more. :)

"You were born an original. Don't die a copy." -John Mason

Quarter-life crisis?

Hello, strangers.

I started this blog expecting to write more; however, summer classes are in full swing, leaving me with little time for much else. I'm still looking forward to reading some of your blogs though. I'll try to get to that soon.

For the last few days, I've been trying to think of some creative topic to write on... and I've come up with nothing. But I have realized that graduate school has really stifled my creativity. The papers are all fact-based, requiring support from numerous scientific journals but leaving little room for any creativity or originality. Booooooring... it's even boring to read about, right?!

So, here's my dilemma. I love my field of study, but I am not a fan of the type of writing required or the fact that I feel my creativity suffers because of it. So, what's a girl to do?!

This is where my quarter-life crisis comes in. I'll be 25 this year. I've been in school since I was 4... never took a break. This year especially, I've noticed that there are so many things I want to do, but I've spent all of my time being a good student and having little time for much else in my life. And it's not just me... many of my friends and classmates (who also are around 25 years old) have also come to the harsh realization that they've focused their entire young lives on school and being good students. So, a few of us have finally decided that it's time to start living... we can still be students, but it's imperative that we experience life more fully from now on. It's time to LIVE.

So, in my exploration of what living really means, I've tried to understand what gives life meaning. I realized that life isn't about what you have but instead about what you do and your relationships with others (especially how you treat others). These things are what give life meaning. I think a lot of people spend their lives trying to acquire things... the more things you have, the better your life is.. at least that's the presumption they have. However, when you die, people don't talk about the things you had.. they talk about what you did and the type of person you were. So, I think it's important to think about what kind of impact I have on people with my actions. I want to do things that have meaning. Writing to me is one of those things. I feel as though it is the perfect outlet to let your voice be heard and let others understand who you are. So, I think it's important that I continually remind myself that writing gives me meaning, so I need to find time to do it more often. I know I also mentioned relationships with others as something that is important to me, but I'll tackle that in another blog. I feel like I've already written enough.

I guess this was my long-winded way of saying that graduate school has been detrimental to my creative side, but now I'm realizing that I need to find time to do things, like writing, that give me meaning in order to fully live my life. So, I challenge you guys to really explore what gives YOU meaning and to not lose sight of those things, regardless of the path you decide to take in life. There's always room for the things that make you happy. :)

...& they lived happily ever after...

Hello, strangers.

So, I must admit.. I watch a lot of romantic comedies. What can I say.. I'm a chick flick kind of girl. I love the always guaranteed happily-ever-afters.

However, while gobbling down popcorn and sno-caps during the last chick flick I watched, I came to a sad but very true realization... Romantic comedies give girls unrealistic ideas of what love is and what a relationship is supposed to be like.

Most romantic comedies follow the same story line:

Girl meets boy.
Girl and boy fall in love.
Girl and boy have a big fight that tears them apart.
Girl and boy separate for a predetermined length of time... sometimes months.. sometimes years.. They may even have other relationships and "fall in love" with other people in this period of time.
Girl and boy randomly run in to each other at a seemingly normal place.
Girl and boy realize that they've only ever loved each other.
Girl and boy live happily ever after...
The end.

That's how it goes in romantic comedies. That's how it goes in most love stories we hear growing up. But realistically, how many people break up and then get back together just to live happily ever after? I would bet not many. It also makes me think that this is the reason that many relationships fail. Girls have this expectation of an exciting and unpredictable relationship. Then they don't get it and become bored... I think in real life, your partner and your relationship become predictable. That's not a bad thing... you just get to know that person better.. and instead of viewing this quality as a positive, we see it as a negative because these love stories tell us that love is not supposed to be predictable. Predictable = Boring in the world of romantic comedies. I mean, really... who would watch a movie if the couple didn't break up just to make up later in the movie? Would you want to watch a couple just have minor fights over who didn't put the cap back on the toothpaste, then go on to live a normally happy, content life? Probably not.

But I think that until we (girls) realize that our relationships aren't going to be as exciting as the movies, we'll always have these unrealistic expectations of love... but remember girls, in the movies, you're guaranteed a happily ever after; in real life, you're not.

Hello, strangers.

Welcome to my blog!

I feel like I should tell you a little bit about myself for my first post. You should also know that I plan on keeping this blog anonymous. I think it's more fun that way. ;)

I love getting butterflies and the feeling of falling in love..  :)

I think that we should learn from every single experience we have.. whether we enjoyed that experience or completely hated it. Even mistakes are lessons learned.

I believe in karma and fate.

I'm a daydreamer. I also wish on shooting stars. :)
.
I love hugs. :)

I think we too often place our happiness in other people's hands.

I love laughing. :D

I believe memories help you hold on to things you love and things you never want to lose.

I love the split second of silence when driving under a bridge when it's raining.

I believe in fairy tales, in happy endings, and that dreams really do come true. What can I say? I'm a dreamer.

My best friends bring out the best in me. ♥

I think the most unlikely people most often leave the most lasting impressions.

I think "success" means different things to different people, and MY success cannot be determined by YOUR definition (& vice versa).

I believe that a person's most attractive feature is his/her heart. ♥

I think I've grown up a lot but still have room to grow.

I love to write, but I'm running out of things to say...