Twenty-Something Love

Aaaa sweet, sweet summertime. The season where days are longer, temperatures rise, and possibilities are almost endless. If you’re like me, well, first of all, bless you. You lead an interesting and often comical life my friend. Second of all, you are a hopeless romantic. You envision the world as one where people fall in love when they reach for the same button on the elevator, or that cute Starbucks barista writes his number on your cup. (If anyone has had this happen to them, hit a sister up.) I like to blame all of these ideas on the copious amounts of romantic comedies I’ve indulged in. Some of my friends say I’m too optimistic for my own good. Is this a bad thing? Au contraire, my friend. It makes for fabulous stories and more giggle fits---even if you’re the only one giggling.

I explore this idea of romance as it applies to young love. “Omg, Alessandra, how cliché can you get?” The answer is very, kids. And I am not ashamed. I write this post, as I do all of my other posts, from the wide-eyes of a twenty-something year old. With two years of college behind me, I have come to notice a few things about how people relate to each other, especially in new environments like at university. When you get to college, you discover different kinds of people, as well as different parts about yourself, if you’re lucky. It’s almost nerve-wracking, but it’s also very exciting. As a romantic, I like to think I fall in love all the time, sometimes over and over again, especially with my friends. No I don’t start doodling their name in my binder. But I do adore them to pieces; every single one and for different reasons. I decided to dig a little deeper into the bestie friendships I lucked out with and decided to pick them apart one by one. Behold:

The One That’s Exactly Like You: You and this friend have more than a dozen things in common. You will probably be majoring in the same thing, like to do the same activities on the weekends, and are both equally extroverted (or introverted, but I think we all know which one I am). You nerd out to the same shows, can spend hours on end with each other, and if you’re lucky, they’ve fallen in love with you right back, because you couldn’t imagine getting through your weekends without them.

The One You’ve Known Since the Beginning: You couldn’t lie to this person if you were trained to by the CIA. This person knows you like the back of their hand and never lets you forget it. They know all about that awkward goth-phase you had in middle school and what kind of guy you have your eye on. They may not have the same tastes as you and you might not see them more than once a month, but when you do, it’s as if you had been living under the same roof for the past twenty years, because in your hearts, you have. This is a rare one.

The One You’ve Always Had a Thing For: Let’s face it, this person is just adorable. They are similar to you, but not too similar so as to keep things interesting. They are as equally beautiful on the outside as they are on the inside and sometimes you just have to wonder why you aren’t already married. You may not have known them for too long but it was only a matter of weeks before you knew that this person was a gem. You can’t count the number of times you’ve doubled-over laughing with this person, falling more and more in love with them with every gasp of air. The timing isn’t always right for you guys romantically, but it always is for your friendship.

The One That’s Always There: You and this person may butt heads more than any other one of your friends. But you love them more and more each day because they will always be there for you. This is the person you call up at 4 in the morning when you’ve had a bad dream. Or the person that helps you cook pasta because you’re a helpless hot mess. Because you spend so much time together, they usually know what you’re going to say before you even say it. You can have a whole conversation with nothing but glances as well as chat about the few mutual interests you have until the sun comes up. You love them, you hate them, but they are always there, no matter what.

I could go into the details of an actual romantic relationship. Or perhaps the technicalities of a summer fling. But you could watch any Kate Hudson movie for that and get the idea. The types of love I’ve listed above are a bit more rare, I think, at least in my experience. They are the more intricate ones, the ones that are often too hard to explain to others, the ones not always shown in the movies. But I think they’re really the most special.

Xoxo,

Ale

The Only Thing We Have To Fear...

As humans, we are naturally accustomed to feel fear. Ever since we could turn the TV on, flip a page in a picture book, or tell stories, we became aware of what exactly could give us the chills. Perhaps certain ideas or thoughts made the hair on the back of our necks stand frigid and still. For me, those three things were (and still are): sharks, tarantulas, and vampires. No, I do not find vampires romantically appealing in any way. Don’t try to dissuade me, or convince me that their lust for my blood is thrilling and romantic. No. You will fail.

I recently began a new job here in Austin; one which forces me to take public transportation. Yes, 'forces' is a rather strong word. People take the metro all the time, no? No, indeed. Coming from Houston, I rarely had the chance to set foot on a city bus. Walking was always out of the question, unless I wanted to char to a crisp. And then shower 4,300 times when I got to the office. In a nonexistent shower. And homegirl does not look cute on a bike in the wee hours of the morn. Honestly, I would probably run into a tree or a pole or something. Ergo, my car became my best friend.

But my main point to all of this is, regarding my personal apprehension towards the bus, I got to thinking—why are people… afraid of other people? Why do we clench our bags a little closer when someone else steps closer? Why do we prefer to put our earbuds in rather than smile and greet others we share the road with?  I’m the first person to admit it—my earbuds are in right now, and I’m in public.  But I look around and realize I'm not the only one. I read once that what many humans fear is ambiguity. We are inherently cautious of the unknown. Maybe we fear that engaging with someone new will lead to discomfort, embarrassment, awkwardness. Or perhaps we feel that things could escalate unexpectedly and we could possibly end up putting ourselves in danger?  But who’s to say that just because it is unknown, it is bad? Yes, it could possibly end badly, but it could also possibly end very well. In fact, it could even make someone's day. People are just like us. Other people. They love, they feel, they eat, they sleep, they live. I haven’t completely figured it out yet, but it’s something to think about. In the meantime, I pledge to not hesitate to return a smile, to take my headphones out, to say ‘hello.’  And let’s face it, vampires are way scarier anyway.

Keep on smiling, 

Xoxo 

Ale

Wakey Wakey

It is a fine Tuesday morning, at precisely 8:38 AM and I have a large coffee in hand. Let's do this.

I would ask how everyone is doing but I fear the response would sound something like "Who are you again?" Or perhaps, "Wow, I thought you quit blogging..." QUIT BLOGGING? Those are hateful words, my friends. Two of which we are never going to speak of again, as it ruins my chi. Anywho, yes, it appears I have been gone for quite some time. I dislike excuses but I will attribute my absence to pursuing a double major, rushing a new organization, and general nonsense you will (if you have not already) encountered in your sophomore year of college. But mama's back! With new stories to tell, new questions to ask, and well, you know how random this blog can actually be. However, I am using today as a revival. Time to put life back into my blog, especially after putting life back into myself (via sleep, mini quiches and a solid dose of H-town of course) after such a crazy semester. It's time to Wakey Wakey. 

Speaking of waking up, do I have a story for you. This past spring break (I know it seems like forever ago, let's not focus on that), I attended a networking seminar with my fellow journie friend Tori in New York City (*swoon*). It was a few days of office visits, networking cocktails, and the theatah. However, I quickly realized that even though I do ♥ NY, NY does not necessarily feel the same way about me. One-way relationships are not something I am unaccustomed to, but nevertheless, this trip in particular was too wild not to share. 

So I present to you: MY FIRST EVER VLOG (YES FIRST, HATERS NOT WELCOME).  

If you are of the observant type, you will realize the title of the video is followed by "Part 1." Yes, yes it is true. New York was not finished with me my first day there. Part 2 will be arriving shortly! Let's not get greedy now, I just woke up. And we all know I'm not a morning person. 

LOVE YOU ALL DEARLY. Thank you for not giving up on me! 

Now go get yourself a venti iced one and start your fabulous Tuesday. You deserve it :) 

XOXO 

Ale 

Contrary to Popular Belief, Curiosity Did Not Kill the Cat.

Hello my dazzling super stars! I hope this long weekend has treated you well and your Netflix binge-watching has been more real than ever before. Not only do I owe my good mood to a very satisfactory and entertaining winter break, but also to my grand return to the city of Austin, Texas. I’ve really only been a 78705 zip code for about a year but this city never fails to surprise me with its tranquil personality and general wonder. Maybe it’s the 68 degree weather or the fact that our first week back at school is shortened by this Monday’s holiday, but spirits are high today. Lines are short, coffee is brewing, birds are singing, and students are smiling. My kinda day.

As I prepare for my upcoming semester, I reflect on the past 5 months of (in all honesty) academic insanity. Given that I am planning to invest more time in my blog, I’ve thought most about my journalism courses; more specifically, how structured the entire course was. Journalistic writing is very technical, believe it or not. No abbreviations, no adjectives (*sobs*), nothing but reporting the facts. For a born-reporter, this seems obvious and preferable. For an amateur blogger whose head is constantly in the clouds and thrives most in a realm of complete and spontaneous creativity, it’s the most difficult class to get through. I enjoy floral words, I enjoy terms that paint pictures, phrases that people can relate to; in other words everything my TA would take off points for. Joy.

Thankfully, my blog accepts my style of writing, because... well, it doesn’t really know much of anything else, does it? SO, in the new year, to make up for my lack of creativity in my previous semester and to further my efforts in organizing my blog, I’ve decided to start writing with a certain idea in mind. If I were a self-employed journalist, what questions would I ask myself to cover and answer? Questions could include anything from “What are theatrical personalities like in every day life? What is their stereotype?” Or, “Why is it that people look to advice from sites like Tumblr before they trust people they know in real life?” Perhaps it is all still scattered. There are so many questions out there because there are so many interesting things to learn more about. It’s as startling as it is intriguing. "Why are Parisian women considered a culture all their own?" "Why do people like to instigate drama?" "Why is there an emotional attachment to music and why do certain styles have certain emotional connotations?" "Why do we feel like opposites attract?" "And just how costly is it to be a free-spirited these days?"

Now, before you get too excited and expect a v-sauce type of post, I must warn you that I am no expert on these subjects. But I do think it’s extremely important to stay curious and question everything. Talk to people about it, maybe even Google a couple and see where you end up (with pop-up blocker at the ready.)

Fingers crossed I respond to these various questions intelligently and efficiently and who knows, maybe make a friend or two out of the people I discuss and interview with. Yay people, no? 

And that's all for now, folks! 

Here’s to a new year full of finding answers and welcomed creativity.

Xoxo

Ale

The Big 2-0...-1-5

Clink-clink, wonderful people! Happy New Year! I’m sure you’re all so used to the various "New Year" messages, you could probably write that tweet out in your sleep. But that doesn’t mean that these messages are any less filled with hope, no matter how overused they tend to be. Based on some rather simplistic, vague research done on the interwebs, I have come to conclude that 2014 was not the greatest of years. Called me biased, as I experienced many low points myself during the last 365 days, but the more I ask around, the more people tell me that 2015 could not have come soon enough. And behold. Here it is. 

That being said, the other day, one of my closest friends commented on how fast the days were going; how quickly the holiday season had come and gone, how quickly we’d soon have to go back to school, and how, before we know it, we’ll be building houses and making babies. If you ask me, everything seems to be moving along at a normal pace: and normal, in this lifetime, is fast. 

Actually, what I find more astonishing is how the dreamt up "20-somethings" way of life I’ve been looking forward to (since I owned my first issue of Elle - hold for tears), was finally my day-to-day. I think there’s something quite glamorous about a woman in her twenties. Maybe it has to do with the fact that the responsibilities of starting a family appear to be eons away. Or perhaps it’s when her individuality seems to be in full bloom; her taste in art and fashion and music has been through all important stages: intrigue, experimentation, and satisfaction. By then it is assumed that you’ve gotten many “firsts” out of the way (first kiss, first car, first graduation, first internships, etc) and yet still have many firsts to experience (first –and hopefully last- engagement, first house, first career). And to top it all off, many claim that a woman in her 20s is in her physical prime; blemishes gone, baby fat reduced, workouts finalized, highlights done right (and I'm still working on, well, all of these to be honest). Thanks, in part to the media (kudos to you, Broad City), 20somethings have the most exciting of lives. And boom-- it is no longer something I daydream about in my grade school uniform and 3 AM hair bun. Now, it's just life. 

Given that this is the first post I make in the new year, I wanted to make this a turning point message; one that nods to the past and looks forward to the upcoming 365 or so days. I’ve already discussed how I’ve learned a lot in the past year, (and some lessons, the hard way), but I can’t forget to express how excited I am to learn more in 2015. Excited to experience life as a student who just got her invitation into the fabulous (and sometimes not – so – fabulous) 20somethings club. Excited to make more meals at home, make new friends in her classes, make a productive day out of every day, and to never again apologize for being herself.

So there you go, a short snippet of my 2015 resolutions. Little goals and promises we make for ourselves with nothing but hope and a little bit of creativity. And with that, I wish you all a very happy 2015, filled with new experiences, new memories, and tasteful debauchery. ;) 

XOXO, 

Ale 

Tis The Season To Get Learnt

Tis the season, my beauties! I hope everyone has finished off the semester with a grand hoo-rah and is finally warm and snuggled, never to leave the house again. Because I sure am.

This 3rd semester has taken me for quite the ride. Which is partly why Houston and red candles burning and the 567,998 Christmas decorations my mother puts up were especially appreciated this holiday season. Now kiddos, I know sophomore year has been eternally labeled as the "meh" year. In high school, all I remember (mostly because I've blocked the rest of it out of my mind forever) is countless hours spent reading Beowulf, BS-ing my way through world history, and pulling my hair out for signing up for the advanced level of French 3.
Alessandra. What is wrong with you.

I was afraid that I would meet the same fate when starting off my second year in college. Would I like my new roommate? Would I meet someone new? Would I finally wake up early enough to have a decent breakfast AND a decent lunch at their respective hours? Nerve-wracking as it all seems, one must always be hopeful. Looking back on it all, this semester was rougher than the past. But now that it's all finally over (and my lecture notes are all burnt to a crisp), I'm wanting to focus less on the nights I spent crying over Pride and Prejudice and more on the important lessons I've learned (either by choice or by force). And they are as follows:

1. Allow yourself to make mistakes. Seriously-- you're only human. It's always good to keep yourself in check, but honestly, life is too short to pine over the mistakes of the past. Look forward and understand that this crazy whirlwind is entirely a learning process. Learn as you go. Lessons 'round the clock. Consider why we look up to those we call "geniuses." Those people got learnt. 
2. Nothing beats smelling good (yourself and your apartment). Okay, please, let's be real here. Sometimes the shower is too far away and the you're only on the 8th episode of Gossip Girl and you've been in bed all day and GOD FORBID YOU FALL ASLEEP WITHOUT HAVING WASHED YOUR HAIR. We all skip a day. Let's be honest. But sometimes, taking a long, warm shower and making use of all those raspberry-grapefruit-pine-cotton scented products from Bath and Body Works you got that one Christmas is just what you need to make your day better. Same goes for candles. My roommate introduced me to the power of incense and warm candlelight, even if you are only scarfing down a pizza while home, date-less. Candles create ambiance and can really mellow you out. 
3. On that note, being alone is OKAY. I'm the first one to tell you that I have lone-issues. I'd rather have the house constantly filled with people than the other way around. But living in a 2x2 with a pre-med roommate (whom, have I mentioned, I adore to pieces?), has forced me to understand that alone-time is a good thing. And necessary. 
4. Whataburger can cure a distraught mind. It has been not-so-scientifically proven that Whataburger can mend anything from a hangover to an empty stomach. But this semester, I have learned that one of its key advantages is the power to cure a worn-out brain. This year, it got me through my last final and a tough day of interviews and headline hunting. (#journieprobs anyone?) Continuous efforts to prove that Whataburger can in fact, be the cure to all things are still a GO. Beyoncé as well. 
5. Lastly, sometimes you need to endure a social reboot. This year has been filled with a bit more drama than most. Maybe I was well-practiced in middle school. But in high school, my 3 friends and I were proud of our isolationist tactics for staying out of the gossip circles and spent most of our days making videos in funny accents or reading whale novels at the local coffeeshop. But this semester, I was reminded of how close to starting over I really was, and that not everyone is necessarily looking out for my best interest. Vacation is a great time to step back, reevaluate, and ask yourself if you think you're receiving the respect you deserve from those around you. Sounds harsh, but still oh-so-important. 

And that's all I have for you this fine December afternoon! Resolutions for 2015 to come (and YES they do include blogging more frequently, pinky promise)! Now go downstairs and bake some cookies. 

And then bring me some. 

Happy Holidays! 

Ale

Hemingway Knows.

Am I unique? Or am I simply inexperienced?

That is the question.

I look back at my blog posts, my diary entries, my essays, my letters. Over the past 10 years that I’ve listed writing as one of my “special skills,” I have developed a style. One that many have described as “exactly the way you speak, Alessandra.” When I signed on to a marketing internship this summer, I made it my goal in my downtime to discover and analyze other bloggers out there. “A good writer is an even better reader,” they say, so I attempted to do exactly that. I fell in love with a few, tossed out others, and then took a harder look at my own work. What my friends had mentioned was relatively true. I write what I feel. And I usually say what I feel. So, as far as my logic skills take me, it would be only natural that I write what I say… or would say, given the opportunity to discuss with strangers on the internet looking for a little inspiration or a theatre-loving, journalism major’s point of view. It has worked for me in the past, and I am usually content with what I put down on paper. But how can I get better if I don’t criticize myself from time to time?

So, here is my attempt:

Things that either make me a lazy writer or a unique one:

• I despise rereading my work. I find it tedious.
• Taking a look at the “big picture” of my piece is often disappointing to me—because I usually just write as I flow, not write for flow. Therefore, what I conclude at the end of my story might have nothing to do with what I began writing about.
• I believe writing is an art form. Like theatre, painting, or paper maché. Therefore, just as many consider a splotch of black ink on a white canvas “art” worth thousands of dollars, I consider splotchy sentences acceptable in writing. This will explain my one-word sentences, my fragments, and my run-ons. Grammar be damned. (Don’t tell my English teacher).
• I like to think I use my writing as a way to relate to people. Therefore, I try not to shy away from clichés or funny metaphors. They have been used before, yes, but that doesn’t make them any less true. Maybe just a little annoying. Maybe I’m just a little annoying.
• I have been told (by my closest friends so it is done so with endless love) that I suffer a bit from malapropism. It is true. I sometimes like to use long words thinking they mean one thing when they mean something else. I come off a bit foolish, but at least it sounds pretty… right? Maybe not.

Sooo, perhaps we haven't really reached any specific conclusion. But, I have come to realize that more important than how I write is why. Hmm.

I do what I do because it makes me very, very happy. Communicating, creating, expressing, sharing, opening up—those are some of my favorite things. Drinking was one of Hemingway's favorite things. He would "write drunk, edit sober." He seemed to do pretty well for himself, dontcha think?