It's like December 31st, only in May...

Cheers! To me, summer time is like New Year’s Eve all over again. Of course it’s about five times as hot and we trade in the champagne for an ice-cold beer, but I think the spirit remains the same. It is a season of change, of transitioning from chapter 1 to chapter 2. With one year of college behind me, I’m reflecting on all I have learned and how I plan to apply that to the present. The one thing I’ve been thinking a lot about today is self-awareness. For me, that is being in tune with your goals, your wishes, your habits, your characteristics, and your beliefs. If you take a look at my previous post, you might be able to tell that I was blogging from a place of fear and ambiguity. I felt confused and lost, and really had no idea what I wanted in terms of love, jobs, goals, life etc. It was terrible feeling that way. So I tried to do what every one of my heroes does when he or she wants a scene-change. I built a bridge, and got over it.  

            Upon being back in Houston, I gave myself some time at home. I allowed myself to be clueless for a bit, and trusted that with time, answers would come to me. And boy, did they! I’m not quite sure where or when, but after talking to my parents, catching up on some much needed sleep, and laying out in the sun for more than 3 minutes, I felt infinitely better. My mind was at ease, and soon the anxiety I had experienced after saying goodbye to my first year of college turned into excitement for the summer in my hometown. I’ve caught up with old friends, spent nearly every night at home with the folks, and have relished in the luxury that is my own room again.

            I decided to take all of the energy spent focusing on the what if's of the past and put it on the what next's of the future. Today, like December 31^st, I drew up a list of goals for the summer. Drumroll please. 

1. Nail down an internship (Rare for a freshman, but we're going to pretend it's not) 
2. Cook more at home (poison control's phone number already on speed-dial)
3. Learn 2 new languages (YEAH, we'll see) 
4. Read more novels of literary merit (magazines can't always count *sobs*)
5. Blog more (and when I say that, I mean blog more about the world around me. I can't keep using this thing as a diary. Goodness... there are so many other interesting things out there)
6. Be a boss-ass b***h (My friends tell me this when I need a little confidence booster. I recently realized that I'm almost a twenty-something year old. I need that booster)

And well, that is where I am now. I feel hungry for new experiences, excited for what's to come, and happy that time moves forward, rather than the other way around. For those in the position I was in when leaving school, fear not! Truly. Cry a little bit, rest a little bit, but don't take too long! Because that same thing that might be giving you trouble now could actually be an opportunity for you to learn more about yourself and be a strong boss-ass b***h. And who would want to miss out on that? 

Xoxo, 

Ale 

Act 1, Finale

Well, my beautiful babies. So ends the first year of my college career. I gotta say, it has been nothing but a whirlwind of terrifying and exciting events, one right after the other. Keep in mind I'm coming from a rather emotional place. My head is still throbbing from my last final exam, my room is barely packed, I've said goodbye to new friends I was so scared I wouldn't find. And to top it all off, I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that I am 25% done with my college experience.
I hate lying to you people. I know we don't know each other personally-- though I don't know how that would change things much, I tell you all everything, practically. But if there is one thing I refuse to withhold from you, it is the truth. So I am going to be frank with you all.

College is difficult. Not just upper-level, 300-page, advanced level IV difficult. But it is emotionally, spiritually, and socially draining. And it can be very scary. At least in my experience, I have gone from knowing the middle names of each and every one of my classmates to being too frightened to ask the girl next to me for a spare pencil. I've roomed for months with someone I had never met before, I've had my fair share of late nights in a city I have never lived in, and I have opened up my eyes and heart to people I really have no particular reason to trust. But that is life, my friends. Life, like college, can be new and exciting and scary if you allow it to be. And you should! As much as my wonderfully, theatrically trained mind has become accustomed to rehearsing, there is no script, no screenplay, no stage direction for the way the world turns. You're going to encounter people who don't fit your character list, places too complex for your blocking, and impromptu scenarios you never thought would ever make their way into your story. But one thing you can control is whether you take it as exciting or you close the door, hide under your covers, and refuse to face it. I urge you to do the former. Because when you decide to turn away from the bad, you have a much higher chance of missing out on the good.

Looking back on this year, I want to say that if I were to summarize all that I have learned into one sentence it would be this one:

Everything is going to be ok.

Yes, yes, it's so cliché, it hurts even me. But that doesn't make it any less true. It is no secret that life has its low points. Just in this year I have seen more broken hearts than I thought possible...more loss than anyone should ever have to bear. I have been more unsure in this past year about certain things than I ever thought I could be. But if there's one thing that will never, ever change, is that everything has the potential to be ok.
You will find love again. You will find joy again. You will laugh again, I guarantee it.
You remember this fact, and you can get through almost anything.

As I mentioned before, emotions, emotions, emotions. So many have been biting at my heels this past week. I'm sure it's reflected in my post.
All in all, I am very excited to continue to share what all I have done/will get myself into in the near future. But I thought it necessary to fill you in on this little secret I've learned while being in this enchanted, faraway land they call university.
Bibbity, Bobbity, Everything is going to be ok. Boo!

Now breathe a sigh of relief, and relish in the magic that is life, my friends!

Xoxo,
Ale

Decisions, Decisions.

    There are many things that mark the passing of time and the start of a new chapter of your life. For some, it’s in the number of candles you find burning on the top of a fluffy white birthday cake. For others, it’s the finding of yourself in people you once never knew and for some reason can’t recall why you hadn’t been friends before. It's the new relationships, the new environments, the new habits, and the new memories.
     For me, it has come to the decisions we are forced to make as individuals. Decisions as in the nearly- painful reminders that you can’t spend all day under your covers avoiding reality. But one day you’re going to realize that you have to start making decisions for yourself because surprise! No one else will/can make them for you. For someone who turns to everyone around her for advice when deciding on almost everything, this was a rather rude awakening. Not that I enjoy waking up in the first place (see previous post).

    I find myself asking questions. Scary ones, too. Who do I turn to? This college? That college? Him? Her? Tonight? Tomorrow? For now? For forever? Am I really the only one who can determine the outcome of this situation? Yes? Well all right then. I’m screwed.

    And that lost feeling. The completely ambiguous end of the road you find yourself on without good cell service or a map. That’s pretty freaking scary, I’m not going to lie to you, my lovelies. My advice? Well, I don’t have too much today, because I find myself a bit confused, to be completely honest. But what I can say is how I’ve been coping is a great playlist, some good food, and an uplifting friend who will take your side at that moment in time, no matter what. No judgments, no scolding, no advising. Just good old-fashioned support.

    Perhaps what I can conclude is a few small tidbits. Maybe you’ll find them helpful. Or entertaining. I’ll leave that up to you.

• Nothing, no matter how crazy it may seem at that moment, is so terrible that it is completely impossible to overcome. 
• A good song might not fix it, but it helps.It's like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Band-Aid, only better. 
• You're not always going to have the answers. Allow yourself to be clueless for a bit. It can be quite refreshing. 
• Sometimes, you have to start at point A again. But that's ok. Beause that means that you have the intention of moving forward, of letting life continue. And you must never lose hope in that opportunity. 

Now go lose yourselves, my crazies. 

Xoxo,

Ale

Wake Up Call

These past couple of days I’ve been trying a lot of new and different things. Meeting new people, studying in new, innovative ways, heck, even looking at life a little differently than before. Perhaps this new outlook has been brought upon me by my excessive desires to do anything but think about my final exams coming up soon. Or maybe, it’s a way the vibes of the universe are preparing me for summer and the new experiences to come. Either or, it’s exciting. Today, I did something I hardly ever do. Never in a million billion years do I do this…at least not happily. Never.

That, my friends, is waking up early.

Don’t laugh. It’s true.

Today I decided to seize the morning, get to the coffee shop before they stopped selling breakfast, and made my way to the common area at my school to get down to business. It is from here that I write this and reflect.

Just on my early-morning walk over here (and yes, I am going to milk that phrase—its new and different for me), I relished in the beauty that is a quiet campus, ran into 3 friends of mine, indulged in a delicious freshly brewed cup of coffee, saw someone design a tattoo for someone else, and get to my favorite spot for le studies. It’s been an hour and it’s been absolutely glorious. Perhaps I should do this more often? My roommate would certainly agree. The poor soul wakes up at 6 am for practice but claims there’s nothing more rewarding than accomplishing everything on her to-do list before 10 am. Such a foreign idea to me. But now, after the morning I’ve had, I deem it rather intriguing. Inviting, maybe.

So, as the party-planner I love to be, I invite you all (if there’s anyone out there this early) to try it with me. Try something new, first of all. But also, try getting to bed before you get completely wasted. Try waking up at the time the baristas are opening their doors and setting up the croissant display. Try getting dressed, walking outside, and experiencing the other parts of the day the world has to offer. You might be just as surprised as I am.

Wishing you the pleasantest of mornings,

Ale

So I Gave My Blog a Facial...

Happy Saturday my lovelies! Hope you're enjoying the weather as much as I am! I admit, I have never been much of an outdoor person, which is why I'm celebrating this wonderful spring weather by admiring it from the inside of my favorite coffee shop. The sun is a truly beautiful thing, but I think I can admire it much more from the comfort of an old wooden chair in an air-conditioned space. I'm just saying.

ANY WAY, I have gathered you all here today to introduce a few additions I have made to my blog. If you're half asleep and haven't really noticed the new tabs located at the top of the page, I would encourage you to do so now. 

See them? 

Great. 

Here's a quick run down of these new "avenues of creativity!"

Photos: So you think journalists deal primarily with words, do you? HA! I am here my friends to prove you wrong! Turns out true journalists (pft, like I really know, but let's just go with it for now) look for a story in the every day. They look to capture the truth, whether that be through words, photos, videos, or whatever other medium they choose. Considering the complete STRUGGLE that was my video journalism project the other day (more complaints on that later, I promise), I have decided to gear my creative juices more towards photography. As historian at my high school, the camera has always been a dear friend of mine. That being said, I would like to share with all of you (if there are in fact people out there reading this) a few photos I am particularly proud of. A few disclaimers before I begin:

1) I have rather ratchet skills when it comes to photoshop so rarely do I use this tool to edit my photos. 

2) Many of these photos are not related to each other. The only trait they share is that I believe them to be pleasing to the eye. Or my eye. But this is my blog, so...

3) Things you'll see in my photos: People, nature, fashion, random things I find worthy of the snap of my camera. 

4) I technically have very little experience when it comes to photography. And yes, I am studying to be a print journalist. So all of you enviable photography/art majors out there, give a girl a break. 

Woah there. That was long. Let's try and emphasize the quick in quick-run down. Gosh, Ale.

College 101: It is in this tab that I would like to share with you all the highs and lows of being a typical (but maybe not so typical) college student. I plan to keep these posts short and sweet and brutally honest. So brace yourself, young high school folk. This is the real deal.

Be Inspired!: If there's something you should know about me, it's that my favorite thing in the world is to be inspired. I am inspired by anything and everything that may cross my path. Odd-looking objects, talkative people, awkward situations, delicious looking foods... the list goes on and on! In this tab I hope to share with you what video, photo, person, book, etc I find to be most inspiring. Maybe it'll have a domino effect or something and we can all fall in mutual weirdness and inspiration.
But that could just be my little fantasy world. Who knows?

PHEW! My fingers hurt. But my heart is happy and my mind is inspired. I hope you all enjoy!
Now go outside and enjoy this beautiful weather for real...in my name. ;)

Xoxo
Ale

Sir Talks A Lot

        The other day I decided to take some much-needed me-time. I.e., I nixed the pants, threw on some more favorable leggings, a sweatshirt that was two sizes too big and I moseyed my way over to the nearest coffee shop. I sat in the corner next to the cozy brick wall and began to people watch —err study my history textbook. Almost immediately I noticed a tall, thin man with a barely-there mustache and black hair in a short ponytail sitting low at the nape of his neck. At first, I couldn’t really make out what appeared to be a heated discussion with the barista. The curiosity was killing me, as was my need for a hot mocha.

“And that’s the problem I have with religion…all this division of power.” I smiled to myself at the snippet I caught on the way back to my seat after ordering. The all too fabulous barista behind the counter was in for a pretty long night. I slowly closed my textbook and began to observe. There was no way 17^th century Atlantic slave trade would be more entertaining than this.

I heard the barista ask, “What do you do?” A simple question. Probably something she’s asked a lot of people who are not of the grab-n-go variety.

 “What do I do? Hm. That’s a good question. What do I do. Do we ever really know?” He then proceeded to give a long-winded explanation of what I assume to be his philosophy about life and ambition. The more he explained, the less she listened. 

I then looked around the room and noticed that besides a seated middle-aged man with over sized headphones, I was the only other person in there. That’s when I got to thinking. Sir Talks A Lot had a mere audience of one: himself. It was pretty obvious. No eye contact, no responses, no attention. I asked myself, how many people out there in the world, speak to simply hear themselves talk? To hear the sound of their voices? Is he arrogant? Is he pretentious? Or perhaps, he, like many of us, is simply trying to organize his own thoughts. Some do so through art, some through writing (ahem), and maybe others through conversation…even if that conversation is between him and himself. Maybe he was lonely. Maybe no one had time to listen to him when he was younger, so he figured he’d dump all of his ideas onto someone who had nothing else to listen to but the sound of an old-fashioned espresso machine.

             

After he had finally caught on that the café was closing for the night, he saluted the barista and was on his way. The barista turned to me, gave a dramatic sigh and confessed, “I thought he’d NEVER leave…I’ve never seen him here before, but every night there’s always someone…”

I’m still not sure if he should be pitied for being lonely, judged for being pretentious, or admired for speaking up when so many of us would rather stay quiet. Maybe someone should just write about him and call it a day.

            I cracked a comforting smile, trying to sympathize with her. I told her I admired her for keeping her cool when she was really brewing a nice hot pot of dark roast with room for annoyance. I thanked her for my coffee, packed up my bags and told her I’d blog about it.

Girl, this one’s for you.

Xoxo

Ale

Care for a refreshment?

Ah, Spring.

(Insert elongated sighs here)

The time of bright pastels, brand new scents, and bustling ideas. The trees slowly thaw off the past and prepare themselves for the comforting warmth of what's to come. We trade in our boots for flats and our earmuffs for sunglasses; boys trade in their pullovers for those hard-to-resist colorful polos. How is this not considered the most wonderful time of the year?

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve started thinking more and more about this beautiful season. Spring break has only just ended. As I was finally getting myself to unpack (3 days after I had gotten back home of course), I couldn’t help but think about just how important the transitory period of spring is. It’s like a bedazzled link between the charm of winter and the charm of summer. On one end, you are introduced to the hotter weather, lazier afternoons, and the carefree-ness of it all. On the other hand, you are reminded of just how much you really need to get on those resolutions you made back in January. At least, that’s the case for me.

Upon coming back, motivation came knocking on my dorm-room door. Over the break I thought of how great the bikini I was carefully tying on would look with a tougher work out in preparation for summer. I thought of how I wanted to take up meditation, how I wanted to take the dreams I think about and make them bloom like the tulips I wish I had next to my residence hall.  In a way, spring is a refresher. It brings back the memories of the cold as it paves the way for the warm, summer heat. Many come back complaining about how short the break actually was—admit it, it's true. One week is simply not enough to attain that long-lasting tan you wanted or get through that long list of high school friends you were hoping to meet up with. However, this one week was enough for me to reflect and rejuvenate. It made me rethink my lifestyle choices as I carved out new goals for the remainder of the semester. It jogged my brain for thoughts of what do I really want and how exactly am I going to get there? It makes you rethink that triple-shot mocha, the morning laziness, and the constant procrastination and it reminds you that you actually have things on the to-do list in need of crossing out. You have a clearer and closer end-goal in mind. You have a better image now that you’ve gotten a taste for vacation, new found refreshment for the upcoming weeks, and if you’re lucky, a sense of hope that those far-off goals are really just achievements-to-be in need of shedding their thick, winter layer.

Happy shedding, everyone!

Ale