A twenty-something girl's take on the world.

Too old to know better & too young to give a damn.

Category Archives: Aimless Chatter


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The Beginning Of The End: A Beautiful Era

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Have no fear, the end is near. That was cringe-worthy corny, but I’m going with it. A week from Wednesday, I will be done school. Three weeks from this Sunday, I will be a college grad. That is both an overwhelming, but wondrous feeling. Is this real life? Someone slap me if I’m dreaming.

As the semester comes to a close and my college career comes to an end, this will be my final post as a student. This last post doesn’t come without a bit of nostalgia, a dose of thanks and a lot of pride. It almost feels like I’m writing my own obituary. I guess, in a way, I kind of am… This is my educational obit. I mean that in the least morbid way possible.

Although I am graduating and leaving this chapter in my life behind, it doesn’t represent the end of the road in my never-ending journey of learning. It’s in our nature, as human beings, to never stop learning. “If you’re not learning, you’re not living.” Side note: You’ve probably heard me refer to that quote at least a dozen times by now.

This semester has been full of trials, tribulations, extreme highs and extreme lows, followed by tears of joy, tears of fear and of course, tears of stress. I’ll spare you the gory details of the miserable lows, but I can’t help but brag about the wonderful highs. I’ve accomplished the unthinkable – at least MY unthinkable.

It’s been a long time coming, but I’ve finally completed all of the requirements to wear that fancy cap and gown and snag that pricey diploma. This semester, numerous professionals recognized me for my “impressive work”. I was honored to accept the 2016 Communication Studies Award in Recognition of Overall Academic Achievement & Program Excellence, which I was nominated for by two of the most impactful professors I’ve had the pleasure of being taught by. I was chosen to be featured in one of Stockton University’s publications for being an outstanding graduating Senior (to be released June 1st). Last but not least, I was offered a job in my intended career field, that I gladly accepted and am beyond excited to start, immediately following graduation!

A message to those of you struggling to cope with the unavoidable change prior to graduation: Relax. All of the emotions you are feeling right now are completely normal. You’re not alone. Change is coming and making that adjustment is easier said than done. Everything takes time and whatever is meant to be, will be. Embrace it – Live it, breathe it, love it. Trust the fact that everything happens for a reason. One day, you will be in the right place, at the right time and everything will make sense. Until then, trust your journey.

“And suddenly you know… it’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.”

A huge thank you to everyone that believed in me, supported me and kept me grounded this semester and for the last five years. You deserve the real MVP award!

*drops mic*

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Welcome To Your Mid-Twenties

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I don’t know about you, but I’m nearing the mid-twenties club, and I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel. Should I feel like I have my life together? Should I feel accomplished? Should I have a house, kids, and a real job? Lets be real, I can relate to none of the above; hence, the sleepless nights and minor panic attacks. Facing the truth: I’m not ready to “adult.” Then again, who is?

How I actually feel, entering my mid-twenties:

1. Whether you have a full time job or you’re a full time student, the one big thing about entering your mid-twenties is that you have more responsibility now, than you’ve ever had before.
2. When you’re dating someone older that is actually accomplished and all you’ve accomplished is the highest score on Candy Crush. Does that account for anything?
3. The time of being on your parent’s insurance is slowly dwindling away. Only one more year to get sick before we’re pretty much toast. Better schedule all of those sinus infections for the next 365 days.
4. I’m confronted with a million and one options regarding what to do with my life, but none of them look particularly appealing.
5. This is basically my freshman year of adulthood, so, yea.
6. Anxiety. Lots of anxiety. Can anyone spare a Xanax?
7. One more year until I’m 25. A few more years until a third of my life is washed down the drain. A truly terrifying reality.
8. The gap between where society expects me to be and where I actually am only gets bigger and much scarier.
9. Bills, bills, bills.
10. I can’t eat that; too many carbs.

It feels like just yesterday, I was coming home from Kindergarten (when every day was a half day), plopping on the couch, eating a PB&J (no crust), and watching the afternoon soaps with my mom. Snapping back to reality, just yesterday, I was filling out job applications, organizing my portfolio, all while taking a break from looking at grad school programs. Where does the time go? Literally in the blink of an eye, 24 years have flashed by. After thought: why can’t adults have half days, every day?

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24 things I’ve learned in the past 24 years:

1. Sleep is underrated. The older I get, the more sleep I need to function.
2. Take risks. Don’t look back in 20 years and think “what if.”
3. Coffee is everything. Coffee is gold. The end.
4. Spend as much time as you can with your parents. As you grow up, you realize your parents are actually kick-ass.
5. Pizza trumps all. Eat whatever you want, but pizza surpasses anything.
6. You’re always going to have questions, some may get answered and some may not. It’s ok to have lingering, unanswered questions.
7. You’re not always going to get your way.
8. It’s important to keep up with the news. Don’t live under a rock. Be aware of the world around you.
9. On that note, the world doesn’t revolve around you.
10. Don’t speak on a subject you know nothing about.
11. You’re not going to wake up one day and automatically feel like an adult. Although, it’s a nice thought.
12. Don’t take yourself too seriously. No one is perfect.
13. Don’t pass judgment. Again, no one is perfect.
14. Don’t make the same mistake twice; and if you do, learn from it.
15. Always be the bigger person.
16. Never stop learning. “If you’re not learning, you’re not living.”
17. Throw out that crop top.
18. Be careful with who you trust.
19. Good friends are hard to come by; if you find them, cherish them.
20. Be selfless.
21. In retrospect, be selfish.
22. Speak up for yourself.
24. Wine usually solves everything.
23. Have fun. You only live once.

Your twenties are your selfish years. Be yourself. Be open to change. Focus on what you want and who you want to be. Take risks and pursue anything that excites your soul. Don’t be afraid of the would haves and the could haves. Always remain honest with yourself. Believe that everything happens for a reason. Explore all of your options. Make these short-lived years about no one but you. Go after your dreams and conquer your goals. Dream: dream big. Strive for success. Never settle. Let nothing stand in your way. Grow into the person  you’ve always hoped to be.

24 is a pivotal turning point in every mid-twenty-something’s life. It’s a confusing time, wedged between childhood and adulthood, yet it’s also a time full of so much excitement. Long gone are the days of skipping class and making excuses. This is the real world, and although it is slightly terrifying, it’s a thrilling place to be. Here’s to entering our mid-twenties, on the pursuit of happiness!

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A Glass Of Wine A Day Keeps The Giving A Sh*ts Away

Life is a roller coaster, full of up’s and down’s, but the one thing that has always remained constant: wine. Love is great, friends and family are awesome, but a bottle of wine is the one thing that will never break your heart, let you down or annoy the sh*t out of you.

I don’t know about you, but wine keeps me sane, at an unvarying happy medium. Whenever i’m feeling stressed out, all I need to do is pop the cork and grab a glass: Instant relief, complete and utter satisfaction. It takes me to a place of peace, where nothing else matters, but keeping the juice flowing and the glass full.

Wine is my go-to on any (every) occasion. If you’re anything like me, you don’t discriminate: red, white, blush, whatever works. When I drink wine, everything about me gets better; At least I like to think so. There’s something to be said about how much better wine tastes when you feel like your life is falling apart. No matter how minuscule or serious the problem, wine continually saves the day. Bonus: Wine is much cheaper than therapy!

It’s been said that drinking wine may significantly enhance problem solving skills. A study, published in the journal Consciousness and Cognition, suggests that a certain amount of alcohol – enough to make you blow a 0.075 on a breathalyzer, could poke your mind just enough out of focus to be able to explore offbeat solutions to a problem. Whether this poke is helpful or harmful depends on the problem at hand. So, the next time you’re feelin’ the feels, have yourself a tall glass of wine and over-think it.

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How much wine could a wine drinker wine, if a wine drinker couldn’t drink wine?

Here are 23 ways to know you’re an all-star wino:

1. You suffer from novinophobia: The fear of running out of wine. The fear is real.
2. Your excuse to drink wine is, “to do crafty things with the corks.” You’re not fooling anyone.
3. You’ve dabbled with playing wine pong, once or twice. It’s what all of the classy and sophisticated people are doing.
4. They say glass, you say bottle: Potato, potahto.
5. People often gift you bottles of wine for your birthday… and Christmas… and Easter. It’s basically the norm.
6. Your family thinks you got separated from them at the town festival, but you really just wandered off to the wine tasting tent and got “lost.”
7. You justify your daily dose by saying, “A bottle a day keeps the doctors away.”
8. You think screw on lids are the greatest invention ever; As they are.
9. Someone asks what your wine preference is and you respond with, “All of the above.”
10. It is your ultimate, dying goal to convert non-wine drinkers. No one likes to wine alone.
11. Your relationship with wine is exactly that: A relationship.
12. Wine gets the first invite to your pity parties. Whine and wine, right?
13. You think the opposite color of white is red. Isn’t it though?
14. You have a shelf, table, or whole room dedicated to your wine; Because whats a house without a cellar?
15. Your glass is always half empty, never half full.
16. There’s no such thing as “one glass.” What’s a wine stopper?
17. You’re constantly defending your drinking habits, by listing all of the health benefits that come with drinking wine.
18. Your favorite isle is the wine isle: duh.
19. Cheese and wine are your two main food groups.
20. A meal without wine is simply breakfast.
21. You’ve broken quite a few wine glasses in your time; Spilt wine is a wasteful tragedy.
22. You save up your carbs throughout the day for wine; Your Priorities are straight.
23. You’re drinking wine, right now.

Honestly, if you can’t relate to any of these, we probably can’t be friends.

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Put your positive pants on.

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“One small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.”

Positive mind – positive vibes – positive life.

Just a short and sweet mid-week reminder to be positive today & everyday!

P.s. No one likes a negative Nancy (buzzkill).

Radiating good vibes to all xo


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Imagine how easy life would be if pizza made you skinny.

10 Reasons why pizza is your best friend.

  1. People disappoint, pizza is eternal.
  2. Pizza has stuck by your side since the beginning… Never once did it flake out on you.
  3. It’s hot deliciousness was one of your all time favorite elementary school memories.
  4. And those days when you had bagel bites after school? Heaven.
  5. Pizza always had your back through puberty… Even when you thought lunchables were the shit.
  6. Pizza pairs great with beer… or wine… or anything, really.
  7. Taco pizza? Breakfast pizza? Pizza’s been there, man.
  8. Pizza will even slather itself in chocolate and change itself into a dessert for you. It just loves you that strongly.
  9. Pizza would never abandon you, no matter how drunk you are…
  10. Pizza is cheap and delicious, the end.

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We ALL love pizza and if you don’t, you’re not human. As a female, kinda wanna look good in a bikini, kinda wanna eat a whole pizza. Realistically, you can’t have both. It’s time to face the music… Summer is right around the corner and this beer/pizza gut has got to go!

I’m a naturally thin person, but I like to eat, a lot. I wish I were as thin as my patience… I eat healthy for a day (don’t work out) and I’m like Omg, where are the results? Why isn’t it working? What do I do? Chill.

You know what really tickles me? When you hear people order a massive amount of unhealthy food, followed by a diet coke. LOL first of all, diet coke is worse for you then regular coke, not that any soda is good for you. Secondly, you just ordered a quarter pounder with a large fry… I hate to break it to ya, that “diet” soda isn’t saving you, but go on wit’cha bad self. Also, maybe educate yourselves on what soda actually consists of… gross.

Nobody wants to hear about your diet and how sad you are that your drinking green shit for breakfast and eating almonds for dinner. Diets suck, give me a donut. I feel like there’s a negative stipulation that comes with the word diet. Personally, I refuse to “diet.” Those get skinny quick diets are a load of crap and usually a temporary fix. I like to call it “clean eating” or “watching what I eat.” There’s really not much to it. It’s all about portion size. We all like to indulge, but there’s a fine line between indulging and over-indulging. You don’t have to give up pizza, but instead of eating the whole pie, like I tend to do, eat one slice. Instead of munching on a bag of doritos, have a handful of bean chips. There’s pretty much a healthier alternative for everything, you just have to look.

I try to eat organic, when I can. I don’t like to eat processed food, injected with a bunch of chemicals that I can’t even pronounce. Yes, it’s a tad pricey, but it’s worth it! In 10 years, when you’re all dying of terrible disease traced back to pesticides from your McDonalds “chicken” nuggets, i’ll be over here like, told ya so.

My favorite healthy snacks.

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Trust me, I realize none of these live up to pizza’s expectations, but here are a few of my go-to snacks…

1. Yogurt covered frozen blueberries.

2. Frozen dark chocolate dipped almond butter banana bites.

3. White cheddar popcorn… Surprisingly not bad for you, just don’t eat the whole bag!

4. Bean chips & hummus… How much easier can it get?

5. Kale chips… You can find them in Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods or you can make your own!

6. Stuffed tomato… Made with either chicken or tuna salad.

7. Cucumbers soaked in lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper… Let cucumbers soak for 24 hours before eating!

8. Celery with almond butter and raisins… “Ants on a log.”

9. Rice cakes covered with almond butter and sliced banana… Heaven in your mouth!

10. Fresh fruits/veggies.

Most are pretty self-explanatory, but if you’re interested in any recipes, let me know! 


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Embrace your youth.


b7f7cf353373073449961115daec4c34Figuring out your twenties

There comes a time in your life where you begin to reevaluate your friends, school, work, love, life (everything really.) This spell of over-thinking usually results in a mental breakdown and an empty bottle of wine.

Am I nearing the end of a beautiful era? …heart pounding… Cue the anxiety attack.

How are we expected to know what we want to do with the rest of our lives, during our final years of youth?

Well, I’m here to tell you, it’s not gonna happen (or at least it hasn’t yet.) I’m almost 23 and still lost. As scary as it sounds, there’s a sense of beauty in being lost. I’m fully embracing my youthfulness. You’re only young once, you have plenty of time to sort it all out, later. Make mistakes, take chances and regret nothing.

Don’t stress the “shoulda, coulda, woulda.”

Life is full of trials and tribulations. You’re not going to have the answers to everything, you won’t have everything figured out and you’re not always going to get it right the first time around. So, go with your gut, take a risk and see where it steers you. Sometimes, the wrong choices lead us in the greatest and most unexpected directions. Regardless, everything happens for a reason and although it may not be ideal, you have to trust the journey.

“Nothing will ruin your 20s more than thinking you should already have your life together.”


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An emotionally devastating plane ride.

Ok, this short post is solely dedicated to the emotional devastation I’m experiencing after watching The Best Of Me (still sobbing.)

Btw, I was watching it ond9c746746398ed30837f939725a8b464 the plane, so you can only imagine what the lurking on-lookers thought (constant sniffles & tear wiping.)

I promise I’m not emotionally unstable, (maybe a little) but these love stories really tug on my heart.

Has anyone seen it? I’m so blindsided by the ending! Seriously, why does Nicholas Sparks do this to me (every time.) My heart hurts.

And can we just talk about James Marsden? Lord have mercy for my thoughts.

Speaking of Nicholas Sparks & his never-ending love fest, are you all aware he’s getting divorced? Ironic, right?

The only thing that ruined the romantic ambiance (as romantic as it can get on an airplane) was the lady sitting in front of me stinking the place up.

“I blame you for thinking it was you who knew what was best for me when it was you thats best for me.”


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Waiting on the world to change.

So, I know I’ve been busy lately, but that’s no excuse to neglect my blog (for 15 days, to be exact.)

I’m sincerely sorry to have deprived you all of some majestic posts… I’ll try to make it up to you.

As I’m sitting here with a glass of wine in hand, (no surprise there) my mind can’t help but trace back to a conversation I had earlier.

Lets be real, take a minute to think about your priorities in life. What do you value most? What do you genuinely care about? What brings you absolute happiness?

What I can’t seem to wrap my head around is why people today are more concerned with how many “likes” their Instagram picture gets, or how many people comment on their Facebook posts, or what their favorite celebrity ate for breakfast…

I kid you not, walking through the halls of Stockton College, this is all I hear countless people talking about (other than their lame Tinder profiles.)

Ok, yes, it’s fun. But do you realize there’s more to life? Who cares about that virtual shit. Are those likes and comments going to land you a job or benefit you remotely in any way? (no…)

Speaking of mindless celebrities, has anyone seen the T-mobile “help save the data” commercial with Kim Kardashian-Humphries-West? Literally just saw it for the first time. Homegirl needs to fall off the earth.

Anyway…

Why aren’t people more concerned with something meaningful, something that gives a purpose to your life?

Do something for someone, find a way to help change the world, or to help change a single life (anything counts.)

But whatever you do, get over yourself & stop being so damn self-centered (we’re all a little guilty of it.)

Until next time (and I promise, it won’t be 15 days) xo


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Perfectionist to the point of insanity.

Why is it a natural instinct for we as humans to harp on the bad instead of boast about the good?

No matter how much good I do in this world, I always feel as if nothing is ever quite enough – it’s a constant battle. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not chronologically unhappy or in any way shape or form a negative soul. On the contrary, I’m full of life and good vibes. But day after day, I try to be a perfectionist & the thirst is real.

I’ve said it before – perfect doesn’t exist. So, then why am I harping? Why is self-satisfaction non-achievable?

I know I’m not alone – there are people reading this, thinking “hey, that’s me.”

I took the liberty of coming up with five golden ways to ease the mind of my fellow perfectionists (for this has recently helped me):

  1. Don’t set too high of standards for yourself or for others – the bigger the standards, the bigger the letdowns. 
  2. Set realistic & achievable goals – if you set goals you know you’re not going to reach, chances are, you mentally will stop yourself from trying. 
  3. It’s important to reflect on our everyday failures and mistakes – never let them define you as a person.
  4. Expect to be judged and understand you’re going to have haters & critics in life, but take what they have to say with a grain of salt… build upon it and move forward – burry your haters with a smile.
  5. Recognize the beauty in imperfection – do what you can, with what you have.

“Too many people spend too much time trying to perfect something before they actually do it. Instead of waiting for perfection, run with what you’ve got & fix it as you go.”

Stop beating yourself up – we are all a work in progress.

xo


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Don’t lose your edge.

A little mid-week (or shall I say, hump day) motivation…

“You will always too be too much of something for someone: too big, too loud, too soft, too edgy. If you round out your edges, you lose your edge. Apologize for your mistakes. Apologize for unintentionally hurting someone – profusely. But don’t apologize for being who you are.”

– Danielle Laporte

Seriously, how spot on is this quote?

It happens much too often that people want to “conform” to the norm. (yes, that unintentionally rhymed) What is the “norm” anyway? Are any of us actually normal? (no, because normal is painfully boring.)

Always be yourself, unless you can be a majestic mermaid, then of course always be a mermaid.

No, but really – I think it’s the biggest cop out in the world to change who you are for another person, (for the wrong reasons.) If someone doesn’t like you, screw them – that’s their loss. 

Be you, (whether people like it or not) embrace what makes you different and appreciate your unique qualities. Don’t adapt to that silly little thing we call “the norm.”

Lastly, don’t sweat the petty bullshit, because I’m almost positive it’s literally impossible to please everyone (or really anyone for that matter), so there’s no point in trying.

After all, “no one truly interesting is universally liked.”

Repeat after me – I am who I am & your approval is not needed (nor relevant.)

Don’t lose your edge.

Love your badass.

xo