So…I Solo Travelled to Croatia and Sang

So…I Solo Travelled to Croatia and Sang

I spent the months of Spring submitting auditions for anything I could. One of them panned out and I ended up doing a three week training program in Croatia! I was so excited to dive into my Le Nozze di Figaro score for my role debut of Marcellina. I bought a one way ticket because I figured I’d want to give my self the freedom to potentially explore of Europe. I was well prepared musically and had everything in order at home so that everything would be smooth.

I have a cat, Luigi, that I love more than anything in life and I take care of my grandma. Besides making sure everyone had food, I set some other things up in place to help keep an eye on things while across the world.

  • Blink Mini Security Camera – I put this in my living room/ front door so that I could make sure no one strange was trying to visit, keep an eye on Gram and Luigi, simply talk to them when I missed them because we could talk to each other both ways! Definitely worth it!
  • Cat nip toy bundle under $10 – I don’t know about your cat but mine loves a good cat nip toy and he had a blast with these!
  • Cat wand toy under $10 – This made me feel like such a good cat mom, buying this for him! He loves the toys on their own or on the wand so it is a win-win!
  • Art Kit for Grandma (or anyone!) – This kit comes with everything you need to paint some ceramic tyles to make perfect coasters. Gram can make them for the family and get her artist on!
  • The Softest and Coolest Sheets to Sleep on – For any guests visiting Gram and Luigi would sleep in my room during the hottest time of the year would need these sheets to help stay cool in any way!
  • The Softest and Coolest Duvet Cover – This is the absolute best duvet cover and I don’t know how I would get through Summer

Onto my actual trip in Croatia…It was an incredible experience, let me tell you. I learned a lot about myself and I think I came out stronger than ever, so you know that means it was hard. But I feel like I can do anything now!
As you may or may not know, I have clinical anxiety and boy was it triggered. A few days before my trip my body was feeling ill. Now, I knew what was going on because it’s not my first rodeo, but I felt very calm inside and out, but just sick. My body felt like it was in constant fear mode, keeping me from being able to keep anything down and kept me from feeling the excitement I knew I had.
Upon my arrival from a very easy journey, I was still feeling ill and HOT. And I mean, it was hot. How hot? I don’t think I checked but it was the kind of heat you can’t escape from and just sweat profusely. I packed a ton of underwear and it’s good I did because I had to shower multiple times and sit in front of the fan.
Dubrovnik was beautiful, ancient, game of thrones (yes as an adjective), and compact. I stayed at Old Town Hostel in Old Town and it was nice, clean, perfect location, just no air conditioning.
Split was absolutely gorgeous and my favorite! It was very old but also new with many options for food, fun places to see, markets, and it’s on the water of course! I stayed so close to the water at Split Backpackers Hostel which was air conditioned and also clean. In Split, I definitely recommend the Five Island Tour by Speedboat because I saw the islands and caves off of Split!
And remember, if you use the search engine Rakuten like I do, you could potentially save as I did at 10%!
I travelled between main cities via Flixbus because it was cheap (like really cheap) and the best way to travel in Croatia if you aren’t driving.
Varazdin was my final destination for my training program. I had excellent accommodations and had a wonderful cast. I struggled with my anxiety but at least by this point, I was able to keep food down, though I wasn’t eating much. As time went on, I noticed my voice drying out and discovered late in the game that I was dehydrated. I should have had these Liquid IV Hydration Packets with me…next time! Luckily, right before the performances, the markets had fresh fruit (that wasn’t the case the previous weeks) and I was able to stock up and provide my body with fruits and vegetables. I was also able to get some hydration packets from the pharmacy and wow that was a game changer. The rehearsals were fun and everyone was so well prepared. When it came time for the performances, they all went SO well!
Zagreb was my last stop in Croatia before flying home. I did not travel to any other country because I was tired from handling my anxiety, my bodily needs for hydration and electrolytes, and not to mention performing! I spent a day exploring Zagreb and the next day, I took a tour to Plitvice Lakes and Rastoke and it was beautiful, I highly recommend. I had the most pleasant stay at Best Western Premier Hotel Astoria with the most comfortable bed, nicest staff, and the best breakfast selection I’ve ever had in my life!

As for my trip, these were an absolute necessity in my solo travel to Croatia!

  • Compression Packing Cubes – I don’t know what I would do without these. I use them on every trip and it’s the best space saver and organizer!
  • Diverse Bikini – This bikini is adjustable and you can wear it in different styles (ie low hip, high waist, strapless, halter, criss cross, you name it)
  • Fanny Pack – I don’t like carrying much but I definitely need the essentials and this was my go-to!
  • Hanging Toiletry Cosmetic Bag – This bag is perfect to keep you organized and pack the essentials of shower supplies, skin care, and make up!
  • Luggage – These have gotten me through many of my travels and I absolutely love the simplicity and sleekness to them.
  • Smart Watch – I love tracking my steps, especially when I travel because I walk 10x more abroad than at home so this was a must!
  • Towel for Everything – I don’t travel without this because it can be for the shower, beach, lake, and it dries so quickly. Not to mention, it comes with a little hand towel!
  • Packable and Collapsible Water Bottle – this can go anywhere with you and take up no space at all but also keep you hydrated on excursions.

And those are just a few of the things I was so glad to have on my travels, I hope it helps you. I’ll do more updates on my trips and try to be better about posting. Until next time!

We have a lot to cover…

We have a lot to cover…

I don’t necessarily mean that in a bad way! It’s just a lot has happened and it wasn’t all amazing but it wasn’t all bad either. I’ll make separate posts about everything to divide it up but here’s what you have to look forward to.

  • I helped deliver my baby niece into the world, which was quite an experience!
  • The holidays happened and I spent it with my family and it was wonderful.
  • I went to the UK with my guy friend for two weeks and that was an incredible trip.
  • I started auditioning for things but don’t hold your breath, nothing has happened yet.
  • Unfortunately, my anxiety has gotten worse so my highs are high but my lows are quite low, but I’m ok!
  • I’m investing in myself continuously and what I want and what makes me happy.

I don’t know who reads these but I have hopes that maybe my struggles and triumphs might help someone else. For some reason, when I write these blogs, I feel better and safe. Safe is a feeling I’ve really grown aware of. It’s my goal to feel safe at all times with myself, situations, life, people, etc. I’m having a good couple of weeks but I’ve had a bad couple of weeks or so before. So between you and me, that probably means I have some bad ones coming up. I’m just trying to make it easier to bounce back each time.

But this week I am all about that grind. I’m building another website for my artist page as a singer, creating new accounts for my artist page and then some content! I’ve started going to the gym again and that has been such an amazing out. I just do what feels good for my body with no expectations of myself. This is the season for being kind to yourself. It seems that’s the only option I have, otherwise I’m in misery. So I hope you are being kind to yourself and making choices that make YOU feel good inside and out.

Stay tuned!

Rejection and Validation

Rejection and Validation

Rejection occurs in many forms and is always hurtful. Why is it always hurtful? It’s in our nature as humans to feel accepted amongst each other, especially our loved ones and superiors. Validation also occurs in may forms but, if there isn’t any, can also be hurtful. Again, we strive to feel accepted and seek validation amongst each other to feel good about ourselves. So if we don’t feel validated, we feel rejected. But maybe there is a gray area.

I’m currently in the midst of feeling rejection in some of my personal relationships. There isn’t much validation and it’s making it difficult for me to uphold them. There are a few things about that last sentence I want to talk about. I can only speak personally but I’m sure you can relate.

I am the type of loved one that will do anything for her loved ones. That includes, but isn’t limited to, giving them the benefit of the doubt to ensure a smooth relationship. I’m not talking abuse or anything like that though, just simple stuff that could add up over time but is usually fine if it’s once in a while. i.e. not calling you back or cancelling on you again. I try to be very understanding and to not take things personally. If I did, I would feel a constant rejection and that doesn’t feel good.

I have some people in my life that I try really hard believe that the way they treat me doesn’t reflect me but their personal interpretation. I have a friend that created a narrative that questioned my character and it was quite sinister. It was one of the most hurtful moments in our relationship. How could one of your closest loved ones come up with the most untrue narrative about your character? And then tell you about it?? To be honest, I hear those words every day because it wasn’t just rejection, it was an attack. They ended up admitting that they were experiencing some jealousy and projected that into their interpretation and apologized for it. I appreciated that they recognized themselves and yes, that makes perfect sense, but doesn’t make it less hurtful.

Fortunately and unfortunately, I tend to my relationships. I value the people in my life, more than they know, but I try to show them and tell them as often as possible. I am definitely not perfect but I always mean well. If I mess up, I easily recognize my mistake and want to make it right. And for the most part, my loved ones do the same. But I find myself asking this question too often.

Am I as valuable to them as they are to me?

The few times I have voiced me being hurt by something a loved one has said or did, my feelings were not validated and therefore I felt rejected. When rejection is felt by loved ones, I don’t know about you, but I feel a sense of abandonment. Maybe that’s because of my history. But that’s also why I cherish my relationships. I could never write of my loved ones, even when they aren’t validating me or our friendship because they are grandfathered in my pocket of unconditional love. I then have to find a way to distance myself so that I no longer have the expectation for them to meet. But do they think this hard about me or our relationship? I genuinely don’t know. But I do know that it affects me. My loved ones are a big part of what keeps me going because that’s my validation tank. So when I have a few of them not validating our relationship, I can’t help but feel a sense of rejection.

It’s interesting to see people who think, “If they don’t love me for who I am and can’t deal with it, then they don’t have to”. I think healthy people can appreciate and respect each other for who they are BUT can modify the way they communicate. We are all different and have our own things going on. Most issues are miscommunication issues. So if there is a good intention and the willingness to modify the form of communication, the validation tank can be full and the rejection tank can take a hike.

Photo Credit: NiceStuffPix.com

It Has Been A Minute…

It Has Been A Minute…

Wow, I haven’t been able to write for quite some time because my laptop died. Well, it didn’t die at first. First I broke the screen by shutting the screen on a wooden zebra figurine my sister got me from Africa. I lightly shut it as I was heading out and it straight up broke the LED’s in the screen. So there wasn’t even damage on the outside or anything! It was only a few inches to the right of my screen so I still used my laptop for basic web search and stuff.
I called to schedule a repair which was just over $300. When they arrived to fix it, weeks later after getting stood up 3 times, the computer just died. I’m not saying the guy broke it, but it did work before he opened it up. Anyway, I had to mail my laptop to the manufacturer where they would fix it at no cost to me. Hopefully, I can get my money back for the screen too? Wishful thinking?

A lot has happened though. I won’t go into detail but just give the gist.
I auditioned for the Navy as a singer and didn’t get a call back – it’s fine, it was a last minute “why not” moment and it wasn’t meant to be
My grandpa passed away – Still sad but he is with grandma! And I got some sentimental things of theirs to keep
I declined my spot in the school I had planned to go to in Germany – That door is now closed but I’m really looking forward to the new doors that will open
My friend moved into his new place and I helped him – I got some fun pillows and soap for him along with some other around the house items
I hung out with my new sister – I say new sister because she only found out she had sisters a few years ago or so
I cat sat – fun fact, I pet sit for people a good amount and love doing it!
I started crocheting again – I am making my future niece a baby blanket AND I am also making one for my friend
I saw my best friend – She is my longest friend and I got to spend a night with her while she visited and it was the absolute best
I started going to the gym regularly – This has been amazing for my body, inside and out. I don’t see a physical difference but I feel great
I started thinking about travelling for a while before coming back and finding a job that pays actual money…like that I could live on!

Something I’ve been exercising a lot these past couple of months is my perspective. Maybe you can tell! But it is something I’ve been really good at for quite some time. I think it’s an important skill to have but I also think it’s good to feel the bad and not always adjust the perspective. Sometimes, if you’re not careful, you’re just sweeping it under a rug.

Stay tuned for some further posts! And hang in there!

Short & Sweet

Short & Sweet

Last week, I did a little TLC on my little car. I got an oil change, new breaks, new tires, and new hub caps! My car has never had hub caps since it has been with me. But I did all of this because I was invited to visit my aunt, uncle, cousin, and some family friends this past weekend and I wanted to feel really secure in the drive up since I’d be alone.
I was packed a couple of days before I left on Friday but I packed up my car Thursday night. It was going to be a 7hr+ drive and I wanted to wake up, put on some clothes and just go. And I did! I left around 615, stopped one time for gas, and arrived at 1235. Yes, I speed. It was an easy drive with lots of music and a QandA on instagram to help pass the time.
When I arrived, we were staying in such an amazing house that was on the river. So much space and places to explore on the property, but more importantly, to visit the fam bam and friends. I haven’t seen our family friends in the setting to hang out in years!
I was there Friday until Monday morning when I left at 530am. So it wasn’t even 72 hours but I’ll take it.
I spent so much time with them just hanging out, chilling on the river, and kayaking! It was so nice to be at a place where the pace was what you made it. I don’t live the fastest pace right now, but there is something that nature does for you that really makes you be present. You think about the trees and river around you and how they were there so long before you and will continue to be there so long after you. Unless, a meteor hits the earth and everything dies…but even then, I think life would start back up in some way or another!
Anyway, my point is, it was nice to wake up in the morning, make myself a cup of tea, walk down to the dock, and just sit.
After that, hanging out and laughing with everyone just having a good time was so nice and love-tank-fulfilling because not only do I love my family, I really really like them!

I hope whoever reads this had a great weekend themselves and can find some time for themselves and loved ones to be present.


Character

Character

Ever feel stuck? I don’t mean wondering if you should get pizza or spaghetti, I mean wondering if you are even hungry at all. That’s a bad analogy…I was never good at those, but I try.

I have felt pretty good the past couple of weeks but a little stuck which is why I haven’t written. There seems to be and organized jumbled mess within my brain on life. That includes friends, family, relationships, wants, needs, careers, hobbies, food, responsibilities…I guess everything! Nothing is in a bad place, just to clarify! Even mentally I feel pretty good and stable ((thank the gods) that was for comedic effect, please don’t come at me).
But I think that I am realizing, now that I am in my late twenties, that I am building a life over here. A character. I am creating a lifestyle and building all of those points of life but am I? Successfully, I mean? Well, it’s food for thought.

Friends are really important to me and are an excellent support system. For the most part, I’ve got some good ones. Unfortunately, I’ve had some trouble with one of them and it really sucks when you just kind of grow apart even though there is so much love in your heart. So you ask yourself, who do you want in your life and then who wants to be in your life. Two very separate questions but have to be the same answer to work.

Family is also really important and doesn’t even require to be blood. As you might know by now, I’m adopted and all of my 6 biological siblings have different parents making them half siblings. So my family is earned and not automatic just because of blood. Remember that. Anyway, I adore my family and appreciate them so much. And if they are a piece of poo, I don’t consider them family and it is as simple as that. My family is slowly expanding and growing closer (at least for me) and I couldn’t be happier.

A romantic relationship is a whole other topic for me. People ask what I want and I really enjoy having a partner but I don’t feel the biggest need for one like some do. I have a partner right now that I have a blast with. It has been over a few years and we do so many things together including travelling and activities/events. We are best friends that support each other and want the best for each other. And it’s is that simple. There isn’t anything bad about it and there is only honesty. Is that enough? How long can that last? Good question! Stay tuned for that one.

Wants and needs are just for you! As of right now, my self love tank is pretty full. I feel like I am taking care of myself and really putting myself first. Sometimes I have to realized that just because I want it, doesn’t mean I need it. But other times I have to realize that if I need it, I should want it because it’s literally for the best.
If you have read my previous posts, you may know that I am at a crossroads with my career. I am definitely on a singing path but to where, I am not quite sure yet. Stay tuned for that bumpy road!

Hobbies sort of fall under the category of wants/needs because you should want to do your hobby and you also need to do a hobby. And I think I’m pretty well versed with hobbies! Riding horses is probably the biggest one making the reward also the biggest one.
Food is one of the most stressful things we have to deal with on a daily basis. At least for me it is. If it were up to me, I’d live off of pizza, cookies, and popcorn, but I can’t do that! So I made the decision to eat 2 meals a day instead of 3+ and one of them includes Jimmy Joy Shakes. I know I am getting my daily intake of everything I need like vitamins, minerals, and protein. And that way, I can eat something later in the day and not feel icky for not eating right. I definitely feel more energized and lighter with it compared to when I don’t have it and I think that was a really good choice for me and my body.

Lastly, responsibilities is something that no one can run from. Some people have help with their responsibilities and some people are facing them head on alone. I am not 100% dependent. I pay for everything I have except for where I live. I take care of my 80 year old grandma though and that takes a lot of time and effort so I feel like it balances out. But that is something I plan on changing and being completely alone and attacking my student debt. It’s a lot of debt. IYKYK.

All of this to say, these are the most recent things on my mind and it seems like it’s everything! But I am so grateful that everything is OK and that I am constantly working on myself and trying to be better in all of those areas. I think that we work really hard to please people in our life (or maybe even out of our life) but what really counts is yourself. You are your hardest critic and you are working on this character that is yourself. And if your character isn’t portrayed as you want, that’s when it gets scary. Because you are trying. I am trying.

Thoughts on Travelling Solo to Hawaii

Thoughts on Travelling Solo to Hawaii

Have you ever travelled alone? Do you enjoy travelling alone? If not, why is that?

I have to say that travelling alone as a woman is different than travelling alone as a man. A woman will always keep her guard up for obvious reasons. There is something vulnerable about a woman travelling alone because it makes them an easier target (I guess). If a man asked if I was travelling alone, I said that I was meeting friends, just to be on the safe side. I suggest all of you solo travelling ladies do the same!

I am not a constant traveler but I am learning that I do love it! I am a very easy person to travel with because I am proactive but also can go with the flow. I travel to have an amazing experience so I don’t let anything taint it, which I recommend. I travelled to Germany with a friend but we would go our separate ways for days at a time and meet back up with each other and I enjoyed each of those scenarios in different ways.

This was my first trip that I was completely by myself for the whole duration. I travelled to Honolulu, Hawaii for 6 nights. The funny thing is that I originally booked my stay for only 3 nights but quickly realized I wanted to be away longer, so I extended it. I had the week off of work so it was the perfect time to take an actual solo vacation. I booked a few excursions, stayed in a hostel, and made sure I had free time to see where the island would take me. I have to say, this trip was perfect and I’ll share it with you in my next blog post.

I want to talk about the way this trip made me feel. I marched to the beat of my own drum and did whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. Not that I don’t do that normally, it’s just a little different because no one else is occupying your thoughts, actions, emotions (good or bad). You are literally hanging out with yourself so you learn more and figure out that you enjoy your own company! I already knew that but let’s just say, I know how to show myself a good time. That sounds like I did wild things and I totally didn’t. I just know how to have fun and fill up my own personal love tank.

I feel like this year has been hard on everyone for many reasons. My personal reasons were what felt like being smacked in the face by life with an alteration of future goals. I know, that may not sound like a big deal, but for someone who is a highly motivated planner, it definitely turned my world upside down. I’ve talked about how I have made myself feel better in the midst of anxiety in previous posts and it has been singing. As I was riding that high, I decided I wanted to keep that going and booked a solo trip to Hawaii. The idea of being alone was exciting. The idea of being in the happiest setting of beaches was exciting. The idea of spending my money on myself to have incredible experiences was exciting. Not having a car (because it was hella expensive) and figuring out how to get to where I wanted to go by bus was exciting. Why was all of this exciting? Why was going to a new location without a car but surrounded by beauty exciting? I don’t have an answer yet, maybe you do! Maybe the answer is as simple as it being a vacation. Maybe there isn’t an answer and it’s just a pleasant experience for the soul.

There is something empowering about taking care of yourself and doing a good job. At least for me, that is a big deal. It could stem from the fact that I wasn’t well taken care of in my childhood. I had to grow up quickly and make do with what I had. There wasn’t much relying on others for my happiness. I had to make that choice for myself and make it happen. Most of us do that, right? I wonder if I had to prove to myself that I could be on my own because I was afraid that I had become too reliant on others. That isn’t the case, it was just a passing thought. It’s interesting though because if you travel with others, you enjoy their company (hopefully) and you don’t really go outside of your bubble to talk to others as much as if you were alone. I talked to many people and had a great time doing so. I’m someone who knows how to talk to people but doesn’t really choose to. But I talked to people on my tours, at restaurants, in my hostel, at the bus stop, at the beach, you name it! Did it really add to my trip? Hard to say, it was just part of the experience because I’ll never talk to or see those people again. However, if you travelled with a friend/loved one, it would add to the experience in a different way because you would share it together for the rest of your relationship.

Anyway, I definitely recommend travelling alone because there really is something about fulfilling your soul/self love tank. I know I definitely feel recharged and ready to get back into life. Though I am not going to lie, I would love to live the island life. Aloha

Cliff Notes Update

Cliff Notes Update

About 5 weeks ago, I wasn’t feeling well. I had a constant worry and my body was upset. This seems to happen every time I take a step toward moving to Germany. I just wanted to crawl into a hole and not come out. A loved one made me feel better but even then I felt cloudy.

I have felt trapped in a weird limbo for the past year. I was pursuing a goal to get my masters degree for opera in Germany. The wonderful thing is that even during the pandemic, I powered through and reached that goal. The only problem was that once I had to cancel my plane ticket and hotel, because I couldn’t get my visa in time, everything started to shift. Of course, at the time that was happening I didn’t realize it. Eventually, I bought another ticket and was determined to make it happen but my body shut down.

Anyway, fast forward 10 months later, I would have spells of feeling good and then not so much. Like I said, I had been living in limbo for this past year not knowing if I should buy something or save my money for when I move to Germany, not knowing if I should buy a concert ticket, not knowing if I should buy more winter clothes instead of summer clothes since the city I’d be living in Germany would be on the Baltic sea. I came up with career ideas that I didn’t know if I should start trying out because what would the point be if I’d pick up my life and leave? Being in that state of mind isn’t ideal for such a driven person.

So 3 weeks ago, I took my first voice lesson in what seems like almost 2 years but there might have been one or two in there before covid. My first lesson was online and I laid out the cliff notes version of my past 4 years. My singing goal has been to a full time opera singer living it up in Europe where that music is much appreciated. And during this year, things shifted and felt like I was trying to pull a semi truck all on my own. At the very least, one thing that remained constant was that I wanted to sing and perform but I felt like I hadn’t explored my voice. The lesson went amazingly but I don’t mean that I was good. I absolutely had some things to work on and some thinking to do. But the best thing about this lesson was that I was excited. I have not felt excited and pure untainted joy in so long. I almost forgot what it felt like but I also knew that it was something that I thrived on. It left me on a high all week long, so I most definitely made a lesson for the next week.

This time, my lesson was at her house and I expressed to her how grateful I was for the tools she gave me but more importantly, what she did for me mentally. I told her everything I just said and wanted to make sure this woman knew what she did for me. I was so excited to get to work and a huge bonus was that I was liking the results. I started seeing more of a future instead of a big question mark in my limbo state. I just knew that whatever I was doing, I had to keep doing because I didn’t want to lose that feeling that truly gives me life.

The next week before my incredible third lesson, literally, it was the best, I booked myself a trip to Hawaii. I’m actually writing this as I’m on the plane! I found out that I had the week off of work because of a fourth of July break we get in the summer. So I booked the flight, hostel, and excursions! I was going to enjoy my time away from everything and everyone and just spend some true quality time with myself. I did invite my friend because he is someone who I can do anything with and anywhere, but he’s preoccupied. I think part of me riding this high is about taking my mind off of “Germany? Not Germany?”. Planning which beach to go to is much nicer than planning how I’m going to make life work. That sounds lazy but I promise I’m far from it. I actually believe that I feel that way because I no longer truly want it like I did. But who knows, maybe I’ll have a life epiphany on this solo trip to Hawaii. Stay tuned!

Photo Credit: NiceStuffPix.com

Friendships are for the soul

Friendships are for the soul

I started my morning looking forward to seeing a friend from college. I consider her one of my best friends even though we don’t see or talk to each other as often as some other people. She is the kind of person that brings a lot of light to your life and I was looking forward to hearing about everything going on in her life.
On the way there, I returned a phone call to one of my other best friends since high school. She lives in Oregon now but we stay in touch and update each other on our lives often. We actually became friends by her telling me crazy stories in Chemistry class, and let me tell you, she always has a story. Anyway, she told me one of her stories on my 30 minute drive to brunch and she never ceases to amaze me with her life. She comes into contact with the most interesting people and I love hearing about it. Especially because it always works out for her in the end, whew! But she is real homey that I know I can always count on, she’s family.
Back to my friend from college that I went to meet for brunch, she also has amazing stories, but they are definitely different. They are lighter and are pretty much just good from start to finish. And I love hearing my friends doing well!

I have had periods in my life where I have curled up into a ball and took shelter in a corner away from everyone, including friends and family. Luckily, they are always there for me when I need them but sometimes I feel bad for needing them. Of course, if the roles were reversed, I would be there for them in a heart beat for as long as they needed. Just to be clear though, I’m the least clingy person/friend. I’m the friend that is almost too laid back! But I digress. The point is that, I absolutely adore my friends because they give me a very unique joy that I can only get from them as individuals.

There was a quote I heard in high school that has stuck with me and it was, and I’m paraphrasing, “Live each day as if it were your last, dream as if you’ll live forever”. I live by that! I take the time to tell my loved ones how much they mean to me because you never know! AND I who doesn’t want to hear how loved they are?

Introduction

Introduction

I have always loved playing the big sister role. I believe that my life moments have taught me a thing or two and they just might do the same for you!

My name is Melissa and I am starting this blog, Melissa’s Moments. I am 28 years old and figuring myself and life out…well, I’m trying to.

Who am I?

  • Animal lover
  • Singer
  • Adopted
  • A fantastic shopper

I’m sure you have some questions for me:

Why am I blogging publicly instead of my typical journal?

I have always been an open book about the good times and the bad. I believe that you grow when you experience the highs, lows, and everything in between. I love sharing something I learned, a good deal I got on something, a discovery of an item that made my life easier, or even something that didn’t help me but could help someone else!

What topics do I plan to write about?

I am a very simple but also complex person with no filter. I have some heavy baggage that I’ve unpacked (for the most part) but I am also someone who believes that perspective is everything. So I plan on writing about my moments in life that have taught me something that I think would benefit other people. I like to travel so I have a ton of things I can recommend to make travelling easier. And I think that sharing the struggles AND the victories is a win win for both of us!

Who would connect with my blog?

I would say anyone from early teens to any age! There is no sexism, ageism, or racism for that matter. I am completely open to everyone and really hope that I can share my experiences with as many people as possible. I am someone who doesn’t come from money, and I still don’t have it if I’m being honest. BUT I have been incredibly frugal and have totally splurged (sort of). So if you’re looking to do things without breaking the bank, I am right there with you! I am also a classically trained singer so I am quite in tune with my body so I do talk about mindfulness a lot. Lastly, I’m an avid shopper and I will totally share my good deals that I’m proud of.

If you have read this far, welcome to my blog. I hope you gain something from this!