HOW TO REMEDY A BAD DAY

HI YA’LL!

From time to time, we all have the occasionally “bad day”. It’s the day where the world just seems to have all the wrong cards played out for you and there is just nothing you can do about it. It is the point of which there is no return where you just have to throw in the towel. On these days, I typically wish they would just end so I could crawl into bed and start over the next day.

Well, along with many things that happened on my particularly bad day today, it started from me accidentally super gluing my two fingers together when I was trying to help repair one of the little kid’s (that I nanny) toys. Like, who does that? Welcome to the reality of my life.

Let me tell you. IT HURT SO BAD. I’m not one to have much of a high pain tolerance, so this was extremely painful as I somehow managed to disconnect my thumb from pointer finger from each other. Amongst many other things, these are a few of the things that I do to remedy a bad day.

1. Eat LOTS of ice cream. As I always say, ice cream heals all wounds. Seriously, it does. If you have a sweet tooth like me it always helps. I happened to go out and get frozen yogurt twice today. You betcha I had those brownie and cheesecake bite toppings.

2. Dance it out. Put on your favorite song, blast it, and just sing/dance it out as hard as you can. It is a great stress reliever and at the end of the song, you will end up feeling so much better. Don’t have a worry in the world. 

3. Re-read old text messages. This is one of my favorite things to do. I love screen shotting old text messages that made me smile, feel good inside, or just left me feeling happy. Going back and re-reading these will bring back good memories.

4. Go out in the sunshine. I absolutely love being out in the sun. It always makes my body & mind feel so clear and fresh. Getting some extra Vitamin D helps clear my head of anything that might be bothering me.

5. Retail therapy. This probably is one of my favorites. I adore finding something new to add into my life, especially when it comes to crafting/decorating for something (my future little). I love love love buying things, especially for others. It brings me a lot of joy.

Welp. I hope some of these tips/tricks that I currently use in my life could help you all out if you happen to come across a bad day. Let me know anything that you do to help remedy your bad days in the comments below!

-Ash

A LETTER TO MY 20 YEAR OLD SELF

HI YOU DIME!

Welcome to a brand new decade of your life! Welcome to the 20’s. These next ten years are going to be the prime years of your time. Within these next 10 years, I hope that you go out and accomplish all of the wonderful things that you are dreaming of now. I hope that you make all of your different Pinterest boards come to life.

You are a big dreamer, you always have a been a big dreamer. Remember that. Remember that you can go out and make huge, wonderful, amazing goals and you can chase after them. Remember that the limits you create are only the limits that you’re holding yourself back with.

I hope that you are happy. I hope that where ever you may be with your life right now there are multiple points of happiness. I hope that you are successful. I hope that you find yourself taking pride in who you are, and what you are doing with your life currently.

I hope that you have a destination and you’re always moving forward. 

Accomplish these things before you turn 21.

1. Make it to Italy. Just do it. You have to. I know it has been a dream of yours for years now. Go, do it, explore, meet people, learn, devour the culture, eat the amazing food, take the pictures, be spectacular. Do it now while you are 20. 

2. Get something published. Go and find a way to get yourself out there. Submit, submit, submit your work throughout the course of this year. Don’t be afraid of continuously trying and even if you get rejected, it doesn’t hurt to put yourself out there. You can network and work your way towards your bigger goals this way. 

3. Don’t let go of your blog. Keep your blog for your memories. Hang on to it so you can have a documentation of your feelings and how you work through your life. Remember that it is an awesome outlet for you. Remember how much you love expressing how you feel. You’ll want to look back and read it when your 30. Trust me. 

4. Take another photography class before you graduate. Please do. You absolutely loved Film Photography and it truly is a passion of yours that you need to explore more. Allow yourself the opportunity to learn and gain experience while you can. 

5. Get your own place! It’s time for you to move away from home. Find an apartment, get roommates, move forward with your life onto the next big thing. This is a big step, but I know you’re ready for it and you’re excited about it. 

6. Find another scholarship opportunity. The money is waiting for you there, you just have to put forth the time within your busy schedule and take advantage of the opportunity. You can do it again, I believe in you. 

7. Stay on Dean’s List. You did it one year strong, you can make it another. Maintain your Dean’s List status all the way until graduation. You’re smart, you’re intelligent, and you’re more than determined to do it. 

8. Volunteer more! Find an organization that you are passionate about and get involved volunteering. Discover this side of you that you might not know about and give back to the community. 

9. Start your retirement fund. WHAT? A retirement fund? Before you pay off your student loans? Yes, do it. Take $20 out of every paycheck you earn and put it in a new savings account. 

Don’t forget just how beautiful, determined, and overall AWESOME you are. You’re going to rock your 20’s. I know it.

-Ash

TRANSITIONING INTO A LONG DISTANCE (WORK) RELATIONSHIP

HI LOVES!

Most of us can relate to the difference in lifestyle you have from when you are on campus throughout the semester in comparison to when you are not on campus. Personally, I love being on campus all the time. I love the feeling of being jam-packed with a schedule that is never ending and always moving. That’s my favorite. But hey, that’s just me.

As far as relationships go, this was my first relationship in which I was seriously 5 minutes away walking distance from him. Do you know how nice that is? It’s wonderful. To be able to see one another at any hour of the day/for however long? Or if you had a rough day having someone there to come over and talk to you? It’s pretty great.

You become adjusted day in and day out of having someone so close. Your relationship becomes entirely based off in person communication, which is the way it should be, and your texting/phone-calls fade away, because they aren’t necessary in that instance.

The only text I would really receive would be “Where are you?”. 

I absolutely loved it that way. Now, it is summer. Well, it has been summer for a while. Both of us are back in our hometowns, and even though they aren’t that far away from each other, I mean you can definitely visit within a day, it’s very different.

It’s different because we never had a “texting” relationship, it was never a thing for us, it was never established. So, we have always and probably will always be best at communicating in person, directly.

I’m the type of person who loves communication. I love, love, love talking to people and hearing about their day, and knowing how they’re doing, and just the little details of everything. To me, it’s fun. Especially in the summer time where I’m a nanny and I have most of my time open to be exploring social media and on my phone.

However, that isn’t the case with him. His job is a full time job that takes up his entire day. From the moment he wakes up, until the moment he gets off work and climbs into bed he is busy. He is incredibly hard working, motivated, and I am so proud of all the effort he puts into his summer to make money. Truly, I am.

I’m in a long distance (working) relationship. At least, that’s what I like to think of it as. 

It’s not a matter of that he doesn’t want to talk to me, or that he doesn’t think of me, or that he doesn’t want to be with me, it simply is that he is just TOO busy. He is constantly working.

But, I understand that. I completely do. Summer time is prime time for college students to be making money, in fact, that’s all you should really be doing. It is their priority and main focus. At the start, it was hard, and we had our disagreements/we had to work through it, but now I have to say I’m okay with it. I’m used to the short very brief conversation. I’ve become adjusted to it, and more focused on myself these past few months more than anything.

But I know that he loves me. I trust him. That’s how I get through it. 

That’s probably why it’s so easy for me to do so. A year ago, I would’ve never been able to do a long distance relationship where you barely spoke. It would have been too hard for me to do so.

I think that’s another reason why I truly love being with this particular person. He really teaches me how to understand things I wouldn’t have understood before. He opens my eyes up to a second perspective and overall I have become so much more understanding than I ever was before.

Summer is winding down though and before I know it we will be back on campus again near each other. I am so excited and can’t wait. When they say distance makes the heart grow fonder, they meant it.

-Ash

My Freshman ROOMMATE Story (welcome to the hut)

HI YA!

Well, eep! I just finished my freshman year of college and I am about to begin my sophomore year. Sharing a space with someone you absolutely do not know can be challenging, but it also can be incredibly rewarding.

As you all may know from previous posts, I attend an in-state school, which is a huge advantage for me because of the reduced expenses, and the knowledge of knowing the area pretty well.

WELL… my freshman roommate was not from in state. In fact, her hometown was approximately 2,333 miles away in the glorious state of Utah. Before meeting her, I had never met anyone from the state of Utah. And in return, she had never seen so many trees before.

Blog… Meet Sav. 🙂 

Sav and I originally connected through the Facebook page that was created for our graduating class. Finding a roommate was comparable to a dating process. I would ask a series of interview questions, look through their pictures, try to get an idea of the type of the person they were through their social media. After talking 50+ girls and a month of searching, I found Sav. Some of the questions I asked her and I would encourage people to ask potential roommates would be:

1. Are you a messy/clean person? How often do you clean? How would you like the room to look? 

2. Do you smoke/drink? If so, how often do you typically go out? 

3. How do you feel about overnight guests? How long can they stay? 

4. What do you want to share? What don’t you want to share? 

5. What is your class schedule going to be like? 

6. What time do you go to sleep? What time do you wake up? 

7. Do you like to study with music on in the room? Do you like silence? 

8. Can you sleep with a light on? 

Her and I instantly connected from the get go. We both share the same major, Communications, with an interest in Journalism. We both had the same work ethic mentality, intentions to join a sorority, and we were both incredibly social people.

And this is where it all began. 

I could not have asked for a better roommate for my freshman year in college honestly, we had so much fun. From going through recruitment together, to having each other to come home to every night, her and I became each other’s family. Which is when we decided that the word “dorm” was not good or fitting enough for us.

This is when our dorm room became known as “the hut”. 

It had always been our joke to call it the hut because it was ridiculously small. We actually ended up receiving one of the SMALLEST double rooms on campus and so it was pretty tight. Throughout the course of the year, we rearranged our room multiple times to try to get the maximum space we could achieve.

Sav and I went through a lot over the course of two semesters. We grew to be so incredibly close that I considered to be like a sister to me. I told her absolutely everything, and she shared absolutely everything with me. We had an awesome relationship. Often times, people would comment on they thought we knew each other prior to college based on how well we got along.

She is incredible. She is very determined, smart, motivated, and incredibly hardworking individual with so much success all around her. I loved having a roommate that encouraged me and allowed me to encourage her and push her to be the best she could be.

As I always said to her, “We do not accept anything but A’s in the hut”. 

This really stuck with Sav. She would always get really excited if she received a phenomenal grade on an assignment in a class that was especially difficult for her. Same goes for me. We celebrated and acknowledge each other’s successes throughout the year. However, we were always there for each other to help through the downsides/hardships that came as well.

We both always took school very seriously, but we also acknowledged the fact that having “me time” and getting off campus or going to do something fun was always really important as well. We both made sure that the other person was always balanced, and we were always honest. We always made sure to tell the other person if something was wrong, or happening that might be upsetting.

ALWAYS be honest if anything is bothering you. It makes solving problems SO MUCH easier. 

A fantastic year grew into a wonderful, beautiful friendship between the two of us. The last day in the hut came sooner than either of us expected, move out day. It was incredibly difficult to leave, knowing how many memories were shared in those four walls.

Sav will now be living off campus for the upcoming year and I will be staying on campus, so we will not be living together again this year. But, I know that we will continue to maintain our friendship that was created. And as I always said to her, “Long live the Hut”.

Comment below any of your roommate experiences or questions you may have! I would love to hear them!

-Ash

WHY YOUR SECOND LOVE IS BETTER THAN YOUR FIRST (how we met)

OH HELLO!

I was once “that” girl. Oh, you know, the girl that falls “in love” back in high school and finds herself dreaming endlessly about her future with this guy who you think is “everything”. You think you’ll go and stay together through college, potentially get married, basically spend the rest of your life with your “first love”. Yeah, that was me.

Well, we spent about two years together. Fantastic relationship, honestly, it was, we had great memories and we truly were that couple in high school that everyone wishes they were. You know, the high school sweethearts type. I was nuts about this guy.

I was so wrapped up in the relationship itself I did not even see it coming. The summer before college, we broke up. The idea of long distance and college ultimately made him feel very intimidated, nervous, scared, and overall he claims he just wasn’t happy with the relationship anymore. I did not even see it coming.

So, WAM! Heartbreak. What you didn’t expect to happen, well happens.

And I can say now, I am SO happy it did. It gave me a reality check.

Yes, I mean, heartbreak is painful. It hurt, it sucks, you spend days in and out crying, it takes time to heal your wounded heart. Honestly it does. Some people spend days, weeks, months, and even years getting over someone.

That wasn’t the case with me. 

After spending two years with someone, you kind of forget how to “date”. You don’t really realize the whole dating experience, and meeting people, you just became so adjusted with what was comfortable with that particular person.

Since it was summer time, I spent a lot of my time going and hanging out with my friends, staying out and busy and occupied and just trying giving myself a chance to really get to know me.

It was a learning experience, at least that’s how I took it to be. 

I would encourage people to do that. When you go through a heart break, truly take the time to reflect on your own life. Reflect on the relationship. Keep an open mind, and really realize what happened and what you would have wanted to change and done differently. It gives you an opportunity to know more about who you are as a person and the type of characteristics you really would love to have in someone.

Three weeks later I met my second love. 

Wow, three weeks. Someone has got to say, fast? Oh, incredibly. So fast paced you didn’t see it coming. That was the best part. It was all so incredibly (and still is) SPONTANEOUS. I love it so much I can’t get enough of it.

End of July last year. We went on our first date. Well, we didn’t decide to call it our first date until after it was over. We originally went with the intentions of meeting each other in person to become friends since we lived in the same area and would be going to the same college in just a few weeks. (We were friends on social media).

Like hey, YES, Ash, go make friends. That’s what you’re good at. That’s what you like to do. That was my intention.

So, this guy, invites me to dinner to talk. I drive all the way out to his town to meet him. The moment I stepped out of my car and saw him leaning up against the column of the restaurant smiling, before I even said a single word, I just knew. I already knew what was about to happen before it even happened.

And I thought to myself, Oh shit. 

The date was flawless. Absolutely perfect and everything you could possibly imagine. I felt 110% completely like myself throughout the entire thing. He was gorgeous, smart, funny, charming, all around he had the perfect personality. It was so comfortable, casual, just truly exactly what I could have hoped for and wanted. The conversation flowed so perfectly. Yet, it was all new. I had no idea what to expect.

So… this is where I began to learn about myself.

1. Don’t Set Time Limits. 

You do not want to give yourself an expectation of the duration of a relationship, honestly don’t. I began to really emphasize and “go with the flow” motto with everything. I could not be happier that I do. We both agreed on the mindset that if we are both happy, and things are great, we stay together. The day it changes, well we go our separate ways.

2. Don’t Have Expectations. 

Don’t be bought by money. Don’t don’t don’t don’t. Don’t expect things in a relationship just because of a time limit of how long you’ve been together, or a holiday. Don’t expect that you are deserving of a incredibly expensive ridiculous gift or date. That isn’t FUN. It isn’t romantic, well in my opinion it isn’t. Relationships are so much more fun when they are simple. Let the romance play out spontaneously. Allow yourself to be surprised.

3. He is Not Your Everything, He is Only a Piece of You. 

Remember that he does not define you. Remember that you are an individual with values, purpose, goals, aspirations, and a future. He is a piece of you, he can certainly shape you, open your mind, and be apart of your life. But he does NOT define you. You must be your own person before you can be with someone else. Their problems, their troubles, their discomforts are certainly not YOUR discomforts. You can be there for that person, but you are not responsible for their life.

Along with many more life realizations, those are three big things that stood out to me as I approached this “new found” romance that was developing.

I had no idea if this was just going to be a fun summer fling, a relationship, a friendship, I had no idea. So I did not set any expectation upon it.

Later that night, after I drove back to my hometown, he reached out to me to tell me just what a truly amazing time he had, and that he wanted to see me again. Very soon.

Over the course of the next week, we saw each other 4 or 5 times. He would drive out to my hometown, or I would drive out to his hometown. I like to say that we had such spectacular dates that a typical relationship would have experienced over the course of two months. We moved fast.

We connected so well. 

I was nervous. I’m not going to lie, I was super nervous at the time that the “good feeling” of just meeting someone was going to be swept away under my feet, that possibly I was moving too fast into things, or maybe that I should wait until I moved in to college to see if a relationship was what I really wanted right now.

Oh, no no no. That did not work for him. He wanted ME. 

So, he is very forward. He knows what he wants and he knows how he wants to get it. He’s honest, which I truly admire and adore about him. Which is why he said, “Be my girlfriend. Let’s make it official. I’m asking you the next time I see you”.

And that’s where it all began. August 4th, 2014.

He understands all my quirks, my crazy personality, and exactly how I am and he completely loves me throughout all of it. He has taught me so much about myself over the course of this past year, and our relationship is just as spontaneous and fun as it was the day we first met.

And I am crazy about him. But he is not my everything.

More stories to come.

-Ash

The Journey of Finding my BIG Sister

HI BEAUTIES!

Last October I experienced the rush of emotions brought to me by Big & Little “Clue Week”. For those of you who are not aware, Clue Week is an entire week where you are given a series of gifts that contain clues to try and help you guess who your big sister might be. Some of my clues included several painted canvases, wooden Chi Omega letters, and anything and everything with owls!

HOOTIE HOO! 

I mean, who wouldn’t love running around campus collecting clues and given all of the suspense of not knowing who it could be? I mean, I sure did. However, little did I know that becoming a little and gaining a big was much much much more impactful on my life than I could have ever imagine it being.

For starters, my big sister, Hannah, is by far my biggest fan in life. She is ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS encouraging me and motivating me to be the best version of myself. She has become truly, my role model throughout everything. Hannah is perfect. Truly, if you ever met someone who just knew everything and anything on life it would be her. She knows exactly how to approach and handle any given situation that may come across her way.

A big and little relationship is so special. You will never experience anything like it that is comparable. A big sister is there to be a guide. You can believe it that she will be the best tour guide you’ve ever received. She is meant to help you, encourage you, support you, protect you (Hannah is VERY good at this one), and show you the ropes as you begin your sorority experience as a new member.

However, the relationship is definitely a two way street. At least, mine sure is. I’m there for Hannah exactly and equally as much as she is here for me. It is a special two way bond.

You will begin to create COUNTLESS memories with your big. The relationship you create with her is going to be unlike any other relationship you have with any of your other sorority sisters.

-Ash

HOLD ON HOLD ON (this is what best friends are made for)

HI LOOK AT MY PERSON!

Yes, she has ultimately become MY person. After my addiction of watching all 11 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy this summer with her, she is by far my Christina Yang. She’s the person I fall back on when ever I need anything absolutely in the world. I am so blessed I have found her.

Growing up, I never truly had that ONE best friend that you hold on to forever throughout the years. I grew in and out of cliques, different friend groups, and most of all I explored just meeting a bunch of different people to fulfill my social butterfly personality. However, I have finally found my college best friend that I will hold on to for a lifetime.

Life happens unbelievably quick, it really does flash before your eyes. Being able to create unforgettable memories that will last a lifetime with my best friend throughout these next “prime” years of our lives is going to be wonderful.

So, blog. Meet Laura! 🙂 

Laura has been one of my biggest supporters and motivators throughout anything in my life that I try to accomplish. She is always cheering me on and encouraging me to fulfill my dreams to the fullest.

To be completely honest though, Laura and I have some significant similarities, in a sense, that makes us almost the same type of person. Starting with the fact that we both are incredibly focused when it comes to our studies, with that being said, we both are always pushing each other to the next best level. Laura is by far one of the most intelligent people I have ever met, I know she is going to have a very bright future and career ahead of her as she continues on her journey to medical school.

She is also one of my pledge sisters in our sorority, Chi Omega. We were able to experience going through Recruitment last year together as we made our journey to find our “home”. We went into Recruitment just as friends since we originally met at our college orientation the month before. Unknowingly, we ended up joining the same sorority and that in itself completely strengthened our friendship and made it grow beautifully.

I’m confident that I will have many more stories to come about Laura and I’s friendship on this blog. Just wanted to introduce one of the most important people to me early on here.

🙂

Can’t wait to be back on campus with my person again!

-Ash

Second chances… with your EX-BFF?

HI LOVES!

Second chances.

Not the type of chances that you give out to an ex-boyfriend/girlfriend or past lover, but more to your past friends.
Usually to the end of a friendship there is a type of difference that erupts. It can randomly appear from a slew of reasons. From time to time it can be a disagreement, argument, or simply just time that slowly fades away.
Most people can recall the time they met a friend that they thought would be there forever. However, the truth is that friends are constantly coming in and out of your lifestyle at different moments in time in order to impact your life in a significant way.

This impact can teach you a lesson or shape you into being a better version of yourself. From every person that crosses your path, there is always something valuable you can learn. So, seize the moment and take advantage of that.
Time can make two friends grow apart. The way you were when you first met simply might not be the same as when you are now. People change, grow independent, find out new discoveries on their own path & before you know it your friendship has faded.
Can a second chance at a friendship ever be as successful as the first? 

Sometimes certain friends are not worth going back for and fighting through the countless drama upon end. Sometimes you are better left on your own.
However, there are cases in which the universe may turn forward in your favor and a second chance at a friendship can completely alter your life.
Living a lifestyle with no regrets and a sense of forgiveness is a way that opens your soul up to the unthinkable. Find a way to push pass the potential heart ache or finding a fix to the grudge the friendship ending might of cause and remember that this person came into your life for a reason. Now they are waiting and have openly found the courage to want to try and make things better. Move forward with knowing both sides to the story, not just yours.
Don’t fall straight towards forgetting, lean towards forgiving.
-Ash

Drawing a Line through Sorority Stereotypes

HI YA!

                                                                           Stereotypes

---

You can draw a big FAT line through the typical stereotypes you hear about Greek life because it is NOT ANYTHING like you see in the movies. One of my favorite encounters was from one of my neighbors a few weeks back when I came home from college. She greeted me with the “Oh… you’re in a sorority now… you must be awfully busy with partying at school.” Well, actually, with a tremdous amount of pride I whipped right around with my huge smile and said, “My sorority has the HIGHEST GPA on campus out of all of the Panhellenic sororities and I was on Dean’s List for both Fall and Spring Semester.”

You betcha that drew a line right through her stereotype of me.

🙂

This leads into one of the many reasons why I love Chi Omega. And also, let me draw a line through another stereotype for you. We take tremendous pride in our scholarship and the success of our sisters and their studies. Grades has always been a top priority for me and always will be a priority. I am at George Mason University in order to obtain my degree, and being apart of an organization that supports my success, motivates, and encourages me to strive to be even better is truly a blessing. I love being surrounded around a group of intelligent woman who are just as focused as I am. Grades come first in Chi Omega, nothing else.

Which leads into my next point. It is possible to have fun in college. It is almost necessary to have fun. Otherwise, you will drive yourself crazy sitting in the library for extended hours. Go out, meet people, explore, and truly make memories. It’s so important to take time for yourself and truly have a break away. You sit in classes and study for extended periods of time, so reward yourself on the weekends. As I always say, work hard during the week, and reward yourself with the weekend.

Speaking of which, I bought my books for this Fall Semester already.

-Ash

It’s 9:15 AM and I am pretending to be a Minion?

HELLO ALL!

So, as you may know, being a college student comes with a whirlwind of expenses… tuition, books, sorority dues, food payments, parking passes, and then of course my much needed Starbucks runs.

Summer is known for crunch time for college students. It’s when we all warp into a super human being and try to tackle as much as we can when it comes to working. All we care about is making money. We don’t care how we do it, what we do, we know we just need money. At least I do.

This summer I gained an awesome gig that I could not turn down to be a full time summer nanny. Many would be like, how boring right? Well, being surrounded by little minions can be exhausting… it is definitely worth the pay. Between the nerf gun battles, the ice cream runs, waterpark trips, lounging by the pool, and the great humor of children, I would say I definitely lucked out this summer.

I would definitely recommend to any college student and even high school student who wants to pick up some extra cash for the summer and be guaranteed a set line of weekly hours and pay rate, definitely go the nanny track.

Now that summer is winding down, I am already counting down the days until I am done with my summer job and back to GMU. I’m proud to say that I have successfully made my goal for my tuition payment for the Fall semester. 30 more days to go. 

As the kid I nanny would say, BANANA!

-Ash