advice Tag

Finding love- one of the ultimate journeys we take during our lifetime.  Some people have success early on their lives, before online dating became mainstream or even before smart phones were the norm.  Now people are connected to their phones and going without it for even a few hours is considered “going off the grid.”  We manage funds through it, exchange money between friends, call a personal transportation service, and even potentially meet our soul mate. When I first moved to a new city, I decided to give OKCupid aRead More
Those on the inside already know that this happened a couple of months ago, so it should give you some indication about how busy life can be balancing work and the duties of a first-time parent. In any case, I’m back, and I finally have time. As Brittany and I began to look ahead to the birth of our son, we worked towards preparing for the insane number of variables that go into the planning of delivery. How will you birth your child? Naturally? Will you use painkillers? Are youRead More
26th birthday
Today is my 26th birthday. Two years ago, on my 24th birthday, I wrote a list of the 24 lessons life had taught me in 24 years. So, on this, my 26th birthday, I would like to amend and add to that list. Some things change, some stay the same. Here’s what 26 years on this planet have taught me: 1. Don’t drink shitty beer. If it ain’t craft-brewed, it likely tastes like horse piss. 2. Not everyone finds offensive jokes funny. Some people find them offensive. These people suck, though.Read More
In the age of virtual reality, it’s never been easier to avoid actual reality. It’s acceptable now to send digital messages over speaking face-to-face, to surf your phone while out on a date, and to wear earphones in both ears while driving (this one bothers me the most for some reason). But there’s a centuries old practice which still remains the most effective way to produce and cultivate relationships. Going out for beers. It’s simple, yet often overlooked. Having beers is a social convention that dissolves all differences and bringsRead More
Valentine’s Day may be a day filled with romance, but that shouldn’t limit your choice of movie. If you’re gonna shell out for an extravagant dinner, why not go the extra mile to find a movie that you and your boo can call your own. Think Marshall and Lily from How I Met Your Mother. Their Valentine’s Day movie was Predator. Literally everyone and their mother will be watching Dirty Dancing or The Notebook. In case you aren’t seeing Deadpool this weekend, here are 14 guilty and not-so-guilty pleasures youRead More

Posted On December 27, 2015By Allyson DarlingIn Advice For Women, Girlzone, Lifestyle

Celibacy, Drugs, and Rock & Roll

I’ve been here before; it’s an old familiar corner, an imaginary coalition — The Sad Girls Club. It exists solely for the sads that sprout from nothing. Pounding hearts, jaws that clench, minds barren of rational thought and practicality, as one cries as hard as the shower water comes down and tries to get it together enough to shave an armpit (or two). This exists in me and in the small veins in my temple, and the large veins in my opposite elbows, and it holds a weight that IRead More

Posted On November 27, 2015By Jackie RodriguezIn Girlzone, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Ramblings

The Ten Commandments of Copacetic Living

College is well underway and it’s that time of the year, everybody! The time when you want to slowly smother your roommate with a pillow when they sleep because their little habits are starting to seriously annoy you, and you’re wondering why you didn’t just shell out the extra three thousand for the single suite. Interspersed with the grand moments and adventures where you find yourself really grateful that you didn’t opt to live alone, of course. But if you still find yourself sighing loudly instead of laughing loudly becauseRead More

Posted On October 5, 2015By Jackie RodriguezIn Advice For Women, Girlzone, Lifestyle

5 Things Not to Do at College

From your resident college student, here are five things you absolutely should not do while attending college. I mean, you can do them, but people will not like you and will probably write mean things about you on Yik Yak. 1. Introduce yourself to the professor in a 300-student lecture I know it’s like the new “thing” – introducing yourself to the professor increases the chances of them giving you extra credit or letting an absence slip by – but please, for the love of all that is good and holy, doRead More
College has forever been pushed as perhaps the greatest time in life, but does anyone ever mention the drawbacks? Well, besides the pretty much unimaginable cost, which is touted as one of the biggest drawbacks to anything ever, but doesn’t actually feel real to anyone. For example, I currently owe $8,032 to my university. Having never seen more than five hundred dollars at once, this number feels obnoxiously big and like it could be way, way, smaller. But wait, there’s more…   1. There’s walking. Like a lot. Can someone please explainRead More

Posted On August 12, 2015By Allyson DarlingIn Dating For Women, Girlzone

How to Date Again

You’ve cried. You’ve consumed more pints of ice cream than anyone with a slight dairy allergy should. You’ve watched Sex and the City, the movie, seven times, but only until Mr. Big leaves Carrie at the altar, er, the New York library. You’ve empathized with her complete emotional demolishment while she has a weird piece of bird jewelry on her head. You’ve fully mastered the art of sleeping in the center of the bed, but you still haven’t done your laundry because you know there are three of his shirtsRead More
It’s a little known fact that when I was graduating high school, I was also getting my PhD in life. So here it is, for your viewing pleasure– what your (leg) shaving style says about you!   Standing, one leg propped on the shelf First of all, what the fuck is wrong with you? Do you want to slip on the wet tile and fall and HACK YOUR LEG TO SHREDS? What if you slice open a vein while you’re trying to get that Gilette-promised close shave? You probably alsoRead More
Recently, I cut off my medium length blonde hair to an overgrown pixie. It’s short enough where hair ties mean nothing to me anymore, but long enough where you can’t quite see my skull yet. This wasn’t some radical act I did in light of a breakup or in protest for veganism, gender identity, or Bernie Sanders, or anything. I just didn’t like my hair. And it turned out great! It’s the shortest I’ve ever had it and I absolutely love it. It’s fun to wake up every morning andRead More
It is a sad time for us all. Winter has come, tears have been shed, and a week ago, Season 5 of Game of Thrones came to a (tragic; for many reasons) end. If you’re an obsessive Thrones watcher like I am, you might be staring into the bleak landscape of another 9 months without television’s best show. If you’re a sports fan like I am, this is only made more intolerable by the fact that most major sports are in the offseason. But worry not, friends. There is hope forRead More

Posted On June 22, 2015By Jackie RodriguezIn Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Ramblings

An Open Letter to High School

Dear High School,   It’s me. Four years later, here I am. Well, maybe not four years exactly. Four years and some days, just under four years, hell, maybe close to five years– you know as well as I do that I’m really bad at math. Bad at math, bad at science, and yet you never cared. Every August your doors opened, and your halls welcomed me like the cold, distant home I never had.   Oh, high school. Where do I begin this letter? You were there during myRead More

Posted On June 8, 2015By Jackie RodriguezIn Advice For Women, Girlzone

Ignore Them

People are people are people. They say things they don’t mean, they write “heartfelt” expressions of affection they don’t ever want you to fulfill, but they always, always, blame you when the expressions of affection are fulfilled, and it usually just leads to sad people everywhere and annoyed people in between. People are people are people, but why do the rest of us have to pay for the insensitivities of most? You know someone like this. These insensitive people show their faces around the end of things. They’ve been onRead More