Friends Tag

Dear Club Member, I’ve been where you are before, but you’re there now and that’s what matters.  We are members of a club that does not discriminate, but no one wants to be included.  I remember telling you I was part of this club only to have you look at me with compassion and forgiving eyes, but telling you I hope you don’t have to join for a million lifetimes.  But you’re here, with me by your side, wishing we were anywhere but here. We stand side-by-side because one parentRead More

Summers are the one season that fools everyone. People go around talking about the weather and how nice it will be, and how much socializing they’re going to do with their friends, and all that ever happens is those same people who hyped the sun are now bemoaning its presence and sheltering themselves indoors with Netflix. There is no cure to possibility of heatstroke, and the desire to socialize is often trumped by the overwhelming urge to sleep in an air conditioned bedroom with every shade drawn. The only thingRead More

Family. Six letters, three syllables. We all have it in some way, shape, or form. Some people say it’s the people who are there from birth until death do you part, amen, forever. Some people say it’s the people who support you and love you. Both sets of people are right, of course, but the fact is that your family isn’t just what they have in mind– that the group of people who buy birthday cakes and hang your picture on their wall don’t have to be the people whoRead More

I am obsessed with order, symmetry, perfection. I hate gray areas, in-betweens, grounds of ambiguity. Last year, I strove for an all-or-nothing “balance” that I thought would regulate and organize my life. However, what I’ve realized is that balance is not about “extremes” leveling each other out. It is not always about saying a hard yes or a hard no. It isn’t about making a definite decision. Rather, a true balance is about finding the middle ground that I have hated so much. Last year, in an effort to maintain aRead More

We can’t stop, and we won’t stop—Well, you should stop. New Year resolutions are great—if you’re the type of person who is so self-disciplined that you can actually follow through with your promises for longer than one week—aka, you’re probably not human. So, as imperfect humans, we are typically more prone to listen when we are told no, don’t, STOP. The negative is always more powerful, and I’m going to put that to the test.   15 Stop-It’s for 2014 Stop spending more on material goods than on experiences. It’s greatRead More

I think it’s safe to say that I am going to be a professional bridesmaid. “Will you be my bridesmaid?”  My answer is always yes- “yes; I would be honored to prep you for your new forever.” Since my first two wedding duties are across the country, and within a month from one another, I followed my answer with a request for the brides, “Please make this forever, if not for me, then for my bank account.” Luckily, they said that was the plan and I believed them.   BeingRead More

Regardless of which college you attend, these are 16 must-do’s to put on your bucketlist. College is called the best four years of our lives for a reason—but it’s also such a short time we must take advantage of. Not only are the academic opportunities plentiful, but the callings for adventure are, as well. With greater independence and freedom, this is our chance to explore beyond our comfort zones and discover every facet of ourselves. Good luck!   1. Attend a sporting event Regardless of whether your school is aRead More

Yesterday, I Skyped a girl I have never met, yet a girl I have been speaking to every day for four years. She lives in England and is starting her first year of university this month. She occasionally sends me sparkly stickers and British jewelry, and I whimsically mail over cards covered in amateur doodles of cartoon animals. I watched as she picked out a prom dress, I listened to her rants about her qualms and insecurities, I told her dumb jokes to alleviate the stress of exam season. SheRead More

There is no sensation quite like the anticipation of imminent departure. I remember my final week at home before returning to college, each morning awaking next to friends I cared about deeply. It would be 7am, the sunlight freckled across our statuesque faces—our arms in legs entangled in a silent refusal to move and an unspoken plea to stay. Then, the sudden jolt of our rainforest alarms, the slam on the 15-minute snooze. The lethargic, reluctant roll over to friends on each side—groggily, but oh, so acutely, understanding that ourRead More

In Junior High, I wore pleather pants from Wal-Mart, probably accessorized with leopard-print sneakers and 12-too-many butterfly clips in my crafty up-do.  I proudly told people that I didn’t care what anyone thought about me.  I was lying.  Truth is, I wore my hair like a drug addict because I wanted to stand out.  And as far as the pleather pants, those were in style, okay?  My little sister got a pair too because I’m a terrible influence.  We were a couple of tweens in mass-market pleather.  With braces.  Visualize that.Read More

With autumn just around the corner, universities will soon be back in session. Freshman will be clinging to schedules and seniors begin to count down the days until graduation. With all the hubbub happening I’ve started to think back on my own freshman experience, or lack thereof.  Dear Future College Student, Certain kinds of colleges have been created for certain kinds of students. That is something high schools tell you, but most of their information does not take into account personal experience. Much of their literature talks about where toRead More

It’s hard to be optimistic when there are things in life that drive you mad. So the purpose here isn’t to persuade you to change who you are, it’s to help you make the most out of your negativity in a positive way. Pessimists, here are 3 things you can do to make your life a little more positive. Just a little.   3. Traffic Is Terrible, But It Could Be Worse Your commute is dragging you down, adding countless years to your life. But look at it this way.Read More

Girl Code:  An unofficial set of guidelines that all girls are encouraged to follow unless they want their weave pulled out. It’s a tough world out there, ladies.  We need to stick together. Gentlemen, you can go.  Girls, let’s break it down. The 10 Commandments All Girls Should Follow 1.  Thou shalt not covet a dude who has a girlfriend.  Respect.  It doesn’t matter if the dude looks like George Clooney.  If he’s taken, back off.  It’s not going to happen.  And if it does happen, you just joined forces with a cheater who,Read More

Let me start off by saying this: not all girls are the same.  There are those that do actually mature faster than everyone else like the science textbooks say, and those girls see that nice guys are actually way better than the alternative.  There are those that break the rules and don’t just go for drama and seek attention.  But they are not the norm, sadly. From what I’ve experienced, the majority of girls aged 15-25 prefer to be with a guy that will treat them like crap, cheat onRead More

1. You can’t go out just the two of you Not because you don’t have fun together, you do. That’s why you’re friends, duh. But if just the two of you go out, you know she will get scooped up by some model/personal trainer within 10 minutes of you arriving to the bar, and then you’re all alone, which is the prime place for you to get a very special rape/homicide combo. Either that, or you’ll have to cab home alone, which sucks too.   2. They probably have awesome clothes,Read More