New Year's Resolutions for Every Young Adult

Well party people, the new year is right around the corner! And with every new year comes those pesky little resolutions we set for ourselves and fail to fulfill by the end of the year. However, I have come up with a few for the young adults (or even not so young adults) out there!

1. Find a hobby. For those of us that are constantly on the go, attempting to balance school, work, and a social life, this resolution seems like a joke. However setting aside a couple of hours for yourself in the week can have such a positive effect on your life. For me, I love to blog! I figure I'm always on the computer and I love writing and giving advice so it's perfect. For the athletic readers, find a sport being offered by your community or take on some new challenging workout regimen. For my fellow artists, there are so many things to take on such as writing, photography, painting/drawing, or dancing. Not only are hobbies a good source of stress relief, but they could potentially lead you to a new career!
2. Strive to save a certain amount of money by the end of the year (i.e. $1000). Honestly, it scares me a bit when it comes to saving money. I always try so hard and then all of a sudden my money just vanishes.. or so it seems. But this task doesn't have to be difficult! One way of doing this is by adding a specific amount of money to a jar each week whether it be $1, $5, or even just loose change. By doing this every day or once a week, you'll be surprised about how it really adds up by the end of the year! 
3. Find an exercise you are passionate about. It's amazing how many forms of exercise there are out there for us. Between yoga, dance classes, swimming, or lifting weights, the options are almost endless! Find one you're passionate about and try to complete a session a few times a week. These exercises don't need to be extensive or long, but with time, you'll begin to feel healthier and happier!
4. Go on an adventure. When I say adventure, I don't mean travel to another country and live their lifestyle for a couple of months (unless that's your style. In that case GO FOR IT), this could be something as simple as hiking that mysterious trail behind your house and seeing where it leads you. If you're by a coast, there are tons of hidden beaches or coves I can almost guarantee that you have never seen before. Not only does this give you an opportunity to take a solid Instagram picture (which let's face it, seems to extremely important these days), but really helps to open your eyes into the world we live in!
5. Set a goal within the workplace. Whether you're a student or an employee, you can always set a goal regarding your work habits. For you students out there, maybe you could use a little help in the prioritization department or balancing out work and play. Believe it or not, I find I actually do better in my classes when I allow myself to let loose every once in a while. It is okay to give your brain a break, people! For those of you working, strive for that promotion or raise that is being offered, just remember that if you don't get it, you're not a terrible employee!

Although these are just a few ideas, you can always set other goals for yourself for the new year! Best of luck to all of you and happy holidays!

-Emma

I'm Back in SoCal!

It's finally break which means two things: 1. CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE. and 2. I SURVIVED MY FIRST SEMESTER OF COLLEGE. (shoutout to everyone else that survived their fall semester/quarter as well!) As you can tell from these pictures, it's a bit obvious that I am no longer in San Francisco. Not only am I here because the dorms have been locked up for the next month, but I have made the decision to move back to Southern California.

Although I really wanted to love the San Francisco vibes and adapt to the culture of the city, I realized that it is simply not for me, and that's okay!  I have gone through a lot of changes this year and have been exposed to all sorts of places, people, food, you get the gist. During this process I have learned a lot about myself, the kind of person I want to be in my life, and what I hope to achieve in my lifetime. Not going to lie, some pretty deep stuff has gone through my mind. I am not sure where I will end up in the next year but I'm planning to continue my studies at a local college in my hometown and end up transferring to a larger university. With the new year brings new adventures and I believe it's important to take risks while we are all still young!

With this transition in my life, I plan to take the new year as an opportunity to set some goals for myself.  Yes, I am aware that it is still 2014 but it's really never too early to start making improvements on your living habits! But, that is a post that is yet to be revealed;)

With that said, I think I've said all I've wanted to say about my life, friends. I hope everyone is having a joyous holiday season and eats lots of Christmas cookies and candy canes! If you have read until this point, I thank you very much!


Bye for now!
Emma

Rejection.

Well, let's face it.  It's something we all deal with at one point or another in our lifetimes.  That's right I'm talking about rejection.  At this point in my life, it seems like every which way I turn, rejection is standing there waiting to knock me off my high horse. From college acceptances, to job interviews, there it is! Ready to take you down just when you start feeling good about things!

The main reason I'm writing this post is because I recently just had yet another encounter with rejection.  Often times rejection leads us to feel shame and embarrassment.  I'm not sure if this is just a natural instinct we have within ourselves or if society has taught us to feel this way when admitting it to others or even ourselves. 

Ultimately I feel rejection is nothing to be ashamed of.  Rejection simply puts us on the track we are supposed to be on.  The track that will be most beneficial for ourselves.  I'll admit, at first this was not my mind set.  I was just like any other angry, rejected person asking myself, "what did I do wrong?" or "I can guarantee I was a way better fit for that spot than any other girl."  After letting it sit for a while I came to the conclusion, that it's probably for the best that I didn't get that spot.  Now I have the ability focus on bettering myself in the circumstances I am in and even forcing myself to step out of my comfort zone and take risks I may have not taken if I had been given that spot that I've been sulking over.

All in all, rejection can be good!  Focus on that the next time you don't get the position you wanted at work or didn't get into that dream school you were hoping for.  

As always, I sign off with a big thank you if you have read this far!

-Emma

First Month of College

I can't believe it's already been a month! ..well, almost a month but we're on week four of school.  I'm still really adjusting to everything here; getting used to the luxurious life of public transportation, the exquisite living conditions of living in the dorms with two roommates, and we can't forget about the impecable food of the cafeteria.  I mean it's not that bad, really, but still a change!  Living in San Francisco, I'm really blessed with the location and beauty of this place. (like really, look at these pictures. I live here!) 

College is a lot different than anything I've ever experienced in my life.  But here, at USF, it's not your "typical" college experience.  There isn't a football team or much Greek life, so it kind of forces you to branch out and find other things to do! I mean, I'm not going to lie.. that has made it a little tough to find friends other than the people in your dorm especially when you're swamped with homework too. But I really feel like this school has helped me adapt to living like an adult here.  

After the first few weeks, it really hit me how fast my freshman year is going to go by.  It gets me really excited for the future! Now that I really, know what I want to do with my life, I'm ready to get started with it! But that topic is another post;)  Once again, if you made it to the bottom of this post a thank your sweet soul.

XO

Emma

Dealing With Anxiety

Hi friends!

Me again! Okay so one thing I deal with and I'm sure a bunch of others deal with is ANXIETY.

Here's a little background on my personal experience with it!  Pretty much all of my life I've been a pretty stressed out person, but it was probably around first grade when I really realized what was going on.  It started with small stuff like school, which we all just know and love the effects it can take on our bodies yay! But if I forgot a homework assignment or didn't study for a test, I noticed that my ears would start to get really hot (or so it seemed) and I would turn white as a ghost which is pretty extreme considering I'm already a super pale person.  I figured out easy ways to avoid this like just being prepared and boom, anxiety was suppressed for a few years! Over the years, my anxiety has gradually come about again just due to life.  Hey, it happens to the best of us! My junior year of high school was when it really started getting tough for me though.  I had really low self esteem and was going through stuff at home too. Senior year was when everything exploded.  I had my first real panic attack and let me tell you it was not fun.  Hyperventilating, feeling like I was ready to die, the whole shebang.  Luckily for me, I've only had a few of these massive ones in the past year or so.

So here are some things I do to help me calm down in the midst of these attacks!

1. Be prepared.  I find that if I am organized, have a schedule and allow myself time within the day to catch my breath, it's a lot easier to cope with things, in turn you avoid the stress. Woohoo!
2. Remove yourself from the situation causing you anxiety. This one is pretty self explanatory, but if you feel an anxiety or panic attack coming on, take a deep breath and go somewhere that calms you. It could be your bedroom, a bathroom, outside, or if you're lucky, a beach.  Where ever you can go that you feel safe, GO.
3. Breathe.  This one is a big one for me.  Because I tend to hyperventilate during a panic attack, I usually stop whatever I am doing and try to catch my breath. What helps for me is putting a tissue over my mouth, a towel, or even my shirt to try and help filter my breathing, basically forcing myself to breathe slower. 
4. Talk. I am currently in my first year of college eight hours away from home which seems like an eternity to me.. even though it's really not.  If you're like me, you are really close with your family and get homesick leading to anxiety.  I find that talking to your friends and family from home either on the phone, facetiming, or even to just shoot them a text letting them know how you're feeling, it'll help tremendously. 

PLEASE NOTE: THESE ARE PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS, NOT PROFESSIONAL TIPS. 

Well that about sums it up! People, please take into consideration that anxiety is a serious thing and should not be taken lightly or as a joke.  There are a lot of people who struggle with this disorder and it affects everyone in different ways. 

Thanks lovelies! Also, if you made it all the way to this sentence, props to you!

-Emma

FIRST POST WOOP

Hi friends!

Alright so I'm new to this whole blogging ordeal so please cut a girl some slack.. Anywho I'm Emma and I am just a girl living in San Francisco, California (yes, it is as windy as everyone says. no, it rarely rains here). Pretty much it.. there's not much to me! But I'll tell you more anyway because let's be honest here, who doesn't like talking about themselves. Okay, well, I've started this blog simply because I love talking and I love social media so I might as well do both! ..even if no one even reads these haha

So basically, my brain is always going. Like nonstop. I don't understand how it does it. That's why I'm here on blogger/blogspot/whatever you want to call it.  I like sharing my ideas with people in hopes that they inspire them as well.  I also love giving advice on life.. or anything really. Not trying to brag or anything, but I've been through some wild stuff LOL (why I just put LOL, I don't know. Please don't judge me).  What I plan to post here are some of my favorite recipes/foods, DIY tricks and tips, healthy living ideas, beauty fabulousness, and maybe even just what's going on with my life.

Well that pretty much sums it up! Can't wait to get this bad boy up and running!

XO,
Emma

PS. If you read this, I heart you.