2017: The Highlights

Well 2017 has come to an end, and I don’t know about you but I have seen a lot of people saying many bad things about the year 2017. Obviously, whether or not 2017 was a good year for someone is completely subjective, but I just wanted to throw some positivity out there and say that I loved 2017! I mean don’t get me wrong, it definitely had its ups and downs (a big down being dealing with anxiety) but it overall was a great year for me. And here are five reasons why:

1. I moved! We moved into our new home on January 15th and it just has been a brilliant fresh start for me and my family, especially after the crazy year we had before.
2. I stepped out of my comfort zone. Shortly before we moved, I went on a weeklong leadership conference with my university and it is not at all something I would’ve done a few months prior. I am so proud of myself! Not only that but I also studied abroad, which will also be a later point I touch on, and that was a MAJOR step out of my comfort zone for me.
3. I got into the business school at my university. I started off the year with an acceptance to the business school and am so grateful for the opportunity to be at such a great institution!
4. Like I mentioned before, I studied abroad for my fall 2017 semester in Manchester, England and it was an AMAZING experience. I honestly wouldn’t trade this for the world and I miss it already!
5. TRAVEL. I travelled so much this year. Before leaving for study abroad I went to stay at my cousin’s vacation condo by the James River in Virginia, and my sister and I did an impromptu trip to Boston. While studying abroad, in three months I visited the cities of Reykjavik, Vik, Edinburgh, Manchester, Dublin, Athens, Santorini, Leeds, York, Liverpool, Bath, London, Paris, and Barcelona! In terms of countries, I visited, England, Iceland, Scotland, Ireland, Greece, and Spain. Boy was it a CRAZY FUN year.

 

These are five highlights from my 2017, and I would really love to hear yours so please tell me! I can’t wait for us to make 2018 an even greater year. Lots of love and thanks for sticking around.

1 Year Later

Boy has it been awhile since I have posted on here. It’s been 1 year and 2 months to be exact. I remember using this blog as a way to escape from one of the most difficult times in my life, and I guess I just needed some time to cope with everything that had happened. But now, 1 year and 2 months later, I logged onto this blog again and in all honesty I feel like I am writing here as a completely different person. Here’s why…

UPDATES:

Reason 1: This is one of the more obvious reasons but your 19 year old dreamer is no longer 19. I guess I should’ve planned out the title of this blog better (psht naive 19 year old me) but I like it so I’m going to keep it. One day my old self is going to look back at this blog and think of my 19th year–which was by far one of the most life changing year of my life–and smile as I read about all the jumbled up thoughts I had and the fact that I got through this horrific year. But anyways, I am officially 20 now and that means I have entered what is supposedly supposed to be the best decade of my life. Fingers crossed everyone is right about that lol.

Reason 2: I finally picked a major! I made the drastic jump from political science to switching to the business school and declaring an operations management and business analytics major. I only chose that major because the name sounded cool (lol jk…kinda) but I am happy with my decision and even though I am definitely still lost, I am a little less lost now so woohoo!

Reason 3: I moved! I know a lot of you are probably thinking this isn’t that big of a deal, but I left my childhood home and city–the home where I was born, raised, and have so many memories of my dad–for a drastically different house in a new city that my dad has never even seen and will never get a chance to. I am so grateful for the move and I am lucky that we were able to put our old house up for rent so we technically still own it, but this was definitely a BIG change for me. I mean heck I even commute to college so I have NEVER moved until now.

Reason 4: I am studying abroad in the fall semester! This is by far one of the most exciting things in my life right now and I know this will be a huuuge leap out of my comfort zone (I’m such an introvert and a mama’s girl haha) but I truly am so excited. However, there definitely are some nerves, especially since I am studying abroad in Manchester, England and the current unrest in the U.K. and Manchester specifically has put my family a bit on edge about the whole situation. However, I am adamant in my decision to let love conquer hate and I will not let intolerant and sick people keep me from living my life to it’s fullest.

Reason 5: I am SO much stronger of a person. In all honesty, I went through hell and back last year–I stopped blogging in April but boy when you thought things could not possibly get worse, the universe showed me they could–and I now truly know what it takes to never give up. I firmly believe that struggles form us into more resilient and stronger people, and my 19th year was a testament to this.

Reason 6: I have the BEST people in my life. Honestly, if 19 taught me anything, it’s who is truly there for me. It takes a friend to be there for you in your happiest of times, but it takes a best friend to be there for you in your darkest of times. I am so beyond blessed and grateful for my amazing group of friends and my amazing family. God knows you all make me a better person everyday–and I LOVE you for that.

Reason 7: I for once in my life feel like I have some sort of direction (kinda). This sensation definitely is fleeting, but part of me finally feels like I have some idea of what I am doing. But I guess you can’t really plan out life so I am just going with the flow and seeing where life takes me, but it’s nice to know that once in awhile I seem to know what I am doing lol.

Here are just some updates for now but there definitely are a lot more! I started writing this post 1 year and 2 months after my last post, but I didn’t end up finishing it and posting it until 2 months later and SO much more has already changed lol. I guess it’s impossible to keep my future self and all my readers completed updated when everything changes so often, but I will try my best! LOVE YOU ALL and THANK YOU for listening. You truly don’t know how muc it means to me.

 

 

Goodbye, Dad.

I have gone back and forth about whether or not I want to write this blog post, but I felt I owed it to myself, the people who read my blogs, especially those who read my weekend coffee share, and most importantly to my Dad, to share.

On April 14th, 2014 I said goodbye to my best friend, my strength, my hero, my pillar in life; the man I was lucky enough to call my dad. It still does not feel real and not only is it hard to say, but typing it is even tough. Today marks 24 days since my Dad left this world for a spot in heaven. I know the death of a parent is inevitable and at one point or another almost all of us will go through it, but never in my life would I have imagined saying goodbye to my Dad at 19. He was only 51 and still so full of life. The worst part about losing my Dad is knowing there is so much he wanted to see, and so many important milestones in our lives he is going to miss out on. Before he fell ill, we were in the process of buying a new home. My family has lived in our current home for 22 years, and my Dad was so excited that we were finally going to move. Every time we would tour a home, even if it was totally impractical or out of our budget, my Dad would say, “I like this one, let’s get it!”. He spent his whole life putting all his family and friends before himself, and I truly believe this world will never be as good of a place without him. He was also so passionate about travelling, but with his underlying condition in his last few months we could not go abroad or travel as much as he would have liked. On my parent’s anniversary this year, January 3rd, my sister, Mom, and I actually surprised my Dad with a mini vacation to National Harbor which is fairly close to our home and very close to all his doctors. We got to see the ICE Show at the Gaylord National and spent a night in the luxury hotel. It was one of the last times we traveled anywhere together as a family, and we had an amazing time. Dad had so much fun after the trip and he even said, “Only 364 more days until we get to do this again!”. Little did he know that all of this would be cut short by what was coming.

When my Dad got extremely ill, it all came at once. The morning before he went to the hospital, he insisted to my mom that they go visit my 6 month old cousin because they hadn’t seen him in awhile. He felt fine all morning. That day my friend’s and I had taken a day trip to New York City and got home at about midnight. That was when Dad got really sick. We took him to the hospital at about 4am and he was in the hospital for about a month fighting a sepsis infection that also put him in septic shock. No matter how many times the doctors told us he was not going to make it, we pushed harder and harder and made them try everything possible because no one was ready to lose him yet. The line, “He’s not going to make it” is something we have heard a lot in the ten year period that my Dad was ill. But, without a doubt every other time we had heard it from doctors, a miracle would happen and my Dad would push through and get better. That’s just the kind of strong person he was and still is. He had been in the hospital three months prior with a similar infection, and after three weeks of fighting he came home and we had a good three-four months. As a whole and taking into account all my Dad’s medical history, he was ill for about ten years. He fought a long and hard battle, and I know it was all so he could see my sister and I grow up, and watch his wife, mom, brothers, sisters, nieces nephews and friends all progress in life. My Dad always used to say my sister and I were his kidneys and my mom his heart–the only three organs that had never been poked or prodded in his 10 year long battle. Sadly, with the sepsis infection his kidneys had failed, but his heart stayed strong and beating until the absolute end. People in his condition barely make it five years, but Dad was so strong he pushed through and lived ten years. His medical history is long and complicated and not something I would like to share on here, but since his diagnosis ten years prior, my Dad accomplished so much. We traveled to a couple different places before he got too weak, like Florida, California, Virginia Beach and Philadelphia among  others, and my Dad also opened two of his own businesses which he loved SO much.

Even though my Dad was ill, his passing is something no one was prepared for. I wish everyone reading this blog post got a chance to meet him, because he was truly so full of life and more kind-hearted and selfless than any person I know. God does not create many people who are as extraordinary as the man I am lucky enough to call my Dad, and the only way I can cope with a loss this immense is believing that God wants only the best people near him and that my Dad is no longer suffering. The kind of pain me, my sister, my mom, my grandma, and the rest of my Dad’s amazing family and friends are going through, is a pain I would never wish upon anyone else. It hasn’t even been a month since he passed, but I already know the loss of a loved one is not something that will ever get better. Grief sometimes comes in waves and other times tsunamis, but bottom line is–it’s always there.

For a little bit, I think I tried to convince myself that things were normal again because it is too painful to think that nothing is ever going to be normal again. I still feel like my Dad is going to come home and that he is just out of town or still at the hospital. I think back to the moment he took his last breaths, when his blood pressure monitor read “NO DETERMINATION”, and his funeral. It all feels like a long nightmare and every morning I wake up and for a split second I think, “maybe it was all a dream” but then the harsh reality hits.

The bottom line is, that to me my Dad is NEVER going to be gone. Sometimes if I am talking to my friends and I bring up my Dad in a conversation because I have a memory with him or it relates to him, I see them feeling uncomfortable. This bothers me SO much. I understand they may not know what to say, but just because my Dad is not in this world does not mean I am not going to cherish the sweet memories I have of him. At the end of the day, memories are all I have left and I will hold onto them forever. If you are the friend of someone who has lost a parent or loved one, don’t make it awkward if they want to talk about that person. It is all a part of life and getting through what probably is one of, if not the, hardest thing they have had to go through.

I still haven’t accepted that it is real and I don’t think I will for a long time. My mom wanted us to go back to our normal routine as soon as we could, so I only stayed out of college for about a week and a half. My professors have been extremely understanding, but it is hard to not let the stress of makeup work and finals pile up on me. At school, I try to act as normal as possible around my friends,  but sometimes I feel like people think I am already okay and back to normal after everything that has happened. My friends have been beyond supportive, but I have never been one that has liked to show my friends that I am upset. There is only one friend in particular who I feel comfortable enough to tell that I am not okay. I am lucky because I have so many cousins who are like my siblings, and it is a lot easier to open up to them about my grief than it is to open up to my friends. I know I could not have made it this far through such a difficult time in my life, without all my family by my side. With my Dad’s passing we have rekindled a relationship with some cousins that we lost touch with due to a misunderstanding, and that is all my Dad ever wanted. He wanted all the kids in the family–all the cousins–to be close, and even after he left this world he still brought people together. That is just what he does.

This blog post is dedicated to my Dad.

“I was his angel and now he’s mine.”

💕 Love you forever,

Your little girl

 

What do I want to do with my life?

If there are any other college students out there reading this, please tell me I am not the only one who has absolutely no clue what they want to do with their life.

I came into college thinking I am going to be a government and politics (just a fancy name for political science at my university) major with a focus on foreign policy, and that I am going to follow the pre-law track. Fast forward a semester and a half later and I have absolutely no clue what I want to do anymore. All I know is I definitely do not want to pursue foreign policy anymore. One day I want to do business, one day I want to stay in government and politics, and other days I am like maybe I should be a doctor. What is this nonsense?! Why can’t I just choose what I want to do? At the end of the day, does my major even really matter? Why do I have to make all these important life decisions at the mere age of 19?!

These are questions that seem to eat my head every hour of every day and I can’t help but feel I have no clue what I am doing. I am just sitting in overpriced college classes, and I feel like I am wasting money because I have no clue about a major. I was fortunate enough to complete most of my general education requirements in high school through AP classes, and now I am delving deeper into my major classes and I am not even sure if government and politics is what I want to do.

I always hear people say, “it’s totally okay to change your major in college” and how “college is about finding yourself”, but honestly, how does one find them self? I am getting frustrated with the fact that I have no clue what I want to do. Sometimes I just want to drop everything and take a gap year, but there is also a huge part of me that knows I will regret that in the long run. I was raised in an environment where education was valued so much and the idea of taking a semester off just seems like a completely foreign concept to me. What would I even do during the gap year to learn more about what I want to do? Most internships in the area where I am from require you to be at least a part-time student, therefore I don’t really think I could do much soul-searching through internships during a gap year.

Please, please, please sound off in the comments if you can relate or if you have some tips on figuring out what you should major in, in college. Also, please let me know how you chose your career path and what made you want to pursue it.

 

Thanks for listening to me rant!

~~~~Your 19 year old Dreamer  (who is very confused at the moment)

Perks of being a Terp 🐢

The University of Maryland is such a great campus community to be a part of! I am so glad I chose to come to this school, and if you are thinking about attending the University of Maryland, here are some reasons you totally should!:

1. The campus is beautiful- Yes, I know the sheer size of UMD’s campus may be intimidating at first, but I promise you will grow to love it and eventually it won’t even seem that big. There’s always somewhere to go whether you are looking for an area to study or just a place to hangout with friends. The views from anywhere on campus are beautiful.
2. The school spirit is amazing– The spirit is boasting all year around, but is especially prevalent on the days where the Men’s basketball team is competing. Since UMD is a Big Ten school for mean’s basketball, the sports players here are essentially treated as celebrities. Sometimes you may be lucky enough to run into Melo Trimble or Jake Layman on your way to class or in Stamp. One day I ran into Melo right before my economics midterm, and I took that as a sign of good luck 🙂
3. There’s always something going on- Whether it be a dance in the Grand Ballroom of Stamp, or even people playing Quidditch on Mckeldin Mall (yes, people actually play Quidditch on the mall) there’s never a moment to be bored. There is always a club, class, sorority or fraternity holding some sort of event for students to participate in. Just the other day I got to smash furniture with a hammer because it was exam time and students needed a way to channel stress.
4. The people here are great- They always say you make lifelong friends in college, and this is especially true at UMD. There are so many clubs for so many different people, and just in general the campus community consists of such friendly people. Not only are other students friendly, but the professors here are great. Even though we have huge classes, the professors always making a conscious effort to help students and make sure they are excelling in their classes. We also have professors from such great backgrounds who have pursued such a diverse set of careers; there is a mentor here for everyone.
5. We are right next to Washington D.C.– Internships. Internships. Internships. Washington D.C. is the prime hub for internships and amazing career opportunities. Getting a degree alone does not cut it in the job world anymore, students need experience to get hired out of or even within college. UMD’s campus is right next to the College Park metro which gives you direct access to all Washington D.C. has to offer.

These are just a few reasons why you should come to UMD, but the list could go on and on. If you are contemplating attending UMD, I highly suggest coming out and visiting the campus. I assure you it will be worth it!

Hope this helped some of you who are trying to figure out what university you want to attend.

~~~~Your 19 year old Dreamer 

An open letter to my Mom

Dear Mama,

I just wanted to say thank you for always staying so strong. You are my rock in life and after everything we have been through, you never fail to be the strong, independent and courageous woman you are. Thank you for always teaching me that things get better. Thank you for always being on my side. Thank you for fiercely protecting me and always putting my interests before your own. Thank you for providing for our whole family essentially on your own for TEN years after dad got sick and was unable to work. Thank you for all the sacrifices you made to ensure your daughters live a healthy and stable lifestyle. Thank you for always being my biggest supporter.

I could go on and on and thank you for all the amazing things you do for me, but the bottom line is  I love you so much and don’t know how I was lucky enough to have someone as great as you as a mother. I know we disagree at times and I can be really annoying, but at the end of the day I wouldn’t change the relationship I have with you for the world. We are the real life Lorelai and Rory Gilmore.

I want you to know that no matter what you go through, I will always be there for you and always be your biggest supporter like you have always been mine.

Here’s to many more awesome memories!

Love you loads and loads,

~~~~Your 19 year old Dreamer 

 

If we were having coffee…

I would tell you this week has been one of the hardest for me. My dad is ill again and has been in the ICU of the hospital for almost two weeks. I would tell you that with everyone’s prayers and the work of God’s miracles he is making progress, but having him in the ICU still scares me a lot. I would also tell you that going to the ICU is not necessarily new for me. This has been the third time since last June that my dad has been in the ICU. I would tell you that sometimes I feel like everything around me is falling apart because not only does my dad’s illness and worrying for him take a toll on me, but I am also a college student and this past week and the next two weeks are midterm weeks. I would tell you that I am waiting for the day my dad comes home and gets better and life can be normal again. I am waiting for the day where he will be home and healthy and there will be no need for extensive hospital trips. I am waiting for the day we can finally buy that new house he wants, and go on all the vacations he wants to go on. I would tell you I am waiting for the day that all my dad’s wishes come true.

I would also tell you that I got back a paper for my political philosophy class today and was ecstatic to see that I got an A. If you knew how much I stressed over this paper and how I was absolutely positive I failed it, you would understand why this made me so happy. I would also tell you my sister was voted employee of the month at her job and I am so proud of her. She just started this job about 6 months ago and the long hours and the stress of my dad really began to take a toll on her, but I am so happy to see her excel. I would tell you that being employee of the month really lifted a huge weight off her chest.

Last but not least, if we were having coffee I would tell you this blog has really helped me cope with a lot of the anxiety I deal with. Just being able to write down my thoughts and the idea that someone else could be going through a similar situation and maybe benefit or just relate to my life; it means the absolute world to me.

If we were having coffee, I would simply want to thank you for listening.

 

~~~~Your 19 year old Dreamer 

****It is with a heavy heart that I announce my Dad lost his battle on April 14th, 2016. Please click here if you would like to read the post honoring my father and the amazing man he was, and will continue to be for me.

 

11 things I learned over 19 years

 

I know I have  only been alive for 19 years, but here are some lessons I have learned along the way that I thought are important to share. Make sure you comment below some of the most important lessons you have learned during this crazy thing that we call life! 

1. It’s okay to sometimes not be okay-Constantly pretending everything is okay all the time can be exhausting. Trust me, I learned this one from experience. Concealing everything with a smile is not suddenly going to make everything go away. Eventually, a smile will lose meaning and it will no longer make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside like it’s supposed to.  If you need to vent or grieve or channel your anger, it is okay to do that every once in awhile. Find different ways to channel your anger or grief. I have always found writing and singing (even  though I sound like a dying whale) therapeutic, what are some ways you guys like to channel your anger?

2. Learn to be okay with your own company-It is so important to learn to be able to be happy when you are by yourself. People are great to be around, but at the end of the day the one person you can always count on is yourself. Fostering independence within yourself is a skill that will be of utmost value to your future.

3. That being said, people are not always bad-Not everyone is out to get you. This is one I still struggle with. Best friends are actually there to be best friends and to listen. More often than not, many of our frustrations can be solved by simply just talking to someone and letting them know what’s going on. Opening up to someone you trust at first can feel a bit scary, but after awhile it will come more naturally and it will feel as if a weight has been lifted off your chest. Now I am not saying go tell your deepest darkest secrets to some stranger on the street, but rather to abstain from the feeling that no one is there for you.  I liked to conceal everything I was dealing with because I thought letting others in would burden them.However, lately I have been trying harder to open up more and it has shocked me how supportive people are. At the end of the day, you realize the people who really care about you will take the time to listen.

4. Don’t let this world make you bitter-Bad stuff is going to happen. It always does and it is inevitable. People you thought you could trust are going to screw you over, you may lose a loved one, family/friends may let you down, but at the end of the day this is a part of life no one can escape from. Either you can dwell on every single problem that has come your way, or you can choose to look past them and grow from these experiences.I don’t know about you, but the latter seems to be a much more appealing option to me.

5. “Sometimes when things are falling apart, they may actually be falling into place”-Everything gets better. It may take time, but even the darkest of times will pass and you will come out stronger. So hang in there, warrior.

6. Nothing is going to happen unless you work for it-The only way to turn your daydream into a reality is to work for it. It is not enough to dream about your future job. You need to go out and take advantage of opportunities, such as internships, and work towards that job. Having dreams is great, but making dreams a reality is even better.The only person in charge of your future is you.

7. Bad things happen to good people-This is probably the hardest lesson I have had to learn. As the child of a parent who has been chronically ill for ten years, it’s hard  not to question why horrible things happen to the best people. Maybe it is because they are the strongest and have the ability to get through struggles, or maybe it is just a fact of life. But whatever the reason, if you’re someone who has ever wondered why bad things happen to good people, I want you to know you are not alone. I wonder the same thing every time my dad is going through a tough time. I have tried my best to come to terms with the fact that bad stuff happens, but it is how we deal with it that makes us stronger.

*side note: Do any of you live with or know someone who is chronically ill? How do you deal with this and what is it like for you? This is something I really want to write a blog post about because I always have trouble finding people who connect with me on a similar level. It is also really personal and I am not sure if I am ready to open up just yet. But please let me know in the comments below if you can relate. I would really like to know!

8. Self confidence is key- This is something I still struggle with everyday, but I have realized how important it is to master the art of self confidence. Whether it be in class, the workplace or your personal life, self confidence is always important. Being confident shows people that your opinion matters, and that you are capable and able to get by on your own. I have been through a multitude of jobs by the age of 19, and I realized self confidence is important in every single one. My jobs ranged from interning at the state’s attorney’s office to being a waitress at a country club, and no matter how different these jobs are, self confidence is so important in order to succeed in either one.

9.  “Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game”-Take risks.  And by risks I don’t necessarily mean skydive off a plane (although, if that’s something you’re into you should totally do it!), but rather take risks in your daily life. Maybe for you taking a risk means striking up a conversation with the boy in your class who you have been crushing on, or finally applying for that job you have had your eye on. Whatever it is, even taking the smallest risk could have the biggest impact on your life. Who knows, that boy you start talking to could end up being the man you marry, and that job you apply to may be one of the best decisions you ever make. At the end of the day, taking risks in your daily life is absolutely worth it. If you succeed that’s great, and if you don’t at least you know you tried.

10. When it comes to friends, quality is more important than quantity-I cannot begin to stress how important this is. Having one million fake friends is nothing in comparison to having one really good friend. At the end of the day, the people who are there for you and who genuinely care for you, are your close friends. Having a few people who actually want the best for you is so much more important than having a bunch of people who do not even really know you. At the end of the day, it is so important to surround yourself with your cheerleaders and teammates, and not just noise.

11. Happiness is a choice-This is definitely the most important thing I have learned in my 19 years of life. If you want to be happy, you have to choose to live life with a mindset that things will get better and that bad times will pass on. You also have to teach yourself to see the good in people. If we live life dwelling on all the bad things that have happened to us and all the people who we believe have done us wrong, we will never truly be happy. Rather, it is learning to come to terms with all we have been through and having hope that all will be well soon. If we choose to live life with a positive mindset we will be happier, and I do believe for a fact that happiness is contagious. I don’t know about you, but I would much rather live my life with the positive outlook that all will get better, rather than dwell on every bad thing that has happened in the past.

 

~~~~Your 19 year old Dreamer ❇️

New York, I really do Love You.

I grew up in the typical small-town American suburb. Growing up in a small town definitely had its perks, but in all honestly I have outgrown this town. I am over not being able to go to the grocery store looking like I just rolled out of bed, because chances are you will see at least five people you know. I am tired of seeing my ex-classmates, some of whom I have known since as far back as kindergarten, everywhere I go.

I am in my freshmen year of college at my state university, and though I do not live on campus, I like the escape going to university provides me. I went from attending a school where I knew the entire student body since we all lived within ten minutes of each other,  to jumping into a pool of 40,000 other students from all over the world. When it came down to choosing which college I was going to attend about a year ago, it came down to my state university and Pace University located in New York City. This was an extremely tough decision for me. One of my dreams is to one day be able to live in New York City and start a life there. The location of Pace was absolutely great. But when it came to weighing out all the pros and cons, my state university seemed to be the most plausible choice.

I just came back from visiting NYC with my best friends over spring break, something we actually do quite often, and we went to visit the Lower Manhattan area where Pace is located. It is right by the Brooklyn Bridge and it is an absolutely breathtaking sight. Not only that, but just the feeling I get when I am there is absolutely amazing. Just to back track for a second, I am definitely not saying that I regret going to my state university. I have been fortunate enough to meet so many amazing people and it is only my first year here, and my campus is also so big and beautiful–a big contrast to the town where I grew up. But rather, my point in writing about my trip to New York is because I have now come to the realization that at one point in my life I MUST live in New York City. There is just something about the city that has captured my heart. Maybe its the hussle and bussle of city life, or the fact that every street you walk down you hear a dozen people speaking a dozen different languages, but whatever it is it has me captivated. Every time I go to the city it is as if I find a new part about myself that I never knew existed. After visiting New York City this time around, I know there will always be a place for New York City in my heart no matter what.

Where’s your happy place? Do you see yourself as more of a city person or do you enjoy the calmer lifestyle of the suburbs? I’d love to hear what you all have to say in the comments below!

 

~~~~Your 19 year old Dreamer ❇️

Chasing Smiles 😊

Welcome to Chasing Smiles! This is a blog that is going to feature a variety of different types of posts as they come to my mind. Some posts may be more light-hearted and showcase things that make me happy and that I find inspiring. Other posts may be a bit more emotional and reflective upon lessons I learn a long the way. Basically, it is going to be an online diary where I post whatever comes to my mind that day. Contrary to the name of this blog, I know it’s hard to smile all the time, but I want this is to be a place where people can interact and work towards smiling more. I truly believe happiness is so important to live a healthy and stable life, and I believe that connecting with one another on different levels creates happiness.

Chasing Smiles is a place where people can interact and make one another other smile 😊 

~~~~Your 19 year old Dreamer ❇️