Author: Brooke

The Passing of Time & Our Expectations of Productivity

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

As I have mentioned a few times on this blog in the past, I write all of my posts for an upcoming week the weekend beforehand, scheduling them to go up in advance. The day this post will go up is my last day of winter break, when I will most likely be writing my posts to go up the following week. You may be thinking, why would I bring this up? Well, there’s a few reasons. Winter break flew by, and I had all these expectations of things I could get done: tons of volunteer opportunities, tons of homework and extra credit assignments, studying for finals, holiday parties and fun plans with friends and family, summer program applications, blogging, cleaning, and writing with the intention of submitting to competitions.

Yes, it sounds like a lot- but 16 days of no school also sounded like a lot of time to do it all. To no one’s surprise (not even really my own), I wasn’t able to do everything. Time flew by, slipped through my fingers, and what I thought was a huge chunk of time still wasn’t enough to do everything I thought I could, regardless of how productive I was or wasn’t. I always feel like time is passing me by because I just want to do so much, and even at my highest levels of productivity and motivation, it’s impossible to do it all. Balancing fun things and obligations and things that fall under both categories is a lot no matter who you are, but I’ve also found that I almost want to overload myself since there’s so many things I’m interested in and I constantly discover new things I want to be a part of or think of ideas I would like to execute.

I don’t know whether to blame myself for time management issues, or blame myself for having unrealistic expectations- maybe I should be doing both? I would make a list of things I wanted to get done each individual day and I would take everything one step at a time, but I just never ended up knocking enough things off the list. I guess the “culprit” could’ve been the fact that I made a lot of plans with friends, but it’s winter break and the holiday season; it was kind of a given that I would be going to holiday parties and such. I shouldn’t feel guilty for wanting to be social on one of the only substantial breaks from school of the year. On a normal weekend, I don’t see my friends at all- I’m shut up in my room doing homework and other work on my computer or writing, and then I’ll possibly go out for food and volunteering. I knew there wasn’t going to be another opportunity for me to have this much time to just do something fun, so I said yes to all the plans my friends asked me to participate in.

It scares me how fast time has been passing in general. My first semester finals are in a couple weeks (a huge reason why I had so much work over break), and that means I’m about to be halfway done with sophomore year. I had so many plans and ideas and thoughts about how I wanted to approach this year, and it’s flown by so fast that I couldn’t even try to implement most of them. Sure, I’ve had a full schedule and it’s not like I was being lazy, but I’m confused how I never have time to do anything. How do some people have time to manage a full and difficult course load, a social life, their hobbies, and tons of other random activities and responsibilities both inside and outside of school? I’m managing things okay, but not with a good balance between work and play, and with barely any extra breathing room.

This is more of a question almost than a real post. I’ve offered my situation and my thoughts for you to mull over, and now I’m asking: what am I doing wrong? Am I doing anything wrong? Are any of you experiencing the same thing? Feel free to let me know, we’re all in this together!

Brooke

Should You Seek Private College Counseling?

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

Last year around this time, I had a rude awakening to just how competitive college admissions is today. I’m currently a sophomore in high school, so I was only a freshman at the time this happened, but I started to panic- we had a little meeting with our school counselors to plan out our sophomore year classes and make sure we were on track for the future, and so many people were taking summer school and trying to get ahead and game the system. I didn’t even know there was a system, I thought it was just about doing well in the highest level classes available to you at grade level, and being decently well-rounded outside of school. I didn’t realize there was so much planning and outside factors going into crafting the perfect college application as soon as freshman year. Keep in mind, I go to a competitive public high school, so this may not be the same in your school or different areas; maybe it’s even more competitive, I know at private schools and prep schools it definitely is.

My school counselor wasn’t a huge help due to her having 600 kids to advise and it was difficult to get a 10-minute appointment even if you only had a very immediate concern like a schedule change, and I felt lost after trying to get advice on the Internet from websites like College Confidential. I wasn’t trying to focus my whole life around getting into college in a couple years; I just wanted to know if I was on the right track and what I would need to do to prepare myself. Therefore, I asked my parents if we could go to a consultation with a local college counselor. They reluctantly agreed and we went- it seemed like a good vibe, and I was desperate for answers so it was really helpful to get some. My parents were skeptical to commit to anything because of the fairly high price tag, but they agreed because it was a one-time fee for guidance the rest of my high school years. I feel somewhat guilty that they paid so much since there are good and free resources online, but it was what I needed for peace of mind at the time, and it has proved very helpful to get personalized recommendations and advice.

I apologize for the long-drawn context, but I feel it’s necessary. If you’re feeling helplessly confused like I was and are currently considering whether you should consult a professional, you’ve come to the right place! I’m going to explain a few reasons why you should or should not hire a private college counselor based on your personal situation.

If these things apply to you, YES, you should:

  • You have the resources and time – I feel like this is one of the bigger things to consider. My parents were able to set up a payment plan so it wasn’t as much of a dent at once, and they felt better about it since I would be able to use the service from then until senior year. If you’re starting early, it can be more bang for your buck.
  • You’re an older sibling or only child – I’m personally the oldest sibling and the first one in my family to navigate this process. A lot of my friends are younger siblings and already knew so much about the process- some of their older siblings even had private counselors! They’ve also visited colleges with their older siblings, so they just overall are a lot more familiar with how everything goes.
  • Your parents have no clue about anything admissions-related – College admissions has changed a lot since our parents’ generation applied. My parents also both went to community colleges and transferred elsewhere, so they didn’t even ever go through the traditional college application process, only a transfer one. This led to a lot of frustration from me when they didn’t even believe me about how competitive it is to get in these days.
  • You’re not really sure what you want in a college, or what you want to study in college – I am super all-over-the-place in terms of interests and I don’t have a clear-cut path I plan on following in academics, extracurricular interests, or anything; I just know I like challenging myself and there’s a lot of things I’m interested in. And as far as the actual college search goes, I have no clue what I want either; I think I want a small or medium-size school and want to go far from home, but that’s pretty much it. It’s nice to have someone with a lot of knowledge on different people’s experiences and different schools to talk you through things.
  • You get along with the counselor and like them as a person – It’s so important to pick a counselor that you actually like if you’re going to be working with them throughout high school and paying them a lot of money. You’ll want to pick someone with good reviews online who knows their stuff, and seems like they really care about you.
  • You don’t have a strong relationship with your school counselor and/or another mentor who could help – I actually got a new school counselor this year and I really like her, but it’s still so hard to get appointments. Because there’s not a lot of individualized attention at my school, it just made more sense to seek it out for myself. I don’t have any other connections outside of school that would be able to give me advice when necessary, so I had to find my own.

If these things apply to you, NO, you shouldn’t:

  • It’s too much money and/or time – It’s definitely not worth it if you’d be struggling financially to pay for it. There are free resources online which I will write a post about soon, and your school counselor can help you. Similarly, if you’re a senior, it’s somewhat late in the game to take advantage of the full benefits- I would just go to someone who could read/edit/critique your application and essays if you’re a senior.
  • It seems like the counselor/service will require you to be unauthentic and/or unethical – Anyone who will encourage you to lie or cheat on your application is an automatic no. Even if they are suggesting that you do certain activities you’re not necessarily interested in, I would consider that unauthentic as well.
  • You already have a pretty good idea of what type of school/what school you want to go to and your interests for what to study there – A lot of the input a college counselor will give is related to narrowing down your options and figuring out what your actual plan is. If you already have a plan for yourself, they’re a lot less useful to you. For example, if you’ve decided you want to go to UCLA and major in biology because you love it, you don’t really need someone to tell you what else you should be doing. Yes, you might want someone to read over your applications and essays, but that can be done for cheaper come application time, and anything else you need to know can be found through online research.
  • You’re a younger sibling and/or have parents well-versed in college admissions – As I stated, a lot of my friends have already been through the process with their older siblings and have a pretty good idea of what they will need to do as well. In these cases, there’s not really a reason to ask for outside help when you can work closely with your family members and other personal connections.
  • You have a hands-on school counselor or other unpaid service/connection that can help you with these services – If your school fosters a more personalized connection between counselors and students, you may have never even needed to worry about seeking a counselor outside of school. Similarly, if you have a family member/friend/other connection who works in college admissions or has some other tie to the process, you could easily go to them for simple questions and such.

I hope this helped any of you out there who were having trouble deciding how to take action. Keep in mind this is just based off of my personal experiences, and your experience could be completely different depending on the services offered and the involvement of the program. Only do what you feel comfortable doing, and don’t feel pressured to use a private counselor at all! It can be a great resource and help you out, but it’s definitely not the end-all be-all or ultimate key to success. In a lot of ways, it’s more impressive if you can get through everything on your own 🙂

Brooke

5 Easy Ways to Be Eco-Friendly in 2020

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

As we all know, sustainable and environmentally-friendly products have become a lot more accessible recently. A lot of people, myself included, want to reduce their own contribution to pollution, waste, and all of the harm we are doing to this planet. I’ve really been trying to become more aware of my choices and the waste I create, and it’s important to know that there’s actually a lot of easy and affordable ways to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. If you’re looking to reduce your waste in 2020, keep on reading for five simple ways to do so!

  1. Use reusable cups, straws, and utensils on the go – I know reusable water bottles like Hydro Flasks and metal straws have become super popular, but there’s even more you can do. Bring your own thermoses to coffee shops if they allow it, and keep a set of bamboo utensils in your car if you’re getting takeout or food where you would otherwise be using plastic cutlery.
  2. Pack lunches and snacks in Tupperware or lunch boxes instead of Ziploc or paper bags – Similar to reusable utensils and cups, packing your lunch in a way that produces less waste can also help you cut down a lot on plastic. This is something I plan on doing more this year, since at the moment I bring a paper bag lunch and there’s usually a couple snacks in ziploc bags. It’s an easy way to limit your waste on a daily basis, and it’s probably cheaper in the long run since you only have to buy a lunch box or nice Tupperware set once.
  3. Support sustainable companies and/or charitable companies with products related to the environment – Lots of these companies will be a lot pricier, but the products are often designed to last longer and in some cases they are more ethically made as well. For example, Reformation is known for their sustainable clothing, but it’s also very pricey. There are also companies that create their products on the basis of charity, such as 4ocean that takes a pound of plastic out of the ocean for each bracelet bought.
  4. Buy thrifted/secondhand clothes – This is helpful because it’s also a cheaper shopping option. Sites like Poshmark, Depop, and even eBay (less people go on eBay to buy clothes so you can get great deals) have tons of clothes you can get for super cheap, and it prevents people from throwing out their clothes. Also, going to your local thrift shop is just a fun experience 🙂 Of course, make sure to sell or donate your own clothes when getting rid of them so they don’t get thrown out either!
  5. Take notes / do schoolwork online – This is more about reducing paper than plastic, but I’ve seen that a lot of students have recently gone paperless. If you would rather take notes and complete all assignments online, it’s a great way to reduce waste- it does save some plastic in the long run as well because you won’t have to buy notebooks with the plastic covers, folders, or binders that have plastic in them. I know this doesn’t work for every person’s school and studying situation, but it’s something else to be mindful of. If some of your teachers have options to turn everything in online but some don’t, just take advantage of the opportunity for the ones who do.

Hopefully this inspired you to make a few swaps in your daily lifestyle. Remember that you really can have an impact and change starts with these small choices. On the other hand, remember no one is perfect; it’s difficult to completely shift your lifestyle and there will definitely be slip-ups or times when it’s not feasible to center your shopping around sustainability. The important thing is that you try your best and keep the earth’s best interest in mind. We’re all in this together 🙂

Brooke

Should You Believe in Astrology/Horoscopes? Here’s Why I Do

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

I’m always looking to discuss new topics on this blog and see what people are open to reading about, and today I realized I hadn’t talked about astrology, zodiac signs, or horoscopes before. It’s been on my mind the past couple days a little bit more than usual, since I received a book all about my zodiac sign (I cannot find the other signs, this isn’t even my sign but it’s the only one that came up) as well as a candle related to my birthday and zodiac sign for Christmas. I read the entire book before lunchtime on Christmas morning, and I was excited to learn a couple things about my sign that I hadn’t known before.

I would like to say upfront that I am by no means an astrology expert and I’m not a diehard believer in everything that horoscopes or astrology claims- it’s just like anything else where you have to take information with a grain of salt. That being said, if you’re interested in hearing my perspective on why I follow my horoscope and other astrology information or are skeptical on your own beliefs, I encourage you to keep reading and learn more.

To give a little background, my mom is a big believer in astrology, psychics, horoscopes, crystals, and lots of spiritual things that are often associated together. She has her own books on all of these things that she reads, and she’s been reading me my horoscope since I was little. It was only natural for me to become interested in my zodiac sign and learning more about astrology as well. I’m a Leo born on August 14th, and my moon sign is also Leo. It’s interesting because I don’t see myself as such a full-blown Leo; I’m introverted and quite shy at times. That being said, I think I see it more in my internal self and my goals/dreams for myself in life- I definitely have big dreams.

I think seeing that I’m not the “stereotypical” Leo is the main thing that’s deterred me from being a full-fledged believer in horoscopes and all things astrology, because right off the bat that’s a big shift in my personality that makes a lot of the horoscopes I read seem inapplicable to myself. However, there is still something for everyone to learn as you start reading more about your zodiac sign. In contrast to my mother, my father doesn’t believe in any of this at all. He says horoscopes are general things that could apply to anyone, and it’s just another marketing tactic. I read horoscopes from a variety of different places, and I think it depends- reading from an astrology website is different than reading the little horoscope slide on Snapchat’s news. Similarly, I have no clue where those accounts on Instagram that make little memes/posts about the different signs’ opinions on different topics get or come up with their information.

Since I’m not an otherwise religious person, astrology is a way for me to have some sort of belief in why I am the way I am (tongue twister!) and possibly learn more about myself. I know that may sound silly, but when I was reading the book I got for Christmas there were a few traits of Leos they described that I didn’t even really notice I had before, so it made me feel more connected to my sign and have a bit more faith in astrology. As I’ve stated before, it’s important to take everything with a grain of salt and know that not everything you read will apply to you personally, but it’s still fun to read and learn about. Also, if you believe in the Law of Attraction and manifestation, reading positive horoscopes and believing them might make them actually come true!

I hope this helped you gain a little bit more perspective on why some people enjoy learning about astrology and their personal zodiac signs. I apologize if there’s anything in here that was incorrect or offensive in anyway to what you might believe, but I tried my best to explain it from a neutral perspective. Keep in mind I am not an expert- I just read my horoscope and the occasional book or article to learn more about my sign, and I’ve searched up my personal birth chart a few times in the past. Other than that, I’m just another basic girl who likes having jewelry that depicts their sign 🙂

Brooke

5 Mindful Habits to Implement in 2020

BrookeLeave a comment

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope you all had a fun time celebrating the new year and decade last night. As I’ve stated before, I’m not a huge fan of New Year’s Resolutions because of the notion that no one will end up sticking to theirs attached to them, but I do love setting new goals and trying to implement new things into my life at the start of a new year. And of course, if new year’s resolutions work for you, go for them! I personally set goals very similar to what people normally have as their resolutions- I just remove them from that title. Regardless, there are always little habits and improvements to be made that can increase your productivity and enhance the course of your day. Keep on reading if you want to hear about five little changes you can make throughout your day to make 2020 the best year yet.

  1. Try to stay off your phone when you first wake up – This is a bad habit that I’m definitely guilty of giving into. You think you’ll just check social media and hop out of bed to get ready, but it almost never ends there, does it? I recommend getting out of bed as soon as you wake up and getting breakfast/exercising/doing the first step of your morning routine, and then you can settle down for a couple minutes and check your phone. I feel like going on your phone in bed somehow makes you spend wayyyy more time in bed and online, making that the center of your morning, rather than waking up and starting your day.
  2. Make to-do lists (and separate them!) – I’m a big believer in lists for dealing with almost anything that’s a part of my life. I talk about lists a lot, and you can probably tell by the amount of listicles on this blog that it’s how I organize my thoughts. You probably know making to-do lists is a good way to remember things and start being productive, but what about those times where your to-do list seems ENDLESS and things are constantly being added? In those cases, I often feel even more overwhelmed and stressed when looking at my long list. That’s why you should separate your to-do lists into categories and/or timeframes! I personally organize mine by timeframes- I have one huge master to-do list in my notes with a bunch of stuff on it (both long-term, short-term, and even some “optional” things I would just like to do), but then I have a more immediate to-do list of things I need to do that specific day. This helps me actually set my course for the day without getting distracted by other tasks that aren’t as important, and it prevents me from getting more overwhelmed than I already am.
  3. Meditation – Again, this isn’t exactly an original idea, but it’s how you implement it that makes a difference. Meditation often scares people off, especially if they don’t have a lot of experience or background. People will end up abandoning it after one or two tries even if they enjoyed those first attempts, just because it seems like a lot of effort and they’re not sure how much they can actually get out of it- I’m guilty of this. However, if you use a guided app on your phone for just a couple minutes each day, or even just when you’re feeling particularly stressed, it becomes a lot more approachable. I personally use the app Headspace, and it really does clear my head- I often forget that I can use it to take a breather on tough days, but I’m going to work on making it a more regular habit this year.
  4. Put extra effort into one part of your daily routine/appearance everyday – I wasn’t sure how to word this in a better way, but basically just pick one thing each day that you’re going to “dress up” a little. People often say when you feel good about your appearance/outfit/etc. you feel more confident, and therefore have a better day. I personally do not care enough to dress up everyday, wear makeup, and coordinate accessories. However, I do like doing a little something extra for myself. Whether it’s a spritz of my favorite perfume, a coat of lipgloss, or color-coordinating my shoes to my shirt, focusing on one little way to make me feel like I tried when getting ready helps a lot with attitude and confidence throughout the day. If you’re super into this you can obviously focus on putting effort into getting ready in every way everyday, but for someone like me who’s kind of lazy when it comes to fashion and beauty, one little change is enough.
  5. Taking things one step at a time – This isn’t a tangible habit that you can just ~do~, but I think it’s a great one since it can relieve a lot of stress and anxiety. It’s important to stay in the present, especially when you think of how quickly time passes (I mean, how is it 2020?), so being self-aware of how much you’re taking on at a time is super important. There’s only one of you and you can only be doing one thing at a time, so don’t get ahead of yourself when planning for the future unless it’s necessary planning that you can control right now. I carry a lot of stress with me from day-to-day, but it’s so much easier to manage when I only focus on what I am able to do for myself in that moment, and tackle one challenge/task/problem at a time.

I think these habits are all manageable things you can incorporate into your life, so hopefully you’re inspired to try them. That being said, remember that these are not just for 2020, “the new year”, or any time in particular. This time of year is when a lot of people tend to be setting goals and trying to change what they didn’t like about the previous year, but it doesn’t mean you have to confine yourself or pressure yourself into starting new things just because it’s a “new year”- that’s basically just a title and a gateway for a lot of people. You can do whatever you want, whenever you feel comfortable! Let me know if any of these things work for you, and have a marvelous first day of 2020! 🙂

Brooke

2019: A Year in Review

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

Wow. It’s the last day of 2019, and the year is actually about to end. I know, I know- it’s obvious. That doesn’t mean it’s not crazy though! This past year absolutely flew by, and I can’t believe we’re about to say hello to a new decade. I completely grew up and matured through the 2010s… in 2010 I turned 6, so obviously in 2020 I’ll be turning 16. As the title says, this is a year in review, not a decade; however, it’s still crazy for me to think of how fast the past ten years have flown by as well. If you want to hear about my journey through 2019, keep on reading!

January: When the year began, I honestly still wasn’t completely adjusted to freshman year. Winter break was a nice escape from high school, but as soon as I came back it was back to cheer and craziness (similar to this year!). I felt like my life was boring yet too busy, which is why I started to think about what else I would rather be doing with my time. I was still actually kind of into cheer at this point though, and I remember constantly stretching and going to tumbling classes. I feel like it was really too busy of a month to be significant, considering I don’t have any pictures from January in my camera roll and only a few with friends in my Snapchat memories. I had my first round of high school finals… I guess that took the most out of me.

February: Always a short but sweet month, this month was mainly marked by my freshman year cheer season ending. I had to be switched into offseason PE for 2nd semester which was a huge source of my angst at the time. I remember it being a pretty cold month by Southern CA standards at least, so I pretty much lived in hoodies and sweatpants. Now that cheer wasn’t taking up any of my time (unfortunately, PE was), I started to research extracurriculars and opportunities for next (this) year. This is kind of when I got on top of my game as far as planning for the future and realizing what it takes to get into college…aka stumbling upon College Confidential for the first time. Because of these things, my self-esteem took a little hit. To deal with that and to fill my time, I started volunteering at the local animal shelter which I still do and love today.

March: I volunteered a LOT this month to fulfill all my hours for Key Club. I did Rotary events with my dad, I went to the animal shelter every week, I volunteered at the YMCA, and more. It was honestly a great experience since I met so many new people at each place and got to do “normal jobs” that I hadn’t before, and I was so proud of myself when I fulfilled most of my fifty-hour requirement during this month. I had volunteered on and off before, but this is when I really started to get into it and realized how good it made me feel. Before I knew it, cheer was also (sort of) back in my life- tryout meetings and sign ups were upon us. I had a major breakthrough in strength in my tumbling classes though, so my self-esteem and happiness had increased quite a bit in this month.

April: Spring break offered another escape from the craziness of school. It was the peak of studying for my AP Human Geo test (a major feat at the time) and cheer tryouts were coming up quickly. Palm Springs with my friend was super fun though, and it stopped me from stressing too much over the break. I kept volunteering and finally finished my Key Club requirements as well. I also had a little phase of being into hiking and photography- I still enjoy both things, but I noticed when scrolling through my camera roll I did a lot of those things in April. Maybe it’s because the sun finally started coming out again.

May: Cheer tryouts time! The end of the school year came fast, and cheer took over my life (again). Everyone made the JV team and we immediately started two-hour practices after school everyday again. Between that and studying for finals, I don’t really remember anything else. I was just counting down the days until the beginning of summer and my Europe trip. I dissected a pig in biology and that was kind of the hot topic among my grade at the time.

June: SUMMER BEGINS!! After my second-ever round of high school finals, I could finally say I had survived my first year of high school. As soon as the school year ended, my family left for our first out-of-the country trip ever, to Europe. We spent most of the rest of the month there, and it was honestly one of the best experiences of my life- we went to Paris, and all over Italy. In fact, when I embarked on the trip, I started my blog! I had wanted to start a blog for so long, and having an exciting trip to cover encouraged me to finally do it. I’ve blogged extensively about the whole trip in the past, so I recommend checking out my first posts if you haven’t before. It was amazing and I felt almost like a different person when I returned; I definitely saw some of the most beautiful places I think I’ll ever see.

July: My grandparents stayed with us for a couple weeks at the beginning of the month, and while they were here I spent a lot of time taking my online AP Psych course and researching extracurriculars for sophomore year. I also started editing submissions at the literary magazine I still work with, and I got into writing a lot more. I also found out that I poem I submitted in spring to a contest had gotten selected for publication! It was a fun month though as I celebrated three of my good friends’ birthdays. We had a couple beach days and other celebrations. However, the second half of the month was crazy! I went to yearbook camp and got my first taste of being on the yearbook staff at Chapman University; it was actually SO much fun and I felt so independent living a mini and relaxed version of the college life. Right after returning, it was back to summer cheer practices and conditioning, and the last couple days of the month I left for cheer camp at Knott’s Berry Farm.

August: The month began while I was still at cheer camp, which was sadly less than pleasant, but luckily August 1st was our last day there! Before I knew it, it was time to go back-to-school-shopping. My birthday is August 14th, so I also celebrated my 15th birthday- a VERY low-key affair. I also happened to get my braces off, so that was great. The next week, sophomore year started, and I had no idea what was about to hit me. Football season kicking off was a nice start to the year though. I kept volunteering, I began tutoring in my school’s history center, and I joined Youth and Government. Between all my new hard classes, yearbook, and all the other new activities I had joined, my schedule was absolutely loaded.

September: I felt pressured to overload my schedule even more, so I tried out a bunch of different clubs and activities and settled on a few more. I joined Spanish National Honors Society (making me a tutor in our school’s language center!) and English National Honors Society, as well as a couple leadership programs outside of school that I applied for. The first few tests in each of my classes were trying, but I was (kind of) getting the hang of my new busy schedule. I had my first in-class English essay, which was a very over-hyped experience. Honestly, the thing sucking the most energy out of me was cheer practice and football games, and I was beginning to fall out of love with it more and more. I had a lot of breakthroughs in tumbling class, which was weird since I wasn’t even enjoying it as much- something I learned I needed to let go of.

October: Homecoming month!! The first couple weeks of the month were all just hype leading up to homecoming week. Our homecoming game was actually quite fun, and the dance was much better than last year. I think it’s just a lot less overwhelming of an experience as a sophomore. I also got way more into Youth and Government during this month, as we had our first mini-conference/bonding experience. I was definitely still overwhelmed and felt like the year had just begun, but I was having a lot more fun of a time.

November: November was an absolutely insane month filled with fun and crazy experiences. I had my first official Youth and Government conference in Fresno, which was absolutely surreal. It made me fall in love with the program and realize what an amazing thing I was now apart of- I definitely could see myself pursuing a government career someday. I also got sick, which unfortunately coincided with my Post Malone concert that I got tickets for in August. The concert was still a cool experience though since I’ve loved his music for so long. I’ve saved the best for last though: my Thanksgiving break trip to Seattle with my mom. We spent almost the full week in the city and I absolutely fell in love. I could see myself living there someday for sure, and now I can’t wait to explore more places in the U.S. currently unknown to me. School stuff was definitely still stressful, but it finally took a backseat in my life for this month.

December: This month absolutely flew by. I didn’t even get to decorate much or go ice skating before break started. I had SO much schoolwork bogging me down, but now that I’m on break I’m relieved to have another escape. It was super stressful but luckily I barely had cheer so I could focus on other things. I’ve had a lot more fun with friends and family than I did in the past couple months though. However, there was also a lot of prep leading up to what will be a crazy January with basketball season and finals!!

I know I went through the months as if they were a list, but it’s only for ease of clarification. In my mind, this year went by so quickly that I barely even remember most of it. The main thing I know is that it was one huge learning experience- I figured out lots of things I do and don’t like, and I explored so many interests I didn’t even fully realize I had. I’m so grateful to have had the opportunities to travel more and experience things I never thought I would before- thank you 2019.

If you made it to the end, I appreciate you and thank you for sticking with me. I would love to hear about your 2019 journeys and realizations as well, so feel free to share them with me! 2019 was a year of growth for me, and I can’t wait to see what 2020 brings- bring it on! It’s crazy to think the new year’s here, but it’s even crazier to think I’m going to become an adult, go to college, and grow up ~for real~ in this decade. I know, I know- I’m getting ahead of myself. But hey, the roaring 20s are here 🙂

Happy New Year,

Brooke

How to Learn From Your Mistakes – High School Edition

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Welcome back everyone!

I know we’re all still on break, but I figured before the new year and semester start, I would throw out some advice for you freshmen. Honestly, anyone in high school (or middle school!) could use this advice; I just figure that kids my age or older would already have learned similar lessons. If you’ve had a rough first semester or rough 2019, here’s some advice on how to use your past to enhance your future! Trust me, it’s not as hard or ~deep~ as it sounds.

  • Be able to recognize your flaws – Being aware of your mistakes is the first step to learning from them. Think about the past few months: what went well, and what could’ve gone better? Why did the things that went wrong occur? What part did you have in them? These are the questions you should reflect on when you’re thinking about what you can change in the future.
  • Take responsibility- don’t blame others – Others may have had a part in your mistakes or shortcomings, but you can only worry about yourself. Own up to anything you’ve done wrong, and leave anyone else to do the same for themselves.
  • Apologize when you’ve done wrong – This goes along with taking responsibility, but it’s so important to apologize to anyone you may have hurt or impacted negatively. It goes a long way in showing you understand how your actions affect others- mustering the courage up to do this shows a lot of maturity.
  • Accept others for who they are – A big mistake a lot of people make (I definitely have quite a few times) is trying to change their friends or complain about their flaws and then expecting them to change. Sometimes people do change, but you’re not the one who’s going to change them. If you’re going to surround yourself with people, make sure you know they’re people that will lift you up and make you happy to be around. If that’s not the case, find new friends- it’s up to you to make those choices.
  • Stay open-minded to change – Sometimes we look around at all the things we wish we could change about other people, but it’s completely out of our control. So what is in your control? Well, you! If you’re able to recognize your mistakes and flaws now, you should see the things that you wish you could change about yourself. It’s completely up to you to make an effort to change these things- nobody’s perfect, but you can try to be a better you.
  • Think about your good characteristics/strengths – What are the best things about you? Your favorite parts, and/or the characteristics other people compliment you? These are the traits you should try to bring out in yourself most often, and reflect in your everyday life. Again, nobody’s perfect, but it’s best to show off your best self.
  • Be as kind and friendly as possible – This isn’t really about learning from your mistakes, but it helps you put your best foot forward in new situations/when meeting new people and sets you up for better outcomes and relationships in the future. Also, people who may have known you in the past when you weren’t as proud of yourself can see that you’re making an effort to be a better you and change.
  • Understand that you’re going to make a lot more mistakes – Everyone does. As I’ve said multiple times, nobody’s perfect. This advice can help you prevent some silly mistakes, but everyone gets themselves in tough spots from time to time. Build your internal “toolkit” and problem-solving skills, and you’ll be just fine working yourself out of future issues.

I know some of this advice is pretty generic, but I think that’s kind of the point. We’re all getting older, and we have to actually apply the typical advice and wisdom adults have always given to us. I know I’ve matured a ton in the past couple years, and I’m still definitely not a perfect kid. That being said, let’s be our best selves in 2020 and make it an amazing year.

Brooke

2020 Vision: My Goals For Next Year

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Welcome back everyone!

There are only two more days left of 2019, and it’s that time again where everyone writes up their goals for the new year, me included. I’m not a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions since they never end up getting kept and I like initiating change whenever a new goal strikes my mind. That being said, there are a lot of things I’d like to accomplish this upcoming year. If you’re looking for some inspiration or would just like to hear about another person’s goals, keep on reading.

  • Visit different regions of the U.S. (and California!) – There’s so much of this huge country that I haven’t seen, and I would love to explore more of it. It also makes sense to do so since I’ll probably be going on more college visits in the East Coast and other parts of the country.
  • Become conversationally proficient in Spanish – I’m in Spanish 3 this year and plan to be in Spanish 4/AP next year, so I’m hoping that I’ll really improve my skills. There’s a lot of Spanish speakers here in southern California so it’s a useful skill to have, and I’ve always wanted to be bilingual or close to it.
  • Attend a summer program/get an internship over summer – I want to have some sort of summer activity/independent project that I can be proud of. I’ll talk more about summer plans soon, but I definitely know I’ll be busy somehow.
  • Maintain a healthier lifestyle – I don’t mean a diet or anything too specific. I would just like to exercise a bit more and be more conscious of my eating choices, hopefully getting healthier as I go along. I feel better when I do these things, but sweets are so tempting.
  • Produce less waste – I’m also trying to be more sustainable- metal straws, reusable bags, and the like. I’m not perfect, but in 2020 I plan to mainly support more sustainable brands.
  • Improve my writing – I’m not exactly sure what this entails, but I’m hoping to pursue my interest in writing a lot more this year. Hopefully this means submitting to more journals and competitions, and just writing more in general.
  • Take initiative/be a leader in some way – Again, I’m not exactly sure how to approach this. I’ve been working on my self-confidence and leadership skills a lot in 2019, so I’m hoping I can put them into use in 2020. I want to start my own club or some sort of group at school, and we’ll see where that goes.

Hopefully this inspires you to make your own list of goals for the new year! I have no clue what 2020 has in store, but if it’s anything like 2019, it’s sure to be chock-full of crazy memories and new experiences that I can’t wait to see for myself. I’m trying to tell myself that all of these goals are definitely possible and I’ll be able to successfully complete them, so let’s hope for the best 🙂

Happy almost new year,

Brooke

A Day in My Life – Winter Break Edition

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Hello everyone!

I realized I’ve written lots of “Days in My Life” posts while I’ve been on trips or at camps and other events, but I’ve never talked about my daily routine on an average day. I’m currently on winter break so it’s a little different than a normal school day or weekend day, but I figured it would still be something you guys might be interested in. If you’re interested in reading a breakdown of a chill day at home during my break, keep on reading!

Between 7:30-8:30am: Wake up! Yes, I wake up pretty early, even on break/weekends. I usually stay in bed for quite a while though, checking up on social media, emails, and YouTube videos. When I’m finally ready to get out of bed, I usually have breakfast right away.

8:30am: Breakfast time. I almost always have scrambled eggs, a bagel, and some sort of fruit (usually blueberries and raspberries). My mom is the best ever and will often bring it to me in bed if she’s not busy.

9:00-9:30am: I get ready around this time, unless I have morning plans. I get out of bed and make my bed immediately, then I do all of my bathroom stuff (brush my hair, brush my teeth, wash my face, etc.). I then get dressed for the day and spritz some perfume.

9:45am: Start to do computer work. On the day I’m writing this, I wrote a few blog posts during this time and let my computer do its software update. I was also inspired to do kind of a clean-out on my phone and laptop since they are both running out of storage, so I deleted a bunch of old music I don’t listen to anymore. I also worked on editing a submission for the literary magazine I’m on staff for.

10:30am: Light cleaning. I usually just tidy up and fold whatever laundry I have, but today I actually did more of a deep clean. I vacuumed my room, dusted all my furniture, and cleaned my mirrors with Windex.

11:00am: Lunchtime. My mom brought home spaghetti from my favorite local restaurant. I sat and chatted with my mom a bit about our plans for the rest of break, and we just had a nice little talk at the table.

12:45pm: Walk to Starbucks. My mom always goes on an afternoon walk and I hadn’t been out of the house yet, so I asked if I could come and we could make a detour at the Starbucks near our house. I got a hot chocolate since it was actually fairly cold, and we walked back home the long way. I like walking around our neighborhood because there’s always a ton of people walking around with their dogs- it’s a pretty active community.

1:45pm: My mom and I returned home and watched TV for a bit before she had to go run errands. It was a nice break before I had to get back to work. She picked the show, so we watched Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

3:00pm: Back upstairs to my room to work. I didn’t get started on my winter break homework yet, but I did more decluttering on my electronics and writing for this blog.

4:30pm: My mom’s finished with making dinner. She usually makes some form of meat- usually chicken or hamburgers with a side. I know we eat really early, but my parents go to bed fairly early and I also have dessert and a snack before bed.

5:30pm: Showertime. The fact that it gets dark so early in the winter makes me feel like it’s nighttime early as well. This leads to me wanting to get into my pajamas and shower much earlier. I take fast showers and then wash my face, do all that normal stuff.

6:00pm: Snacktime and/or dessert. Sometimes I have dessert if there’s sweets in the house, but otherwise I usually have cereal for a snack. I usually have my TV on in the background at this time (Disney+ or Netflix, depending on my mood).

6:30pm: Again depending on my mood, this is when I’ll do self care. I like to light a candle in my room, and use a face mask if I have one. I recently got a charcoal one from the Yes to Tomatoes brand at Target that I really like.

7:00pm: This has been my primetime for getting work done over the break. It can be blog work, writing work, organizing/cleaning, or actual schoolwork- it just depends on what I need to get done before going to bed.

10:00pm-11:30pm: Depending on how tired I am/if I have plans the next morning, this is when I brush my teeth, put my retainer, turn my lights off, and turn my TV timer on. I’ll go on my phone for a little bit and watch whatever show I have on, but eventually fall asleep within this window.

11:30pm: Bedtime. I should be asleep by this time, midnight at the latest.

I hope you enjoyed reading the play-by-play of a typical day in my life. I know it’s not the most exciting, but this is just a standard/chill day- there’s definitely days where I’m super busy. I’ll probably do another one of these once I get back to school, in case you want to hear about a typical day at my public high school.

Happy relaxing!

Brooke

Calligraphy for Beginners – How To Get Started

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Welcome back everyone!

I’ve always been amazing by the beautiful calligraphy and handwriting of bullet-journalers and otherwise artistically talented friends/people/Instagrammers, but I’ve never really made an effort to try and learn myself. That is, until recently. Over the past month or so, I’ve on-and-off worked on teaching myself the basics of calligraphy. I already had decently-okay cursive, so I just needed to watch a couple of YouTube videos and practice. Trust me- if I can do it, you can too. That being said, I know it’s intimidating (that’s the reason I held off on even trying for so long), so I figured I would make this little guide for people in similar situations.

  1. Improve your normal cursive – You’ll want to have pretty neat/legible cursive before you embark on your calligraphy journey. You don’t have to have perfect writing by any means- just be confident enough in your cursive that you can take the next step.
  2. Watch YouTube videos – This is how I figured out most of the basics- the main point being making your downstrokes on all your letters thicker. There are also lots of books available for purchase that teach the basics of calligraphy, but I think videos are more helpful because you can see the way the “professionals” do it in real time, and watch it over and over as many times as necessary while you follow along. I guess it depends what kind of learner you are though, so if you think the books will be worth it for you, totally go for it!
  3. Start with fauxligraphy – Most videos/books/guides will explain this in more detail, but it’s basically where you’ll write in normal cursive and then outline and color in/thicken the downstrokes of the letters. It can take a while (which is why actual calligraphy is more efficient) but it helps so much in the long run and I think it’s an important step before you attempt the real deal. Also, it still looks great- if you don’t have “professional” calligraphy supplies, you may even prefer fauxligraphy until you’re willing to invest in brush pens and the like. I’ve been sticking to fauxligraphy for the most part since it works fine for my purposes and I haven’t gotten a chance to buy supplies that would make actual calligraphy easy to do.
  4. Transition into doing actual calligraphy – As you get more comfortable with fauxligraphy, start doing the thickened downstrokes as you write in cursive, rather than outlining and coloring in afterwards. You’ve made it to the real deal! It should get easier, quicker, and more natural as you keep practicing.
  5. Practice a lot!!!! – I found the best way to practice was to look up examples of words/sentences in calligraphy and try to copy them. You can just look up calligraphy on Google Images, or you can even make a Pinterest board full of inspiration. You might also come across practice worksheets, which can be helpful as well.
  6. Experiment with styles – Everyone’s handwriting is a little bit different, therefore everyone’s calligraphy and lettering will be unique as well. If there’s one particular style of writing you like, I suggest finding as many inspiration pictures as possible and copying it. Otherwise, just keep practicing and along the way you’ll find what’s most natural for you.
Step 1- practice cursive!
Step 3- before coloring in, outline the downstrokes of each letter for fauxligraphy!
Step 3- result! It looks a little messy since I used two different mediums (pen and Crayola skinny marker) but I wanted to do that to show the effect. I think it still looks pretty cool 🙂
Step 4- I am nowhere near perfect and I would like to get actual calligraphy pens, but I’m proud of my improvement so far!

I hope this inspires you to improve your own handwriting and give calligraphy a try. I’m definitely not claiming to be an expert or an incredible teacher, but I wanted to show you guys it’s definitely possible to do without being super artsy. Another disclaimer: you totally don’t need to buy all the official calligraphy supplies such as brush pens and the like right away! I just use highlighters, markers, and pens- it does make it a bit harder and sometimes I have to resort to fauxligraphy, but it has a similar end result and is still fun to practice. If you end up being really into it, then totally go buy all of the supplies; I just wanted to put it out there that it’s not something you have to spend money on in order to do.

Happy writing!

Brooke