Tag: Self-Love

If we were having coffee

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Long time no write – my favorite phrase. It’s been about two and a half months since I’ve sat at my computer and written. My laptop crapped out on me in February amidst my hardest assignment I’ve ever had to complete in order to graduate college and get my teaching license. The keyboard stopped working [I realized right after purchasing my new one that I needed a new battery] and I had to connect a mouse and keyboard to get the computer to work so basically it was just a desktop computer. Nothing wrong with a desktop, however, my favorite blogging spot is at the corner of the couch with a cup of coffee on the table next to me and a movie on the TV for background noise. That was difficult with my previous set up. Now, I’ve got my brand new computer and I’m ready to get back into writing. So, grab your cup of coffee and let’s chat about my summer.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you about how I’m still [hopefully] headed to Spain. I’ve submitted everything necessary for my visa application and now it’s just a waiting game. As long as everything goes as planned and my visa gets approved, I’ll be heading to Ciudad Real, Spain on September 14th to teach !!!!

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you how my sister went away to college! We moved her in about two and a half weeks ago at Southern Illinois University and then I got to visit her this past Friday! She’s doing so well there and college was just what she needed.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I’ve still been quarantining for the most part. I’ve seen a few friends but I’m keeping my circle small and not risking a thing because I know [and no one else seems to] that there is still a pandemic going on.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I visited my friends in Ohio for my friend Grace’s 21st birthday. We went back to my college town and kept to ourselves, spending much of our time in our hotel rooms, playing cards, and just enjoying everyone’s company. It was great to see them all but that drive wasn’t fun.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that my family and I spent a week in northern Wisconsin at my cousin’s home. Every year we used to go to Kentucky for a week of fishing, swimming, card playing, sun burning, and just to spend time with each other. Because of COVID, we had to adjust and spent the week at my cousin’s home. We got to celebrate the graduation of my sister from high school, me and my cousin from college, and my cousin’s husband from his surgical residency! It was tons of fun to get some sun, read, check out a new little town, and get in some much-needed baby and dog time!

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I’ve been consistently working out and eating right pretty much all summer. I’m feeling really great and this little bit of consistency in my life has made these uncertainties of quarantine and COVID a little easier. I also recently downloaded Nike Run Club and I’m going to try and get into running! If any of you runners have any tips for beginners, please let me know!

What has happened during your summer?

Much love

❤ Alicia

My Fitness Pal and other diet apps ruined a whole generation

Published on by Alicia3 Comments

I’ve recently rediscovered my love for health and fitness and have been working out pretty consistently for the past month or so. I’m eating good food, treating my body right, and I haven’t felt this good about my body for a long time ever.

Before I had this blog, I had a fitness blog in my sophomore and junior years of high school [if I remember correctly] where I basically just blogged about the current workout I was doing [30 Day Shred by Jillian Michaels was my fave], what I was eating, and how school and life were going.

When I was in high school, Tumblr was super popular and I had a few thousand followers where I posted the same things like my blog as well as reblogged gifs and photos of workouts, tips, and the ‘ideal’ body that every girl lusted after.

I had an addiction to MyFitnessPal [MFP]. Now, MFP has a minimum daily calorie intake of 1200 calories. Back when I used it, there was no minimum. If you went below 1000, they showed a little message that that wasn’t necessarily healthy and that you should be eating more, however, you could still eat as low as you wanted. I deprived my body of the food it so desperately needed for years because an app said if I kept at it I’d lose weight in no time.

Everyone I knew had [or still has] My Fitness Pal. A lot of my college friends have told me they used MFP in middle school and high school as well. My Fitness Pal not only destroyed me, my relationship with food, my relationship with my body, and my ability to love myself, but it also did the same to a whole generation of boys and girls.

The internet tells you to hate the way you look from day one based on ads, skinny teas, weight loss programs, etc. but apps like My Fitness Pal, Livestrong, LoseIt! and more give you the tools to go to any means necessary to get you to ‘love yourself’ and get that ideal body. What 12 or 13-year-old won’t jump on the ‘opportunity of a lifetime?’

For those of you lucky enough to not know what My Fitness Pal is, it’s a diet app where you input your food, water, and exercise throughout the day. At the end of every day, you submit your net calories for the day. The app then tells you “if you eat like this every day you should weigh ____ pounds in 5 weeks.”  I can be 10 [or more] pounds closer to the ‘ideal’ body in FIVE weeks???? Sign me UP. On my blog, I bragged about eating 1000 or fewer calories a day and to this day I know the calories of the foods I ate most often for when I was away from my phone or after I deleted the app.

My teenage years were full of weight loss and weight gain and using My Fitness Pal and Livestrong [as part of a class grade on multiple occasions !!] and having calorie journals. My teenage years were also full of eating 300 calories during the day and binging on hundreds and thousands of calories late at night alone. My teenage years were full of torturing my body by over-exercising and undereating but thinking I was doing great things for it because I was getting compliments on my body and I was getting closer to the societal ideal body type.

There are thousands of people in their teens and twenties who don’t have good relationships with food and their bodies and who are going to spend years unlearning what we learned on diet apps like My Fitness Pal and I’m one of them.

I no longer use the app, however, as I mentioned before, I know most of the calories of the foods I eat daily. I sit and tally up my calories for the day after each meal mindlessly. I’m more of a numbers person in general which is why it’s been so hard to unlearn all of the numbers, grams, calories, etc. It’s something I have to actively think about, not counting calories and not reading food labels [other than to make sure something is vegan] and to just focus on putting good foods in my body. It’s a slow process, of course, but I’m confident that one day all of the people affected by diet apps will be able to take back their relationships with food and their bodies by storm.

To all the young people: Never ever download a diet app and don’t base your worth off of how your body looks.

To everyone: Never comment on someone’s weight even if you think it’s a compliment because you NEVER know what they’re dealing with.

All bodies are good bodies.

Much love,

Alicia ❤

Why understanding personality types is so important

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Myer Briggs, Enneagram, Love languages… you name it, these personality indicators have boomed all over social media. Recently, I’ve taken a closer look into my enneagram type, my Myer Briggs personality type, as well as what my love languages are and I’ve really found out a lot about myself.  I’ve also learned so much about my friends. By knowing their types, I can learn more about what kinds of friends they are and how to be a better friend based on their personality. Even just dipping a toe into the world of personality tests can make a world of change not only in your life but the lives of those around you as well.

Myer Briggs

The most popular of the personality tests, the Myer Briggs test has been around for years. I took it for the first time in high school for a class that required a lot of group work. We were paired together with people with compatible personality types. There are 16 different personality types. Once you take a test to find out what your type is, you’ll be shown pages of information about your type such as strengths, weaknesses, how they are in relationships [romantic and platonic], how they’ll be as parents, what careers they’d be good in, celebrities that have the same personality type as you, and more! Personally, I am an INTJ-T. A career that would be fitting for me is a writer [fitting] and Michelle Obama is also an INTJ. The Myer Briggs test is so beneficial for groups because there is a lot of information you can learn about others’ personalities which is always useful when working with new people.

Love Language

To me, a person’s love language is SO important. What is a love language you may be wondering? It’s how people like to be shown love, whether platonically or romantically. There are 5 types: Physical Touch, Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Quality Time, and Receiving Gifts. By heading to the Love Languages website and taking a quick quiz you can find out what your love language is [or are if you have multiple]. My love languages are Words of Affirmation and Acts of Service. To me, there is nothing like getting told “I’m proud of you, you’re doing great” or having someone do a chore I didn’t want to do. Do either of these things and you’ll have my heart forever. I scored the lowest in physical touch, so please, please never give me a pat on the back. Consensual hugs are the only thing I’ll do haha. By knowing your love language as well as the love language of your friends // significant others you can really show how much you love them by loving them through their love language whether that be by spending an afternoon with them, buying them a coffee, etc. It’s always nice to feel loved.

Enneagram

The enneagram has become quite popular as of late and artists all over Instagram [my two faves are Cathartic Word and Chalk and Leaves] are using the nine different enneagrams as inspiration for graphic art which tons of people [me and ALL my friends included] are loving. There are nine different Enneagram types, as I mentioned, and while you have to pay for the ~official~ quiz, there are tons of other quizzes online that you can do for free with just a simple “enneagram test free” google search. I did quite a few of them and ended up finding out I’m a type 3 enneagram. Threes are known for being charming, ambitious, driven, but can also be concerned about the image they portray to others. This is me to a T. Within your Enneagram type, you can also have ‘wings.’ Wings are defined as an Enneagram on either side of your type [since my type is a three, my wings could be either a two or a four] that you lean towards more. I happen to be a 3w4; an Enneagram type three with a four-wing. I’ve noticed a lot of my friends are type 2s, aka the helper. I’ve learned so much about myself based off of my enneagram from why I feel so defeated after trying something once and not being great at it to how I can help cope with stress and anxiety in ways that will be good for MY personality type, not just for the general public. This is also a great one to learn about with a partner or with colleagues because you can learn how each type works, deals with stress, things they love, etc. And honestly, I LOVE just learning about Type Threes. Who knew a website knew more about me than I knew about me?

What is your favorite personality quiz?

❤ Alicia

Mahalo Purse Review

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Alicia here with another review of something quarantine + Instagram made me buy!

Ever since my purse got stolen last summer in Spain [RIP to the Goodwill crossbody bag… you were a real one] I have been on the lookout for a purse as good as that one. It was big enough to fit a large water bottle for long days of walking as well as everything else I needed and I haven’t’ been able to find anything quite like it. While I still haven’t been able to find the perfect purse, I’ve come across a few bags in the past year that I’ve added to my collection that get the job done as they should. I have a couple larger bags [my teacher bag that can fit my whole life into it, a pretty big brown shoulder bag, a smaller grey cross body bag, etc.] but I have never had a small purse before. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized there are some times when you really just need a small bag. Going out with friends, grocery shopping, etc. all really don’t require a large bag but that’s really all I have.

While scrolling through my Instagram saves [one titled ‘Things to Buy] folders and eliminating ones I don’t need anymore, I came across an ad I had saved for Mahalo cases… Mahalo Casessell phone cases and wallet duos. Ok, a matching wallet and phone case… who cares? The phone cases are magnetic and attach on the inside of the wallet. You can’t lose your phone when it’s literally attached to the purse you’re wearing. The best part about it? The chain from the purse can be removed and replaced with a wristlet strap for when you don’t want to carry a whole purse. Or, if you want it to double as your wallet in your super big purse which I’ll definitely be doing whilst teaching.

I bought the RFID blocking quilted crossbody wallet phone case in black. It’s the perfect size for a purse or as a large wallet. There are two sides both with ample card slots as well as a spot for change and cash not to forget the spot in the back of the case where the phone attaches. The wallet itself is very well made and I can fit almost everything I need in there even though it is quite small. I’m very glad about the purchase and think the whole idea is genius because I’ll have the perfect spot for my phone in my purse and won’t lose it.

As far as the phone case goes, it’s a pretty basic black phone case. I definitely don’t think it’s the cutest case however if I only use it when I use the wallet I don’t have a problem with it. I love the wallet design because I don’t like big patterned accessories, however, when I get a new phone I’ll probs get a new phone case that’s prettier than this one. I would love it if you could mix and match purses and cases!!

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Overall, I can’t wait to actually get to using the purse and wallet duo when the country opens back up. Until then, I’ll keep walking around my room with it. J

Much love,

Alicia

Things that are keeping me happy during these times

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2020 has been a crazy time filled with disease, riots, natural disasters, etc. I am fortunate enough that I can take a break from these things [Black people never get a break from fighting for their rights, sick people don’t get a break from being sick, etc.]. When life is too hectic or the news is too upsetting to watch, I need something to keep my spirits high in these times of uncertainty.

I’ve been baking bread, gardening, reading, writing, drawing, whatever I can to take up my time, and not just watch TV and scroll through TikTok. I’ve been trying to find things to keep my spirits up and to keep me busy. Here are some of my favorite things! Let me know yours in the comments below.

  1. Drawing – I’ve recently started drawing and while I’m next to terrible at it right now, it’s something I find to be really fun. I’m working on drawing animals [elephants are easiest for me], RedBubble sticker themed drawings [iykyk], and the human body. Like I said, I’m not great, but it’s something for me to do.
  2. Baking – I’ve been doing an awful lot of baking recently. From bread [oh yes] to dog treats, I’ve made it all. It keeps me busy and it gives me something to look forward to once all the work is done!

  3. Walking – Getting outside other than when walking my dog is HARD. I have a huge backyard which I love to spend time in, however, my neighbor’s house is undergoing construction and there are a plethora of middle-aged men in the yard next to me five days a week making it hard to enjoy being out there. I’ve been trying to go on walks during the week, sometimes bringing my sister with, just to get out of the house!IMG_9052
  4. Gardening – I have my own garden this summer! I built a raised garden bed and I planted everything over the past few weeks. This will give me something to be accountable for [weeding, watering, harvesting, etc.] and I can’t wait to grow my own food!
  5. Writing – I’ve been writing a bit lately. I want to write a book so I’m doing a bit more of fictional work than blogging but it’s still something J

What has been keeping everyone happy recently?

❤ Alicia

23 things I’ve learned in 23 years

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Happy Friday! It’s June 12th which means it’s my 23rd birthday! This has been by far the craziest year of my life and there were a few times I didn’t know if I’d make it through. Despite all this, I’ve learned the most in these past 365 days and I wanted to share that with everyone.

  1. Go with the flow – If this year has taught me anything, it’s that I have to go with the flow. From my purse getting stolen in Spain to the coronavirus canceling my Greece trip to not having graduation, and everything in between, just take a deep breath, let it all out, and move on. Obviously, you can be angry that not everything works out, but it’s a part of life. Everything will work out in the end.
  2. Ditching people based on their pollical views is totally fine – Black Lives Matter has been prevalent for years [however, now a lot more people are using their voice either for or against the movement], and either you believe that Black Lives Matter or you’re racist. There’s no neutral, no grey area, etc. I’m not friends with people that don’t believe in basic human rights. Not sorry.
  3. Friends that can’t communicate aren’t friends you want – I’ve had my own troubles with communicating in the past but I’m too grown to have to question if someone wants to be your friend if someone is mad at you etc. If you can’t be real with a friend why are you even friends?
  4. Splurge on things you love – Not everyday of course, but it’s okay to treat yourself to things you love every once in a while
  5. Getting into a routine is the best thing you can do or yourself – Because of quarantine, I was in a rut. I forced myself to get into a healthy routine and it’s been the best thing I ever could have done for myself. I feel better and more accomplished with what I get done in a day.
  6. Absorb everything – There are so many opinions, sides of stories, etc. out there. Absorb as much as you can and figure out your opinion that way. Don’t read or watch one thing and think you know everything. It doesn’t work that way.
  7. Live life with no regrets
  8. Be yourself – Do what you want, make decisions based on what you want not others and watch how your life changes
  9. Try new things – Try baking, give drawing a go. Even if you aren’t inherently good at something doesn’t mean you won’t find something you like in the process.
  10. You have to learn to love yourself – This is something I’m still working on but it’s the best journey I’ve ever been on.
  11. Travel – I’ve learned more from traveling than I ever have in a classroom.
  12. Crying in public is okay – Reference #1. I’ve cried on a train from Madrid to Toledo, I’ve cried in bars in Athens, and the Thessaloniki airport. It’s okay. No one cares.
  13. There’s a lot of hate in this world
  14. There’s a lot of love in this world too
  15. I deserve to live – there’s nothing like living out your dreams, graduating college, and getting ready to live out more dreams that really get you to know your worth
  16. I’m stronger than I know
  17. Losing a pet can be harder than losing a person – My gecko got murdered [rip] by my roommate’s gecko while I was in Greece and I was devastated
  18. Everyone needs to know how to cook
  19. I’m okay on my own – Living alone and being single [haha] isn’t always so fun. However, I’m fully capable of doing both
  20. I have no idea what my future holds – there are so many options and I’d be happy with any of them, I guess I’ll just have to wait and see
  21. I want to do everything
  22. I learn more from my students than they learn from me – All of my time in Greece taught me just how much I have to learn and how much they can teach me
  23. I have so much to learn

Have a happy Friday and a great weekend!

So so so so much love,

Alicia ❤

Coconut Bowl Review

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Disclosure: some of  the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you,
I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Hi all, I hope social distancing is going well for everyone! During this whole crazy time, I’ve been doing a bit of online shopping, like many others. Instagram ads really are getting the best of me [three of my recent purchases have been because of an Instagram ad haha] and I wanted to share some of my thoughts on what I’ve been buying because reviews are IMMENSELY important to me before making a purchase, especially to ensure that I’m not being scammed by random sites!

One of my most recent purchases has been a Coconut Bowl. Coconut bowls are handcrafted coconuts turned into bowls based out of Australia. Coconut everything has been all the rage [coconut candy, oil, milk, etc.] but the outside of the coconut often goes unnoticed and is discarded. Coconut Bowls offer a sustainable use for the shell of the coconut and have turned them into bowls and candles made completely of coconut. They also sell cookbooks, bamboo straws, reusable bags, and wooden silverware to eat from your bowl with.

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I honestly just wanted the cookbook, because I can always use a new recipe or two, but with how cute the bowl was, I had to get one to show off my creations in.

I ordered a set of one bowl + one spoon as well as the vegan cookbook. The bowl and spoon came within 2 days of ordering which I was pleasantly surprised by. My cookbook is a PDF because I prefer to view recipes from my device rather than have them out in a book.

The bowl was wrapped up, along with my spoon, accompanied by a thank you card saying to follow on social media and a discount on my next purchase. Everything came in one piece and the packaging was safe and secure!

The bowl is great as is the spoon. I use them both all the time although, I did hear a crack in my bowl after I put really hot food in it [I can’t see a crack so I’m not sure where it is]. The cookbook is phenomenal. There are all sorts of recipes [all that can go in a bowl] ranging from breakfasts to desserts and everything in between. My favorite so far is the sweet potato mac and cheese because it combines my favorite things in one I’ve been using the cookbook whenever I’m feeling something new and modifying when I need to go grocery shopping. If I lived on my own, I’d definitely go with their eco starter set [or 2 of them] because that comes with two bowls, two forks, two spoons, and two bamboo straws. However, since it was my first purchase, I wanted to make a small purchase in case I wasn’t a fan. If you choose to make a purchase, use code: Alicia-10 for 10% off your order!

Even if you don’t decide to purchase from Coconut Bowls, give them a follow on Instagram. Their whole feed makes you feel like you’re in Hawaii on a beach, not stuck in your house quarantining.

What are your favorite sustainable household items?

Alicia ❤

Trying one new thing a day

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Throughout the month of May, I had been working on keeping my mental health higher than the bare minimum [aka what happens when I lounge around and do nothing all day]. Nothing gets my serotonin levels as high as when I’m doing something new. I made a pact at the end of April to do one new thing a day for each day in May. I recommend everyone do this as well because you get to try new things and might find a new hobby! Here’s my new thing a day for May, let me know what new things you’ve tried since quarantine!

May 1- Make bread [soda bread]

May 2 – Build my garden [I made a raised bed using cinder blocks]

May 3 – Started a sourdough bread starter [it failed but I started it haha]

May 4 – Make whipped coffee [or the Greek frappe]

May 5 – Accepted a job! [headed to Spain]

May 6 – Made dog biscuits

May 7 – Started drawing

May 8 – Tried graphic art

May 9 – Moved out of my college apartment

May 10 – Took college graduation pictures

May 11 – Applied for my teacher license

May 12 – Became a brand ambassador [Orgain protein… use code LIVINGOFFLEESH30 for 30% off your order hehe]

May 13 – cleaned out my linen closet [I found expired shampoo from 2006…]

May 14 – Started using bar shampoo [I’m trying to lessen my plastic consumption]

May 15 – Wore shorts outside! [I’m v self-conscious of my legs so this was a huge milestone]

May 16 – Added soil to my garden + added plants

May 17 – Got short hair [for the first time since 8th grade]

May 18 – I learned to cut a watermelon [this was actually a big accomplishment]

May 19 – Went through everything I own

May 20 – Planned all my blog content for the whole summer!

May 21 – Made monkey bread

May 22 – Merged my college and home rooms successfully

May 23 – Planted seeds in my garden

May 24 – Had a picnic

May 25 – Started a workout program

May 26 –  Tried the VEGAN Dilly Bar

May 27 – Rebranded my blog

May 28 – Made a tofu scramble [one that actually tasted good]

May 29 – Celebrated my sister’s high school graduation

May 30 – Worked out consistently for one week! [I’ve been all over the place s this was HUGE]

May 31 – Only had 1 hour of screen time

Some of these weren’t super new but were things I hadn’t done in ages so it was nice to revisit some old things I’d done in the past

Let me know if you try some new things in June

❤ Alicia

I graduated college!

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I have so many things I want to write about and have gotten a ton of motivation to do so recently. However, my laptop has officially gone to shit so I’ve created a new nook in my room at my desk [after rearranging all of my furniture… a very typical high school Alicia move] for writing at my desktop. Albeit more difficult for me here, I spent most of my laptop owning days lounging on my couch and writing as well as watching TV and talking to people, I think this change in scenery [my neighbor’s house midst consturction] will be good for me.

So… I graduated college? Technically, I’m a college grad but due to coronavirus and the actual ceremony being postponed indefinitely, it doesn’t feel like it. Nevertheless, my Instagram bio now says “OU alum” so obviously it’s official 😉 I’m also heading back to Athens this weekend to move out of my apartment which will, of course, entail taking some graduation photos and crying on every part of campus. What screams college grad more than this scenario?

Posting this is beyond weird for me. I started this blog almost five years ago [how??] when I was a wee little freshman in college. Now, I’m a college graduate [sorry I’ve said college graduate like twelve times I’m just proud]. This blog was created to document my college experience, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Little did I know I’d still have it almost five years later and I’d be documenting my college graduation.

When I first started this blog, I was pretty positive I’d be leaving San Diego, but I had thought I’d be moving to Phoenix to go to Arizona State University to study chemical engineering. I only thought about SDSU and ASU because I wanted to be closer to my then best friend [funny what’s important to your 18-year-old self haha]. Little did I know I’d be transferring to a school much closer to home [and a hell of a lot colder] to study Spanish and Education.

And as of Saturday, I am officially an alumna of Ohio University, with a double major in Spanish Education and Spanish Language who will most likely be taking a teaching position in Galicia, Spain, or the upcoming school year 🙂 

As for the fate of this blog, I’m going to keep her alive, documenting all my post-grad endeavors of course, because nothing is more me than that. 🙂

All the love,

Alicia

A thank you letter to Athens, Ohio

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For one city to change your life, it has to be pretty magical. Little did I know, three years ago, when I chose to transfer to Ohio University to pursue a degree in Spanish Education, just how much magic this little city in Southeastern Ohio had. 

I didn’t have a traditional senior year, not in the slightest, and, if I had it my way, I’d be getting ready to graduate right about now, probably reminiscing on college memories with my friends. Instead, I’m crying at my desk in Chicago. Funny how life has different intentions than our own. Despite this, I still have a lot I want to say to that magical city before I’m technically a graduate. 

There’s so many people, restaurants, homes, dorms, etc. that I could thank but there aren’t nearly enough words in the English language to thank each of them for all they’ve done for me… but I’ll try. 

To Adams Hall, when I first moved into my dorm on August 25th, 2017 I was absolutely scared out of my mind. Going away to college once was a lot to handle… but twice! I didn’t think I could do it. Thankfully, room 143 blessed me with the absolute best roommate a girl could ask for and to this day is still one of my closest friends. Although we didn’t talk much junior year [no thanks to either of us], I’m so glad we rekindled our friendship senior year because a friend like Olivia only comes once in a lifetime. If I ever need a late night run to Walmart for a fish or to find a roomie if I ever move to LA, Olivia is my girl. Thank you Adams Hall. 

To the Patton College of Education, I never knew if I wanted to be a teacher… If I’m being honest, I’m still not 100% sure and now I have a degree! Nevertheless, you gave me some of the best professors and classmates to prepare me to become a teacher. Anna, Paige, Sara, and Maddie were the biggest help in getting me across this finish line. Long nights of group projects, studying for exams, and the longest portfolios ever were made possible because of these people. Anne Scott, however, is the real reason I’m ready to be a teacher. No one has ever believed in me the way Anne does. She is a gift to this university and I’m so fortunate to have met her. Thank you PCOE.

To McCracken Hall, some of my latest nights were spent here. As much as I hate to admit that, they were. Thank you for being arguably the best and nicest building on campus with the best study rooms which definitely got their use out of me. I’m glad to never use one again, but I appreciated the resource when I needed it. Thank you McCracken Hall. 

To the Office of Global Opportunities, most college students don’t get to study abroad once, let alone twice. I’m forever grateful for both my Spain trip as well as the COST program and learned more about myself and the world abroad than I ever did in any classroom. Thank you for giving me Mary, Allyssa, Kayla, Rory, Alejo, and so many others. You don’t meet people as good as them very often. Thank you OGO.

To Donkey Coffee, I spent a lot more time here than I ever did in any class [or anywhere for that matter]. From CHAARG coffee dates, to Sunday study seshes with my gorls, and even first dates, you were always there with a red iced tea and a vegan chocolate cherry cookie when I needed one. I’ll be back one last time to spend all my donkey points 🙂 Thank you Donkey Coffee.

To Boyd Market, I mean… where do I even begin? I met some of my best friends through this on-campus job that I only applied to because OU claimed it was the most vegan friendly place on campus. Some of my best times were spent inside of Boyd Market from finding dead birds behind Smooth Moves, writing the newsletter, making Tik Toks, register 1 tea parties, and of course WORKING [on occasion]. I never would have met my Boyd bestie Olivia, which would have meant I would have been drunk a significantly less amount than I was. To the Boyd student leaders, thank you for welcoming me into the group, always being down to hear gossip, making Tik Toks, taking pictures, and going to  PigSkin and Overhang. I’m forever grateful for all of you. Thanks BM 😉

To CHAARG, thank you for saving my life. I was in a terrible place when I got to OU and you really helped me get out of it. Not necessarily by yourself, but by giving me mental health resources, my best friends in the entire world, and an all around lovely [usually] community to send wine drunk videos in the group chat or make fun of myself whenever deemed necessary. Thank you for teaching me how to be a leader and deal with shitty people. Thank you for teaching me how to take a stand for what I believe in and to never back down. I am who I am today largely due to CHAARG and I’m forever indebted to this wonderful org. Thank you CHAARG. 

To 14M, the best apartment and roomie combo you could ever have hoped for. I treasure our nights spent in the living room watching The Good Place [much to Liz’ shagrin], listening to our good vibe playlists, and our Homecoming and Santa Fest gatherings. I wish we could have built the gingerbread houses. Sorry I spoke to the ceiling in Spanish 😉 Liz and Anna, I love you both. 14M, keep the next gen girls in good hands. [also I included Kelsey in this section and you know why hehe].

I’m including kelsey in this and you all know why hehe

 

To my gorls, I know we all aren’t the closest right now, but that doesn’t change how much each of you mean to me. All five of you helped me make it through college in one piece thanks to our donkey dates, Biddle study nights, every CHAARG event, post CHAARG dins at Shively, the choffice, and Harbour the Band concerts. Kenzie, I’m so excited for you to go to LA and make it big in the film industry. Don’t forget me when you’re famous. Jess, you’re going to be the best journalist to walk this planet and I’m glad you’re following your dreams and not going to Law school rn. There’s always time to be Elle Woods another time 😉 Hannah, you are one of the most kind and beautiful souls I know and I’m honestly honored to be your friend. I’m so proud that you’re graduating a semester early and I know no matter where you end up, you’ll succeed at whatever you do. Grace, oh Grace, I’m sorry I didn’t follow you back when we were bolt babes lol but look at us now! I’m so proud to be your friend and to cheer you on from the sideline for all of your victories from LVNG Limitess, By Her For Her, BackDrop, Cincy Mag, and whatever else along the way that you take on. You’re going to be a phenomenal journalist and I can’t wait to keep reading everything you write. Finally, Sami, I’m not too sure what happened to us but I’ll always consider you one of the best friends I’ve ever had. From bonding over One Direction, to you being in my small group, to getting a job at Boyd and everything that went with that, I’m always glad that I was in your life for at least a bit, even if that’s over [I honestly don’t know if it is l o l]. I love all five of you with my whole heart and I’ll never forget any of you. Much love for my gorls. 

Finally to Athens Ohio, five semesters in the best city is not nearly enough. Thank you for packing my five semesters full of great people, places, and memories. Athens has truly shaped me into who I am today and I would be nowehere without at least one of the things I mentioned above. Although my time in Athens is coming to a close, I’m fully prepared for wherever the wind takes me. Thank you for that, Athens. 

 

Much love, Alicia