Lifestyle Category

I have always been an advocate for self-motivation; whether it is reading Self Magazine or the do-it-yourself handbooks you get from your local bookstore. I have a firm belief that if you can’t help yourself, than nobody can help you…and if you can’t make yourself happy, then who can you make happy? I am fresh out of my freshman year of college and I already have 3 writing jobs, my own website and 2 jobs outside of that. Where would I have been without motivation, right? I have learned toRead More

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this listicle are those of one dieter and do not reflect the opinions or official position of all dieters. To those who enjoy almond butter and hot yoga, I salute you. You will run into someone you know at the gym and they will see you sweat through every inch of your A Day to Remember tank top or cut-out summer camp tee from 2006. Be it an old classmate, a neighbor, a representative to a councilman you work with on the daily. Not even 8 a.m. is safe. Actually, 8 a.m. is theRead More

We walked against the nighttime wind with our heads held high and our heels a little higher. We were slowly making our way into the comfort of a house where we’d be provided with intoxicating substances and communal sweat. Homework was done, classes over for the week, petty stresses behind us, and a night out before us. Suddenly, a group of boisterous, clearly wasted guys showed up next to us. One of them caught my eye and asked, “How are you doing tonight?” “I’m doing well, thanks,” I mumbled, notRead More

I asked for the moon and you came back with the galaxy. When one boy said he didn’t love me anymore, you said you would never stop. You taught me that donuts are the only way to start a Saturday morning (or any morning) and that cigars can be smoked in times of celebration or sorrow. And when Mommy parted this world too soon, you stepped in to take over as Mr. Mom. I view the world with hope in my eyes and faith in my heart because of you,Read More

I just completed my freshman year at the University of Michigan. It was turbulent, to say the least. Not in the sense that scores of dramatic events kept happening to me, but that my emotions had never gone through such a tumultuous course before. Adjusting was difficult, to say the least. I go to a public university in a state other than my own. A school with 30,000 high-achieving students. Many people came to school with high school friends, extended family members, or roommates they had chosen. My friend groupRead More

Some people go through life blissfully ignorant of all the horrible, disgusting germs that are literally everywhere. Other people carry the burden of constant fear, paranoia, and revulsion from living in a world contaminated by germs. These people are called Germaphobes. Germaphobes are faced with many challenges on a daily basis, as their phobia robs them of the joys that non-Germaphobes get to experience, such as…   Ball pits Ah, Ball pits. Ball pits are a childhood staple of seemingly innocent fun. Wrong! Ball pits are full of heinous germsRead More

For a while I’ve wanted to write about my experiences in strip clubs. I never got around to it. I was worried it would be preachy. Dumb. Boring. I requested guidance from amethyst I’d purchased from an Austin, Texas mineral shop. When the rock declined to tell me what to do, I got stoned and held a séance with dead white authors. Hemingway, the greatest of the sexually confused Modernists, appeared in a subliminal mushroom cloud the shape of two roosters crossed at the neck. E-Hem poked his ass outRead More

I’ve always been the person who thinks that if pictures of your drinks for the night, memorable club snaps, and smoking photos make you happy, go ahead and post them. But I’m not a smoker or a drinker, or even a promiscuous model, so when I was messaged this weekend to take down my picture from Instagram, I was extremely confused. My picture was of a messenger bag. With the HypoPARA Association logo on it. The HypoPARA Assoc. is an association that holds annual conferences and distributes countless amounts ofRead More

It began in first grade when the discovery of a substitute teacher greeting the class in the morning distressed me so much that I begged my mother, through snot and salinized skin, to take me home from school. My threshold for the substitute teacher’s performance being less than perfect in mirroring my own teacher’s routine absolutely shattered me. I was sort of a high-strung child, you might declare. Thankfully, years later, there is nothing that warrants this exact reaction from me, except, perhaps, intense moments of hunger. Childhood anxiety isRead More

I realize this title is misleading and before you ask, no, I did not get a boob job. I did, however, go on birth control which made me go up a cup size (estrogen, TURN UP). Going from not really having boobs to having a respectable amount of boobage is a weird transition to go through overnight (okay, over the course of a month or so). Here are some struggles I’ve faced and continue to face now that my boobs are considerably larger.   Struggles of Big Boobs 1. SleepingRead More

As citizens of the world, we rarely stay in one place for our entire lives. Most of us move away from the place we were born at least once. As the 20-something nomad that I am, I’m often thinking about what the word “home” means to me. Home is usually a place; country lines or a physical place where all of your belongings are. But at 22 years old, and having lived pretty much all over the place. If you were to ask me where my home is, I would haveRead More

Early today I greedily left my local library with a stack of 6 books feeling like I just won the lottery. Why? Because I took 6 books, FOR FREE. I know everyone is stoked on the Amazon Prime train with free 2-day shipping but come on, those books are pricey. Too pricey, in fact, for my young adult bank account to keep up with my reading obsession. Let me outline some important points that I’m sure will convince you to run to your local library and get a card rightRead More

My first semester of college, I worked at a chain coffee and bagel café. I have always affirmed that every person needs to work in food service at least once in their lifetime. It is difficult to express how exceptionally vital it is that people understand the toil behind where their services come from, and the crucial nature of treating workers with respect. I have also always held the belief that every person needs to work at least one “crappy job” in their life to fully understand the value ofRead More

Wanderlust: (n.) The irresistible, incurable desire to travel. Don’t call me a psychic but I have a feeling in my being that there is somewhere in the world you are dying to explore.  You daydream about it from your sad little cubicle.  Perhaps your room is decorated with an excessive amount of maps.  Maybe you want to plan an anniversary trip with your lover.  “Help me, I’m poor,” you tell everyone.  “I really want to travel somewhere faraway.”  *Insert excessive crying* “…but I just don’t know how!” I am about to share a life-changing secretRead More

Distance will forever be the main problem in my life. I’m a searcher. By distancing myself from the familiar, the tsunami of transition leaves me with a flood of new opportunities. By driving away from the city, I can finally breathe. The stars are visible now that I’m away from the smog. When making a college decision, I chose one halfway across the country—a convenient 750 miles away. When the walls of my perfect suburban hometown became too small for my liking, I bolted for what I called a “biggerRead More