Strength in Weakness

No woman (or man for that matter) has ever or will ever go through life without some kind of hardships. I don't care if are Beyonce or a kindergarten teacher (bless you if you are). We all have to fight through some sort of opposition every day. Currently, I am facing finals, a million projects at once that aren't even related to school, and struggling to be the best friend that I can be. I think that in these times when we just want to make a blanket fort and hide from the world, we should remember the quote that I have placed above. Even though it is directed towards women, it applies to every person in this world. I like to pride myself in being strong in character and lung capacity (you will understand if you've ever met me), but often I find myself wishing it was easier. Wouldn't it be so much better if this was someone else's problem? Wouldn't I be so much happier if I just stayed in my comfort zone? When I have these thoughts I often have to force myself to spend some quality time alone, while surrounded by a lot of people. I know this sounds weird, but let me explain. I need time by myself to sort through things in my head and organize my mess of a life, but I'm also extremely extroverted. I can't mentally heal myself while sitting at home alone. I have to either be sitting outside somewhere where people often walk by or at some coffee shop. So, I encourage you to figure out how you, personally, can mentally recharge in a healthy, productive way. Do something today that will make you a little bit stronger. 

Stay beautiful,

Toto 

Opportunity doesn't knock, it barges in

Something that I have found in my sophomore year of college is that you cannot plan for ANYTHING. Inevitably what you want to happen doesn't and things you never even thought of fall into your lap. Going into this semester, I was fully planning to waitress this summer to make my money. But, I've been putting off and putting off looking for a restaurant to work at just because I'm not at all excited about working for tips again (everyone should wait tables at some point to appreciate how exhausting and thankless it is). Now it's two weeks until school ends and I have four jobs. None of which I planned for and none of which involve food (thank God). They are all also creative and are actually applicable to me as a journalist.

My point in sharing this with you is that if you put yourself out there in every possible way, something will come to you. I happen to be good at keeping up connections and sending my resume to poor unsuspecting souls (which you should do). So, if you are stressed about the future and don't know what is going to happen tomorrow just know that you are not alone and good things really do come to those who wait!

Stay beautiful,
Toto

Roadmap to Roommates

Something that is inevitable for pretty much any college student is having roommates. They are both the best and worst thing about college. I have now had 4 roommates in total and I didn't know any of them before we lived together (yes, terrifying, I know). But I'm still alive! And I've never even had to contemplate a restraining order! However, living with roommates is like walking a tight rope, you never know if that moldy bread you threw out was actually their favorite casserole. So! In true Toto fashion, I have compiled a LIST. Here are my helpful tips to navigate the treacherous waters of roommates:

1. NEVER EAT FOOD THAT ISN'T YOURS! I cannot stress this enough. 99.9999% of confrontations that happen between roommates are about food (yes that's a researched, statistical fact). I have never quite understood why this is hard for some to understand. Yes, every house/apartment normally has a few communal items. At my house it's sour cream and cheese and chips to an extent (but I buy them all because I eat most of them, carbs make me happy). But apart from those decided items you should stick to only the food you have physically picked up at the store and paid for. This is doubly true for leftovers!

2. Don't half-way do chores. If you have begun a chore then you should finish it. Duh. There is nothing worse than seeing a room kind of swept or the dishes kind of done. You might as well not have started at all. I know that many people have chore checklists to keep people accountable and I have done those before but I don't necessarily know if they are effective.

3. Be considerate. Y'all. We are all humans. No one likes to be woken up before it's necessary to their roommate throwing things around or stomping back and forth. Honestly, if you have a roommate, headphones are your best friend and should always be used. Not everyone wants to listen to the Desperate Housewives of Atlanta scream at each other or that oh so cool metal band you just found, shocking I know.

4. Talk to each other. It is so much easier to live in harmony with someone if you communicate. Whether it's asking them about their day or just voicing concerns about the house, you should talk.

I'm not saying that you have to or even will be best friends with whoever you live with, but it'll be so much worse if you don't work together to make the living arrangement bearable. So go out right now and buy your roommate a chocolate bar or a coffee! I promise you're not a picnic to live with either.

Stay beautiful,
Toto