Weekly Photo: Downtown Disney

I took a trip to Anaheim to meet a high school friend of mine. You can see the House of Blues sign and Build-A-Bear Workshop in the background. I liked the tree decorations :)

Mental Health Awareness

I wonder if I have mental health issues like dysthymia, anxiety disorder, codependency, or PMDD, even though I've never been formally diagnosed. I am writing about this topic to be honest about what I go through and in support of mental health awareness.

For the first time in my life, I'm open to admitting I may be mentally sick, with symptoms just like any other patient who sees a doctor. Symptoms for me might mean: feeling too much adrenaline and being unable to concentrate, as in the case of an anxiety attack, being irritable and moody and feeling helpless to stop myself, perhaps due to PMDD, or being irrational and struggling to control myself, or other.

Recently, I went through a period of time where I was struggling with my day to day activities. What I did that helped me cope was to keep it very simple. I gave myself a list of at most 6 things to do every day, like "Lunch." "Dinner." "Shower." etc. Real simple, but they were hard for me. By limiting myself to concentrate on just 5-6 things, it was easier for me to get through the day calmly... and at the end of the day, with some sense of satisfaction knowing I set goals for myself and I completed them.

It was a minor success, but I'm counting every step.

Weekly Photo: Meeting An Old Friend

My friend Joanne was in town for Thanksgiving and asked if I wanted to meet up. Only the biggest YES! ever. I'm thankful for old friends because they remind me of who I am and why I am where I am now.

Weekly Photo: Lifehouse @ the Gibson

I saw Lifehouse at the Gibson Amphitheatre this week. UHh-maaazing! Opening acts were Alyssa Bernal and Kris Allen. The best $35 I ever spent. They know how to put on a show. ;-)

Money Matters

Money matters isn't something that my friends and I usually talk about, but I think it's an important topic to think about as I enter the workforce and have to start planning my career and subsequent retirement. The more I learn about personal finance, the more I want to talk about it.

One of the most helpful experts in this area for me has been Manisha Thakor. A financial literary expert particularly for women, her advice is to the point, practical, and always presented in a relatable manner. Listen to an interview here. She has also appeared on ABC's Good Money.

The take-away points I think for every college grad are:

• The purchase price of a house should be 3x your household income

• The purchase price of a car should be 1/3 your household income

• "Rough rule of thumb, don't take on more in total education debt than you think you are going to earn on average annually during your first 10 years after graduating (from college or grad school). In plain English, if you think you'll make $50,000 a year, don't take out more than $50,000 in loans. The logic behind this is that if it takes you more than 10 years of paying 10% of your income a year in student loan repayments, it's going to be tough to meet your other financial obligations." (5 Items Will Consume 50% of Your Income - are You Prepared?)

Another thing I've learned from is to consider investing in a Roth IRA once you start earning income. As the experts advocate, start saving now because compound returns favor the young.

What I Wore

My friend Madisyn once shared a link to a blog similar to What I Wore (maybe it was the same). Looking stylish doesn't come easily to me, sadly. I like to wear clothes that are comfortable and I feel good about myself in.. and sometimes I have a hard time in the morning deciding what to wear. I've often agreed with my mom that wearing clothes on rotation is the easiest way, but some pieces of clothing aren't ready to go "as is," which is where the headache comes in.

After admiring Jessica of What I Wore's stylish outfits, I looked in my closet and put together a list of outfit combinations for "winter:"

1. Green and pink layered
2. Gray stripe w/brown underneath
3. Red/purple stripe w/brown
4. Royal purple with black
5. Sand-colored henley by itself
6. Black w/blue hoodie
7. Red "baseball" shirt
8. Collared black sweater
9. Collared blue-green sweater
   
10. Green/white/gray cardigan and black
11. Black henley w/blue hoodie
    
12. EDC layered with black

No pictures right now, but maybe in the future. Ends up being enough for two weeks, roughly, which is perfect for me. Now having carefully planned my outfits, I can be confident I am looking my best, instead of worrying about a hastily thrown together outfit. To complete the outfit, I alternate between a pair of black pants and two pairs of jeans.

Skin Care Regimen

There are countless strategies and products out there about taking care of skin, particularly facial skin. I've learned that taking care of your skin in your 20s is very different from skin care in your teenage years because oil production decreases with age. During my teenage years, I used St. Ives' exfoliating scrub, which I found a very helpful cleanser. I was still using it when I hit my twenties, but it left my skin very dry.

Instead, I found a less harsh facial cleanser in Cetaphil's Daily Facial Cleanser. I also added facial moisturizer to my skin care regimen. Sunblock is essential skin care at any age, and some facial moisturizers include sun protection. I chose Eucerin Everyday Protection Face Lotion with SPF 30.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Recently, I've realized that if I believe I deserve respect, which I do, then I need to be firm in asking for it, and in that way, will start to surround myself with people who respect me.

In the state I was in several weeks ago, I felt like I was hugely disappointed with the people around me and all the flakiness and dismissive attitudes... I realized that if I continue to do what I've always done, I will get what I've always gotten. And I realized that if I truly believed I deserved better than that, then I would stop giving out second chances and stop being so understanding (read: doormat).

Basically, it is not acceptable for people to cheapen my emotions, to treat me as a friend at their disposal, or to think it's okay to take advantage of my forgiving nature. It's about waking up to accept the reality that if people were really interested in being my friend, I wouldn't need to give it a second thought; I'd know. For me to keep overlooking that is to keep myself from getting to know others who will value me.

I decided I have a lot of good qualities and it's time I stand up for myself to be treated with the respect I deserve. Those who respect me are the ones who will stay in my life. Those who don't will gradually exit my life. The end result will be a support system I can trust will be there for me as I am for them.

Christina's Introduction

Hi, my name is Christina. This is a brand new blog to chronicle my journey to becoming an adult. I hope to keep it short and sweet, but honest. I hope to keep it interesting with video, photos, narration, and more.

When I started blogging, it was just another way to connect with my FIRL (Friends In Real Life). But the blogosphere has developed into an intricate web where former strangers become the best of virtual friends. Blogs are no longer just "an electronic journal." Blogs are personal branding tools. There exist full-fledged communities and tons of great, specific content.

After graduating from college and moving home with the parents last year, I found myself catching up on all the life lessons I had never learned because I had always been preoccupied with schoolwork. After a year+, I feel I've learned enough lessons that I need a place to share them.

The categories I will likely post on include: Making Friends, Appearance, Financial Literacy, Interpersonal, Work, Mental Health, Goals, and Life. If I think of more, I will add them here. I'm excited :)