I really enjoy newer R&B music, leaning more towards alternative R&B. Currently I love listening to Tems and according to google she’s considered to be alternative R&b mixed w/ Neo soul. I enjoy artists like SZA, Masego, Mahalia, Rubii, ENNY, SiR, Smino, Tobi Lou and Mariah the Scientist. Lately I’ve also been enjoying reggae and afropop/afrobeats which Tems also incorporates into her music, but you can listen to artists like WizKid and Omah Lay to get a better feel for that type of music. I’m all for a good beat and a chill vibe!
I have been blessed to do a little bit of traveling over the years. My fiancé and I have gone on a few caribbean cruises together, and although those are packed with adventure and seeing many places, I’ll always remember our trip to Los Angeles.
I remember planning the trip and booking two different hotels so that we could see a couple main attentions while we enjoyed our long weekend. For the first hotel, we were close to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. We got to go to the wax museum and for the first time I went to Ripley’s Believe it or Not museum. Mind you, I was 20 years old when this trip happened!
At our second hotel we stayed closer to Venice Beach. Our hotel was modern and had a bar attached, and I remember we got lucky one night and no one carded us! I ended up getting a few dirty shirley’s and I remember feeling so badass and free LOL!
We ended up renting bikes and rode down the Santa Monica Pier, and although this was probably my favorite date we ever had, I can’t help but remember when one of my contacts flew out of my eye and we had to uber back to the hotel to grab my spare one! I was so upset and panicky when in reality we had a solution- I just get triggered when things don’t go as planned.
At the end of our trip, we had enjoyed our time and the weather so much that we started looking at apartments about an hour outside of LA, but we never did end up making that big move. Looking back, I am really glad we ended up staying where we are, but I definitely want to take another trip there someday!
I waste time scrolling through Instagram. Although I also post and make reels sometimes, I know that social media is harmful and it’s not something I want to be focused on all the time. I think about becoming a parent one day and I never want my child to feel like a phone or social media platform is more important than time with them.
I’ve put limits on my phone that I ignore, but when I actually delete the app and take breaks, I always feel so refreshed. If I know I plan to get rid of it when I have a child, why do I keep it now? Entertainment? Connection? The occasional hit of getting a few thousand views on a reel? Is that doing anything beneficial for me in reality? Nope!
I love being connected with some of the authors, podcasters and singers that I admire, but again I’m not actually connected to them. If they ever like a comment or comment back, it’s their management team anyways. In actuality, I am not missing out on anything- and if I really wanted to “stay connected,” I can continue to listen to their podcasts/music and can visit their own webpages.
I love the positive posts and the funny videos, but are they worth taking time away from real life goals and aspirations?
My favorite thing about me is the same thing I used to despise: my sensitivity. I have always felt everything so deeply and fully, and it wasn’t until I had my emotions turned off that I recognized how much I needed them. Not caring and feeling numb made me feel so disconnected from myself and from the word around me, and that is something I never wish to experience again. In summary, I can bring it down to one of my favorite quotes: “it’s both a blessing and a curse to feel everything so very deeply.”
I’d love to retire feeling very comfortable, to the point where we could be cruising every month if we wanted to. My fiancé is set on having a nice car to drive us around in so we can see the world together when we’re old- like he literally talks about shipping it overseas to have during vacations.
I know we need to focus on moving our bodies and having healthy habits now if we want to be walking and traveling a lot in our older years- so that is the focus for now. Also looking at financial goals and making actual plans to meet them is also important!
I spend the most time with my fiancé, which makes sense considering we live together. I did think about how we’re both away at work for 40 hours a week, but even with that and the time I take to socialize with friends, he definitely gets most of my time and that’s how I like it!
My fiancé is my favorite person, so naturally it makes sense that most of my time would be spent hanging out with him. I love his presence, I love our conversations and how well we communicate with each other, and overall I am just so happy to have him in my life!
Do you remember your favorite book from childhood?
Every time I tell someone my favorite childhood book, they all say the same thing: “I’ve never heard of it.” The book is called “Snuggle Piggy and the Magic Blanket,” and I still have it to this day, because I plan to read it to my future children!
It was about a young pig who had a magical blanket with all of these fun characters on it, and they would come to life in the night and hang out with him! I remember always being so excited to read that book, and I literally haven’t met a single person who has heard of that book other than my family who read it to me.
Describe one simple thing you do that brings joy to your life.
A simple thing I do that brings me joy is practicing gratitude. When I am feeling lost and chaotic within my brain, taking a pause to count my blessings really brings me back to the present, and brings me a sense of peace.
I’ve actually been feeling off the past few days, and I haven’t actually sat in stillness to remember all that I have to be grateful for, so I’ll take that opportunity now.
1. I am grateful for my fiancé. The fact that we have built a solid foundation over the past twelve years keeps me at peace as we get closer to our wedding date and starting a family. He has been such a patient, supportive man throughout even the worst of time, and I am so grateful to be loved by him, and so very grateful to love him as well.
2. I am grateful for my cats. It’s so crazy to think we adopted our first cat, Sky, almost nine years ago! She’s so sweet and cuddly and totally my baby. Mushu we rescued under someone’s porch only a few months after we adopted Sky, and at only four weeks old we had to bottle feed her and teach her how to use the litter and she truly did feel like our baby. Deacon we adopted from our old tattoo artist as she was moving out of state and told us she never bonded with him, which of course made me really sad- so we took him in and he is 100% my fiancé’s cat. He is always cuddling with him, and sometimes he will with me too. I feel so lucky to have our three black cats and to have them all here and healthy with us now.
3. I am grateful for our home and everything within in. We are blessed to have electricity, gas, water and all of our appliances and items. The fact that we get to wake up in a bed with a roof over our head is truly a blessing, and that’s not one I want to take for granted. We are so fortunate to have our home.
4. I am grateful for music. Music is something that can help me to escape, but also help me reconnect to myself all at the same time. Singing and dancing along to the songs I love makes me feel so free and happy. I love how there is such a variety of music in the world so that everyone can find something they like.
5. I am grateful for my health. I can walk, talk, breathe, eat and use the bathroom without any assistance or issues, and as someone who has dealt with bouts of horrendous back pain, I am grateful to be where I am today. My heart beats and my lungs breathe all for me without me even having to think about it, and that is a huge blessing. I am also grateful for access to healthcare, as both physical and mental therapy have been so helpful for me and my journey.
Overall, life has joy all around. Sometimes it feels harder to see it/feel it, but focusing on gratitude really helps to bring me back to how wonderful life is.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this beautiful life.
Cold weather is not my favorite, but at the same time, I am such a homebody and the cold really gives a great reason to stay inside. Also, snow is beautiful when you’re in the comfort of your own home with absolutely no obligations to leave.
finding light in the dark 