Dear February,

You were month were I decided to finally be ok. But mostly, I made the decision to be myself, something I wasn’t for a long time. I started listening to Nirvana again, and Paul McCartney, some of my favorite artist I had miss in this hiatus of being me. I stopped listening to people and hop on the bike again. I also, threw myself in the water and no words can explain how it felt, to be one with the water, to allow my arms and legs to move freely, and to forget everything for an hour or more and just be inside the water. I opened my story again, a file that had been closed for months, I finally wrote again. I felt like my hand couldn’t stop and I felt that connection a writer feels with their characters.

At times, however, I felt suffocated. Like I could not breathe in this town. I felt trapped, trapped in a world I didn’t not belong. A place where I do not want to felt classified as. I need to get out, that’s the only thing that went through my mind. I realize I needed time off, but I still haven’t taken it. I felt like I could not continue living in this town and I needed to step aside. I still do, but I have to live with it at least for three more years. That’s ok I guess.

And lastly, in this second month of the year, I saw life differently. I made the decision I was not going to care. I was just going to “ef it”, if you know what I mean. My life is moving forward, I was going to go on without a care in the world. Not only what people say, but what was happening around me. I need to just think for a second and then turn around. I realize that by caring and worrying nothing happens. I realize if other people do not care, then nothing is going to change them, so just go on with life.

Love

Pili

Cocomelody Wedding Gowns*

The lovely people at Cocomelody asked me once again to write a post about their gorgeous dresses. If we are being honest, I’ve never been a fan of wedding dresses, but this ones are seriously beautiful. Pretty sure when the times come I’ll pick a dress from their site.

There is something so dedicated and beautiful about a low back wedding dresses and this ones are no exception. Not only does it give it a sexy touch but it is also so beautiful. I always felt like low back dresses do not anything else to make the dress perfect. I love the fact that Cocomelody offers different shapes and designs.

Not only are there low back dresses, but they also have backless gown which I also adore. They have that detailed touch with a little bit of sensual feelings. To be honest I wouldn’t be able to choose between these two!

Also, before I get back to studying, a little reminder that Cocomelody is having a great sale that you should really check out!

Love

Pili

*This post was sponsored by Cocomelody

How do I stay motivated

Photo credit: 9gag

I feel lIke we all go through some moments where it is hard to find any motivations. Sometimes we lay in bed and do not find the need to even get up, I get it, I deal witH it first handed and had peOple around me deal with it. Other times, we simple feel like giving uP, the amount of times I wanted to quit the blog bEcause I did not find a reason to go on, or maYbe yOu feel like quit yoUr workout. I wrote a list of the things that helped stayed motivated when I lack of any of it.

Picture your goal

When you feel liKe you can’t go on and you feel like there is no reason to go oN, remember why you started. Remember what your gOal is. When I feel like giving up, I remember I alWays wanted to be a wrIter or a journalist. Even if it is for the money, reMember why you started doing this.

Surround yourself with people who help you

Some people are toxic, and they are bad influence. Some people make you lose motivation and drift you away from your actual goal. Surround yourself witH people who motivate you Every day and remind you every day why you started.

Work on it everyday

EveRy day, take some time to work on your goal. WeathEr is 5 minutes or half an hour, do it. I try to write every day, is a nice reminder as to why I started not only the blog but my career. Even when it comes to staying healthy and working out, do a small workout every day, even a 20 minute walk is something.

Do your research

Take your time to do your research and understand what you want. Understand how you really want to achieve the goal. How should you approach it? Also, do in research reminds you of what your goal is all about.

Take some time off

Maybe this one helps me the most. I like to take some time off For myself usually when I wOrk out and Remind myself whY I’m working so hard. SO, take some time for yoUrself to simply think.

Love

Pili

Ps: this is one is dedicated to someone I know, who has a hard time getting out of beds some days. You probably don’t read this, but I did think of you.

Small things that matter

Last two months have been a Little hard. I have decided to see life in a different, I’ve decided to enjoy a little bit more life, but not going big, instead I started appreciate the small thing, those that happened daily but we do not take the time to actually enjoy them. So I wrote down a list of all this tiny things:

·       Sunsets and sunrise

·       When you start a book     

·       When you finish a book

·       Finding a new song that you love

·       The way the light comes through the window in rainy days

·       Coffee in the morning

·       Relaxing with a warm cup of tea after a long day

·       The way the water hits your body and face when you shower

·       Hugging your friends after you haven’t seen them in a while

·       When you find that song that describes your feelings perfectly

·       Wrapping yourself in a warm onesie in the winter

·       Fresh sheets

·       Taking good pictures

What are the small things that matter to you?

Love

Pili

How to be organized

I think one of the biggest struggle people go through in college and school is trying to stay organized and on track of everything. I know that I love to have everything organized and it has help me a lot, especially this last few years. Here are most of the things I’ve been done to stay organized.

Use an agenda

I feel like agendas need to be your best friends through high school and college. I know I don’t leave my house without when I go to university and I try to write everything they tell us, every exam and assignment. I also like to use it to keep me organized on the blog and all my doctor’s appointment.

Use your phone calendar

All my exams are in my phone calendar as well as all my doctors’ appointments. It’s just one of the easiest ways to remember since you carry your phone around all day. Also, it is better than writing down your appointments in a piece of paper that it will get lost or sometimes when you do not want to carry your agenda.

Make to do-lists

There is nothing more satisfying than crossing things off of your to-do list. I have them on sticky notes in my room where I know I will see them throughout the day. I know they are some great apps and also using your phone’s note app is a good way too.

Use sticky notes

I think my room is full of sticky notes, not only with to-do lists but with what I need to remember for specific subjects. I have my history sticky notes and my Culture sticky notes. I think the best you can do is put them somewhere where you can see them, I know mines are in my desk and on my wall behind my desk.

Plan your day

Lastly, I started doing this recently and I’ve notice how effective it is. The day before, before going to sleep I make a list of everything I plan on doing that day in a specific order. You end up being extremely productive and getting everything done.

Love

Pili

Books You Need in your Shelf

I know I did a similar post a few years ago about my favorite books, but I feel like this one is different. I’m not talking about books that once I put it down I was like “wow this book just blew me away, I must read it another five times,” I’m talking about books that maybe you read once, but they have so much meaning and there is more than the story it tells. I’m a big fan of those books that one simple word actually has a lot of different meanings, every word you read is a metaphor or has a deeper meaning that what it seems. So this are the kind of books that are in this list:

                                                                              

  1.    The Catcher in the rye by J.D. Salinger

Are you surprise this book is the first one in the list? You really shouldn’t. If we are being honest, the first time you read this book without any background information you probably wonder “what’s the big deal about this Holden Caulfield kid?” but when you dig more into it and you realize this is actually a representation of how a teenager feels about growing up, this is the kind of book you will fall in love.

  2.    Looking for Alaska by John Green

After I finish this book, I remember needing sometime to think the whole book again. I just one of those books that the ending suddenly makes you question your entire life. I’m currently re reading it and being a big fan of marking things on book this one is full of post-it and pencils scribbles, there are so many pieces of this book that makes you reflect. I recommended this book to my brother and to my friend and they both come back to me and were blown away but how good it was.

  3.    Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger

I look for this book for a while and I had officially given up until a week after I started university. We were assigned to read the first one “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” and the teacher told us that Nine Stories was a book everyone who wanted to become a writer needed to have. Of course I raced to the closest book store and got it. Some of the stories might be a little hard to read and confusing but just like The Catcher in the Rye, you have to look under the iceberg.

  4.    Bestiario by Julio Cortazar

I think every single person needs to at least read one story by Julio Cortazar. Pick any story by him, the craziest one, the funniest one or the easiest one, but you must read it. I read this collection of short stories for school and once I was done I feel in love with Cortazar and after learning more about him in university, I realize he was the best Argentinean writer ever (Sorry Borges). The way he writes is pure poetry, every single word is there for a reason and every story has a bigger meaning behind. This story have been translated to English and they are around the internet but I believe the book has not been publish. My favorites are “Lejana” (“The Distances”) and “Carta a una señorita en París" (Letter to a Young Lady in Paris").

  5.    One Hundred Days of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

This is defiantly not a book to read many times, it is a long and one of those book that are just hard to read. The first few chapters of this book was a constant: “what is going on here?”, but then my teacher would help us understand and everything made sense. It is just one of those books that you need to read once, and do your best to understand that the writer is not crazy. By the way, I highly recommend having a family tree, it really helped.

  6.    The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

Don’t worry my first reaction to this book was also “this is disgusting, I can’t read it,” but I don’t think there is anything more beautiful that the metaphors and the symbols on this book. I love the way we discussed this book in university more than I did in school, because this is one of those book that to really enjoy it you have to read it twice. But really what really got me when reading once that I was older was how we can all feel a little bit identified with the main character.

  7.    No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre

I’ve been hearing about this book for a long time and after I was assigned to read it for my Culture class I think I finished it in like a day. Maybe I’m a fan of the whole idea of questioning your existence but this book just touches a subject that we all question but we do not really get into it. What is hell?

Love

Pili

20 things I learned in 20 years

So the day has arrived that I turn 20 years old *cringes at the thoughts*. Nop, I’m not completely happy about this but I know I have to face it. Today January 13^th, 2016 I turn 20 years old. Everyone keeps telling me I’m still young, but to me it feels like too much. Anyways, I’m not here to be bitter over my birthday, instead, I want to tell you 20 important lessons this life has taught me:

1.       Mom always knows. Disagree all you want with her, but she knows. She knows when a boy is not right for you, or when that girl would end up hurting you. Mom always knows what is right for you. I know in the back of my mind that yes mom, I will end up with an engineer and not a writer.

2.       Time can heal everything. I promise you it does. You probably hear this all the time, but it is true. You will not even remember how it felt to have him around, or why you liked that girl as a friend so much. Give it time, you will feel better.

3.       Bullies are all around, learn not to listen. Even in college people will talk behind your back, people will still make fun of you. But forget them and move on with your life.

4.       Nobody needs to come between you and your friends. I did learn this the hard way, but never let anyone come between you two. Not a guy, not another friend, no one.

5.       You will fail and fail and fail, but you don’t have to give up and you’ll learn from this. You will fail the first time and maybe the second time, but you’ll learn and you’ll get what you want and succeed. Never ever give up just because you fail once, or twice, move on and work harder

6.       You can never go wrong with eyeliner. Learn how to use it, and wear it, always.

7.       Find something that you love and do it every day. Even if you suck, do it.  If you love to sing, do it every day. If you enjoy writing, do it every day. You’ll find a little bit of joy every day.

8.       Your body is sacred take care of it but decorate it. Get that tattoo, get that piercing, but eat healthy, workout, meditate and get some sleep.

9.       Take pictures and pictures and more pictures. Even if people look at you strange you don’t want to forget that time you saw that beautiful sunset or the time you went around Walmart in a shopping cart even though your legs defiantly do not fit.

10.   Find two lipsticks you like, one for the winter and one for the summer. Change it every now, but choose two and you are safe to go.

11.   Taylor Swift has the answer to your heart break. My personal favorite is “We are Never ever getting back” but basically listen to every single album and I guarantee that you’ll go from crying your eyes out to dancing and singing to “22” in your bedroom.

12.   Sometimes a good cry is all you need. So go ahead and cry your heart out, cry and cry. Crying is good motivation to remember how you don’t want to feel, so you go ahead and fix whatever bothers you. Or you go to the kitchen get some good food that will make you feel better.

13.   You have to read and read. I’m pretty sure this is the only advice I give to my younger siblings. Books just give you something to kill time and hey, you can always start a conversation if you know a good book. Bonus: thanks to a book I got my first tattoo.

14.   Ignore what people might say and just do you. So what if that girl from your class think your shirt is ugly? So what if the guy you are dating does not like tattoos and piercings? Just do whatever makes you happy. Go ahead and get 5 billion tattoos, wear that skirt and cut all your hair, the only one who has to like it, is you.

15.   Don’t expect anything from anyone. Harsh, but true. Go ahead and day dream that someone will come to the door with donuts and a life-size unicorn but no, it might never happened. You can dream all you want, like I hope one day I can live in a penthouse in NY with my 3 cats and walk to work every day at Vogue, but that is because it is me who has to work hard to achieve that. Don’t expect the world to stop for you, just work hard to get what you want.

16.   Give people nicknames. Not only is it hilarious but you create a bond with them

17.   Drinking coffee does not make you a grown up. It only makes you human who either did not sleep or has to stay up late.  So drink away my friend.

18.   And it is ok to be a grown up. Yes, doing the laundry sucks, and so does cooking. But going out without anyone questioning is also and so does driving around with friends blasting to music.

19.   Express your feelings. Whether you like to talk, write, sing or draw, don’t bottle up, at some point you’ll burst and you’ll realize you can’t go on like that.

20.   Life is made of small moments, take them all in. Like watching the sunset by the river with your friends, or walking at 5am in Buenos Aires with people you just meet, or dancing to Taylor Swift after getting a good grade.

Love

Pili