Nina vs The World

Well it's safe to say the year is practically over. Sure, we still have about 35 odd hours in which some global catastrophe can still happen, such as Miley Cyrus twerking up a storm for New Years. But for the most part, we've had more than a general idea of what the year was about. And may I say, I am Not Impressed. <Insert Makayla Meme> Between the garden variety of school shootings and bombings, the world is becoming a less and less wonderful neighborhood to live in. Sure we can talk about medical advances, charity water, and all sorts of movements to bring food to Syrians and everyone else caught in crossfire. But at the end of the day, the issues ranging from debt ceiling and medical insurance for all, to famine and crime- have only gotten murkier and more complex. Not that 2014 deserves to be written off before having started; but we also can't throw all of everything that's wrong on a symbolic time-keeping concept and hope for it to magically sort itse...

"Accept what is let go of what was and have faith in what will be.." (Anonymous)         You know, I don't normally share these kind of maxims here and there, because I think most of them are cheesy. In my opinion, they are created to be generic sugar-truths to make people feel better about embarrassing pasts. (Yes, we know what you did last summer..) But in all sincerity, I really liked this little nugget of realization/coping mechanism that someone passed on to me after hearing of a rough day I went through.         I'd like to add to this maxim though. Accepting, letting go, and having faith are all good pointers, but too vague. Accepting what? The things we can't change? Letting go of what was.. well, that's pretty straightforward. But having faith.. well, in what? For how long? In reality I truly believe you need to take a slightly more proactive look at life. As an intuitive feeler/thinker, I can get lost in my own maze of thou...

In case the subtle pictures above didn't get the point across.. I am celebrating my three year blogging anniversary!! Yay! That's right. My blog has now been alive and kicking longer than most celebrity marriages. It has survived Hurricane Sandy, the Faux Rapture , The End of the World,  the controversial "death" of Osama the death of Gaddhafi, a couple bad haircuts, and even the Government Shutdown. So I guess I'm here to stay. Until I am kicked off the internet or come down with a new strand of swine flu. For the last time, GET THAT FLU SHOT AWAY FROM ME! Anywho. I guess its the time of year to get reflective on the past and prance on the soapbox about how my life has been a voyage and how much I've grown, and blah blah blah.. But really I don't want to do that this year. I just want to say THANKS . I don't make money from this little blog here, but I get a lot of great feedback from friends and strangers. As an extrovert that places high ...

I'm going to start off this post by saying to my dear friends, I'm okay. Maybe even good. I know a few of you worried after yesterday's atypical somber post. But sometimes you have write through the rut you're in to come out to the sunlight on the other side. After a tough day, or week, or month.. it's nice to have a little respite and feel optimistic again. Granted, it may not be sunshine yet, but it's not rain. It's funny because my situation yesterday and my situation today are at face value, exactly the same. I haven't had some quintessential revelation or hit the lottery. (Not that I would ever want to deal with all that unasked for limelight) Yet today I have a better outlook. I don't know. Maybe it's because I got a good night's sleep. And all the support and love from friends helped to save the day, too. In any case, I am ready to get over myself and get back to mocking other people and things. (You knew it wouldn't be much lo...

Life is full of little surprises. And bigger surprises. And colossal surprises that take the wind out of your sails and leave you scrambling to get up in the dust. No.. this is not one of those "pity me please", posts. Everyone has it rough in life somehow. Yet we dust ourselves off and carry on because.. well why, exactly? If life is so complicated and so little reward is returned, why do we carry on? We carry on because no one wants to die. We carry on because others depend on us. We carry on because there is a shred of hope in us somewhere, perhaps beat up or shriveled up, abandoned in a corner but not ultimately forgotten. We carry on because its the only thing we can do. In a way life is like a governess. A stern, and unforgiving governess. She humbles you constantly and reminds you of your puny limitations. She smirks at you when you feel bliss because she knows what's coming for you around the corner. And she hands you life lessons served cold, when you weren...

I know I can't be alone on this boat. I know I am not the only one that has tried for years to forget a certain event, a certain person, a certain circumstance.. and yet despite all that trying; find themselves staring at a memory embossed in the soul. Etched in eyelids of the heart. Forever branded in your mind. Why is it that things I want to remember- deep conversations with friends that reveal the trenches of their being and the make up of their persona, words of comfort and direction that will light the path you saunter, pleasant memories that make your heart swell, etc- are all held captive in the foggy room in your brain that shrinks and swallows these moments away forever? Geez, it's an uphill battle for me to even remember what I had for lunch yesterday, but when it comes to one topic in particular.. it's almost instantaneous. Effortless. Like blinking. And all of a sudden.. there it is, in all its glory. Every hue in the spectrum vivid, the reflection of sunli...

There's a lot of hubbub these days for people to try all sorts of extreme sports and fitness activities.. from cross-fit to insanity, to circuit and suspension training.. there's definitely an exercise to float your boat.  Yours truly here kicked laziness in the butt and started hitting the gym regularly in March of this year. I am now at the 7 month mark, and I feel it is time, dare I say, I have earned the right to express the reality of exercise.  You may have heard a couple things about working out, and of course, I'm going to bullet point them and give you my two cents. Because that's what you're expecting by now. I am not an expert by any means. I am just an ordinary girl like you that wants to make sure she works off the french fries and buttery breads she eats on a regular basis. The points below are just my opinion. Always remember to check with your Doctor before starting any exercise routine... I don't want you passing out mid way through Zumba.  ...

Hello my friends, peers, audience.. stalkers. I recently made the switch from AT&T to T-Mobile. I own an Apple iPhone 4s, and since my relationship on the family plan was soon coming to a bitter end, it was time to go network shopping. I haven't had my own phone line since I was 17 and used Metro PCS back in Florida. Pre-smart phone era, it was the best, most affordable plan. Back when unlimited texting wasn't a thing, they offered it. Back when minutes had to rollover and anytime/whenever minutes were crucial. Back when the 'pseudo-internet' for phones was in its glory. Back when Lindsey Lohan had a career. So needless to say, I was a little panicky about having to jump into the contracts-for-phones world. It's not that I'm non-committal. I just don't want to be forced to stick with something if I find something better come along. So I did my research (read: googled debates and articles) and settled on T-Mobile. Before I wouldn't have given th...

I'm just going to come out and say it. Nothing is more deflating than a failed expectation. You had high hopes for the calorie-to-taste ratio in that chocolate cake to be astronomically in your favor. You were hoping the mere inhalation of its perfect cubed crumbs would satiate your soul. And then.. you took a big bite out of it and found out it was a dog treat brownie. So many things in life are like aforementioned doomsday brownie. Buildup, apprehension, illusions and hopes- and then at the apex, a devastating drop from crushing heights. And they apply to many circumstances in life, from movies to vacation, to reconnecting with family from the past . But I am going to focus it on.. ..take a guess..  People.  The problem here is, my whole life I have lived by "Benefit of the Doubt" motto. (Blame the die hard idealist in me) If someone seems like a pesky person, a little catty, a little snippy, maybe a little moody.. well, let's sweep it under the r...

In case you were thinking office environment, or casual meetings after reading the title.. that's part of what today's post entails. I have realized that as humans we all may be very different in detail, but when you zoom out and see the big picture, we are all really the same person with the same core mechanism of dealing with things. How so? Well..  Think about it. Why do we smile day in and day out, encourage small talk, sigh, click our tongue and end every conversation with, "Oh well!" or, "I hear ya!" "What ya gonna do?". The answer? Because it's easier to keep things light and fluffy than deal with the heavy and somber reality of things. No one wants a solution; they really just want a pat on the back or an empty reassurance that "it will be okay..", even though nothing may be further from the truth. And I can somewhat understand. No one wants to be Debbie Downer and waddle in misery and hopelessness. Take it from m...

"A friend in need is a friend indeed.." Who hasn't heard that before? When you're but a booger picking tot, learning colors and what not to put in your nose, these connections seem effortless, instantly rewarding and simple. But.. As we grow older and decide who we want to be and what we like, all of a sudden relationships seem more complicated then just exchanging the spare cookie or crayon for a smile. In fact all too soon, we are catapulted in the raging world known as teenagedom, and meeting someone you don't want to maul is a rare finding. We spend the first quarter of our lives establishing who we want to be, our unique identity, and the second quarter hoping the rest of the world, or at least a select few, can accept who we are, flaws and all. Here's my two cents; if you want friends, or want to be a friend- its actually quite simple. Stop being selfish.  No two people are the same. Quintessential truth that sometimes get blurred into the backgr...

You know, it seems like interests come in seasons, then part like a violent tornado leaving behind nothing of value. And then when you least expect it, they make an unexpected resurgence. I have blasted Myers Briggs before.. if you don't remember when that was, you haven't been following me long enough and therefore have missed out on golden knowledge. Well, at least I'd like to think so. Here's the link to that piece of earth shattering philosophy:  http://ninavstheworld.blogspot.com/2011/01/ninfamous-vs-myers-briggs.html When I was younger it bugged me so much to be labeled an ENFP.. and well come to think of it, I just don't like labels. I have discussed this at great length, but seeing as I am a die-hard idealist that thinks you have any interest of hearing it again, here we go: Labels categorize mounds of people into generic slots. It's like dumping pink slime and filet mignon in the same tub. Obviously, a gross violation of sacred meat. So, that being sa...