Nina vs The World

You're familiar with the scene: Organ music plays in the background, a woman runs for her life in the woods, something dark and sinister chasing her. She runs over rocks and twigs and suddenly- she stumbles! You know in your gut it's over. She looks behind her, terrified, and the shadowy figure emerges as the music crescendos to a high pitch.. Her brains are now the zombie's dinner.  Surely, what I'm talking about today is not nearly as simplistic as that overplayed trope in films. But, is it equally concerning?  Of course, ask any AI, (which I did) and the answer is much more understated and layered: "The claim that social media is destroying our brains is a highly debated topic, and the evidence is not conclusive. While some studies suggest that social media overuse can negatively impact mental health and cognitive abilities, other research suggests that it can provide benefits such as social connectedness and educational opportunities. Additionally, the effects ...

Have you ever wondered why even though some weeks seem interminably long, years in hindsight whisk away so quickly? We’re in 2020 now, and even for a generation unfazed by the 2000s, there’s something momentous and at times foreboding about what the start of a new decade will mean for us; as a whole, and individually. I know there’s not much we can do control things generally speaking. We can’t save every koala in danger in the Australian forests, we can’t save every polar bear that can’t swim to ground. But what can we do consciously and daily, to change negative patterns that play into a larger picture? This year I have consciously decided to SLOW down. How? Not in the way of physically living a more sedentary lifestyle, or giving up on my goals. Slowing down by giving up the fruitless and futile chase that was my early 20s. If it wasn’t trends I was chasing, it was acceptance from others. If I wasn’t after a new body or a new look, I was after a new continent to cross off ...

Greetings world. It has been approximately three years since the time I posted last. Unfortunately, life became predictably busier and most days I only have energy to make it through a long day of work. Any creative juices that were once there have run pretty dry since then. What do with this blog now? Make it a travel blog like every other millennial influencer out there? Who even reads blogs anymore? I'm pretty sure the only response I'll get from this post is the sporadic Russian bot, or someone from India posting in little squiggly font I can't read. But there's something special about this little dusty corner of the internet; and the fact is I have grown attached to it. Most social networks I used in the early aughts have been replaced, closed forever, along with my very bright and snarky commentary. (RIP, multiply) Therefore, stretching back into 2010, this is the only remaining sentinel. I feel a duty to protect it, dust it off; restore it to its early glory...

When I think of September 23rd, 2016.. a wave of emotions sweep over me. Excitement, anxiety, fear of unknowns, and love all overwhelm me simultaneously. And it's no wonder why- that day will mark my future for the rest of time. I leave behind my single life, my single goals, and enter a long lasting, permanent relationship with my one true love. Planning this day has been stressful, frustrating, enjoyable, rewarding, and surreal. And yes, something can be both enjoyable and stressful. Remember when I ranted about big weddings and my opposition to pompous celebrations? I stand by that. Thanks to keeping my event simple and classic, with the help of a ton of friends, my stress levels have virtually disappeared. Every week I accomplish two or three things, and prepare for the week ahead. If it wasn't for my amazing supportive friends, I'm not sure how I would have handled this entire journey on my own. Of course, I have the unending support of my fiance, but with his ad...

I have to admit.. I haven't been as regular in tracking this journey on my blog as I had originally intended. The responsibilities of life, however, a planning a wedding with a groom 6,000 miles away can be incredibly time consuming. Who would've thought? In any case, I am happy to report that my fiance will have his interview at the consulate August 1st, 2016. I'm confident things will go smoothly.. after all we've checked our t's and dotted our i's. After the first mountain of paperwork I sent, the second batch was a lot less complicated to gather. It included a written statement from a bank officer detailing how much I have in my bank accounts, as well as other financial evidence of support.. Because I'm a contractor, that meant for me sending copies of my tax return, checks and bank statements, and of course- more love letters and proof of relationship. I enjoyed that phase... writing cute little notes and attaching photos of what I've been up to...

Everyone (who has a shred of a functioning brain) alive today can concur on one thing: Nobody's perfect. But.. yet.. when we are placed face to face with one of our own ugly imperfections, it's like we're instantly blind! Why is it so hard to hear our own faults hashed out but yet simultaneously so easy to pick apart everyone else's around us? I mean, we get legitimately heated when we're wronged-we're even capable of rationalizing the why and how of people's actions,what childhood they must have had, and all of a sudden we're Sigmund Freud over here. It's like sitting on a couch, watching a show about home improvement while your own house is being consumed with termites. Wouldn't it be easier if we used that amazing capability to analyze ourselves? If only we could do that, without getting distracted by everyone else's shortcomings. It's like I walk around thinking I'm a twinkie and everyone loves me. (The Twinkie of old, the o...

Some words of advice: If at all possible, try to avoid falling in love with someone who lives farther than 500 miles from you. 500 miles is still driveable, a short flight away, and chances are the laws and regulations are not too much different from yours.  On a hot summer day in August, I met a guy.. who somehow without my permission found the handle to my heart and picked it until he opened it, and occupied every available space. Without going too mushy here, we decided to get married- at some point later this year. But of course, there's one, small , little detail.   He's in Argentina. And I'm here in glorious New England.  So, after weighing out our options and hearing truckloads of horror stories, we decided to apply for the K1 visa. All of you who have found international love, and know the plights of long distance relationships, can relate to the intricacies, specifics, and minutia of filling out the insurmountable paperwork.  These K1 Journey posts ...

If you're reading this, I have to thank you. I haven't been a regular blogger, and the theme and style of this here blog has run the gamut from being obnoxious and snarky to introspective and gloomy. I guess that's what happens when you start blogging at 19 and keep up ( in the loosest meaning of the term) blogging at age 25.  Irregardless (it's actually a word now..) despite popular belief, about a month ago, a very wonderful and special man asked me to be his wife. As I type those words, they still feel unreal. Yours truly, the snarky horse, the people observer and explorer of worlds, is settling down. That doesn't mean I have to do it without a fight, of course. And we all know how keen I am at being against something. Lucky for me, as soon as that ring was placed on my ring finger, an entire universe of things to be against blossomed into a lush garden.  The question was inevitably asked, at least three hundred sixty two million times. "When's th...

I never thought I'd see the day where a teenager would correct my modern lingo. Granted, I've never been one of the prominent cool kids, (saying words like prominent may not have helped either) but I held my own among the community. I certainly wasn't the one responsible enough to be in charge in a group, and as the youngest sibling I remember the time when adults would sigh and say, "You have so much to learn." Then something happened to me in the last four years. What exactly was it? Avoiding loud parties, preferring a Friday night in bed watching Netflix versus dancing til dawn is a side effect for sure, but what's the underlying cause? What do people call it these days? Oh that's right .. Getting old. As I type those last words, I realize in a way, everyone alive is getting old, so I'm perfectly normal. In fact, maybe even blessed, as some people don't live long enough to age. Still, when you reference a movie or a song and your audi...

Living in a first world country at first glance, seems like the perfect picture. Ample job opportunities, education prospects abound, varied and accessible places to find food, laws set in place to protect us, safe roads, a plethora of entertainment options.. Convenience and comfort at an affordable price. It's no surprise millions migrate to the US (and other first would countries) every year to find their patch of ground and get a taste of this life. But what's the cost?  If we step away from all the glittering gold.. Living in a world that offers this and more has its definite drawbacks. They're not apparent at first, but they come attached like the fine print footnote you decided to click "I read and agree" to without so much as a glance. Even in this charming, promising bubble of a world, major depression is one of the most common disorders. And almost everyone at one point experiences episodes of anxiety, panic attacks, and staggering levels of stress....

Another year, another venture. That's right! Yours truly is slowly making her way in the freelance world. It feels great to be the master of my own schedule again- to stroll supermarkets at 11 AM while simultaneously meditating in peace and quiet, to read an entire book cover to cover comfortably -enjoying a remote lake location at an hour most are chugging away in the afternoon grind-, to almost begin to forget what a traffic jam feels like, and alas- perhaps God's best gift to freelancers- visiting the gym during quiet hours- and having the wonderful pleasure of choosing a row of empty elliptical machines. But enough about the best life ever. Let me tell you a little bit about my newest offering. It's really not all that new- but I have decided recently to take promotion matters into my own hands and put my services on the market- as a voice talent. As a kid, I always imitated the voice of telemarketers, commercials for corporations, and even telenovela ads. I re...

Everything comes to an end. That's something life teaches us. From the best vacations, to the worst relationships, however interminable things may seem, they always end . And ends aren't always bad. Sometimes the end is jagged and sudden, jarring like a collision of two powerful forces. And sure, the connotation is usually linked with weepy goodbyes, hard feelings, bad blood, tension or just general sadness. But it doesn't always have to be that way, because.. Sometimes the end is subtle, parting away slowly and imperceptibly, like a younger age being replaced by a new one. And beyond that, there are also the pivotal moments in which we determine the "end". After all, there is no new beginning if something else doesn't yield its place. Fresh starts, new chapters- they never coexist with the past. This week is one of these "ends" for me. My last week sitting at this desk, staring at this screen, plugging away hour after hour with intermitten...

As most of you must have heard by now, Apple unveiled two new iPhones of sleek design and beauty on September 9 th . The phones have checked off some of the biggest complaints from current iPhone users and jeering Android users, whom are always close by to remind us they’ve had these features for years. (Thanks for all the free beta-testing, btw) And while it is true that Apple has included features that Android has had for a few years, the opposite is also true. Regardless of your phone preference, my purpose is not to bash Android, or Blackberry, or Microsoft or any other phone maker. I feel every phone and ecosystem has its own perks. I am perfectly happy with my Apple devices, and chose to continue the legacy with another addition to the family. With these latest models, came not only larger displays, but the ability to use NFC for payments, much better cameras, and overall- a better phone. Yours truly had been holding on to her faithful (now primitive and dwarf) iPhone 4S...

I'm quite sure everyone can relate when I say there have been some great pieces of advice I have been given that I wish I had taken. From saving money starting young, to fighting for something that may have been worth it, life is riddled with coulda, woulda, shouldas.. It strikes me as a phenomena that even though we can recognize at face value that the advice we receive is timely and appropriate, and sufficient conclusive evidence exists to support it, we may very well decide to do the wrong thing anyway. Then we suffer through it, build up our own awesome advice book, and try to convince a younger generation. So what's the root cause of this situation? I can only speak from personal experience of course. When my parents first told me not to open up credit cards and max them out, I nearly laughed. Of course I wouldn't do that. Wouldn't that be foolish of me? Yet here we are two years later and I'm throwing money every which way at those sharks to zero them out....

Every four years, the world stops for me. Well, in actuality, I just stop caring about the triviality of day to day even less than I usually do, and focus my attention and energy on the international, thrilling, unpredictable World Cup Games. Brazil 2014 has already given us some major surprises, which is in part why I love soccer so much. You can have the world's most renowned players, experience by the boatloads, but that does not guarantee you a win. Spain, World Cup 2010's winners, were witness to this as they were pelted 5-1 in their first match against the Netherlands. Yours truly was never expecting the upset between Uruguay and Costa Rica, the latter beating long-time South American favorite in a 3-1 final score. Yet, with two goals scored in four minutes, it was clear who was going home the winner that night. Portugal stood defeated and awe-struck in a national spanking of 4-0 against Germany. Even US, against rival Ghana, waged an intense battle on the field tha...

We recently watched this video at work.. part of an all-encompassing positive change to the company. At first glance, I thought the video would entail some sort of problem-solving or dealing techniques, a way to cope with life's pesky little problems. Instead, it was an hour long interesting discussion on how your brain is powerful and dumb, at the same time. That in a way, you can "trick" yourself to be happy and in doing so, become healthier, happier and more successful. And it all boiled down to the philosophy that happiness is a choice, and one we must make every morning. I listened intrigued, to the research that this Harvard graduate had combed over from years of observation and studying, finding what happy people have in common and how this relates to their health. And from that, he narrowed happiness down to five key factors; five habits that breed positive outlooks which in turn equate happiness. I couldn't help but smirk when he went through all five...

Well, I wish I had a more cheerful topic to ramble about as my first belated post of the year; but given as the weather has been anything but normal and the level of craziness has skyrocketed in my universe lately, you get what you get, and you probably will get upset. I've been contemplating a lot lately; (I always do when the world around me ceases to be a place of amazement and wonder) drawing inwardly to reflect on life again and the crazy paths it takes us on, willing or not. I wonder to myself: What if aging is just a disposition of the mind? It seems the older we get, the more negative our outlook becomes, and the grimmer reality becomes. If we boil down aging to its nitty gritty: I truly believe we'd find pessimism and dissatisfaction in its basic form. When we are children, most of us share a delusion of the world being bright and inviting; our "oyster" per se. As we grow older and run into concrete wall obstacles that are belittling and unrelenting; ou...

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 ...