Hello 2014!

Well hello there!

It's currently 6 PM on the last day of December aka New Year's Eve aka time for me to think up some great ideas of  how to make 2014 better than 2013 was…  It's not that 2013 was bad - in fact, it was probably one of the best years of my life - it's just that I want to apply what I have learned this past year in order to continually improve my life.

You may ask, why blog about this?  Why take the time to list "resolutions" that will likely be forgotten in a matter of weeks?  Well, my answer is simple - the point of this blog was so that I would start sharing myself with others, so regardless of if I think people are listening or not, I need to learn to share for the people who do care.  Also, if I type out these resolutions, I will be more likely to hold myself accountable since it is written down and I can't really go back on my word, yeah?

Okay, so here we go…

Julie's 2014 Resolutions:
- Stop cussing! - Every time that I tell people that I want to stop cussing they go, "but you don't even cuss!" To that I say, yes, I do cuss.  Maybe not as much as other people but it is enough to piss my parents off.  I don't care if people do it, but I just don't think that it is a good habit to have so I would rather not do it.
- No soda! - I'm addicted to soda, so I'd just like to cut it out of my diet.  I have done this resolution every other year for the past 4 years and it is just kind of to test my will power.  I do want to do this to be a little healthier, but that's not really why I'm doing it.  I just like to test myself to prove that I can do it.
- Exercise at least three times a week! - Freshman year I totally gained the freshman 15, so I've been doing everything I can to work that off.  I don't necessarily care about my weight, but I do feel better about myself when I exercise, so I would like to keep the good endorphins flowing!
- Less social media monitoring! - Social media is the bane of my existence; I love it and I hate it all at the same time.  Constantly checking social media has me comparing my life to other peoples' and only worsens my depression.  I want to limit my social media intake so that I stop comparing myself to others.  Eventually, I would like to limit myself to only checking social media sites once a day.
- Pray more! - Praying stresses me out because when I do it, I feel like I'm talking to myself in my head and I get distracted.  However, I really want to work on my relationship with God this year, so I need to learn how to talk to Him.  If I'm going to start learning how to talk, I might as well talk to someone who cares, right?
- Blog weekly! - I started this blog for a reason so I would like to use it.  Not only is this going to help me learn how to open up and share with others, but this year is starting off with a bang (I am studying abroad in Italy!) so I want to be able to document my experiences!

That's all I've got for now!  Nothing huge, but small steps that will help me lead a better life!  I'll keep you updated on how everything goes!

See you next year ;)

Sincerely yours,
Just Another Original

Hi, I'm Julie.

I realize that I just posted literally .2 seconds ago, but I figure, I'm on a roll with this whole talking thing, so why stop?  I'm not really sure what proper blogging etiquette is - you know, if you're only supposed to post once a day like on Instagram or if you can post whatever little thought your heart desires like on Twitter - so I'm going to just go for it before anyone (or worse, myself) can judge me for improper etiquette.

So, if you read my first post - I know, it was so long ago, you might have forgotten what it said - you will know that I am trying to learn how to talk and let people in.  I figured a good first step would be putting myself out there and letting anyone who is listening learn a bit about me so that's what I'm going to do.

Hello world, I'm Julie and this is me.

I like to think that I am a genuine person.  I would say that I am pretty good at staying true to myself and resisting societal/peer pressure to be anyone else.  Here's a few things that you should know about me...

• I am a listener.  You know how everyone is essentially either a talker or a listener?  Well, I'm undeniably a listener - and a good one, too.
• I have struggled with clinical depression since freshman year of high school.  That is part of the reason that I struggle with talking.  I think that I do a pretty good job of hiding it, but I have started to realize that it's not necessarily something to hide, but rather just something that makes me who I am.
• I remember things - like everything.  For example, I am really really good at names.  Introduce yourself to me once, and I will remember your name forever - just ask my residents.
• My love language is written affirmations.  (Judge me for knowing my love language, but I know you're curious what yours is now too!)  I love when people write me affirmations or sincere notes/letters, etc.  I also take words to heart.  Compliment me or gossip about me, I will remember what you say and it will effect me.
• With that being said, I'm really bad at taking compliments.  I get embarrassed and kind of brush it off - especially when in person, that's why I like when they are written down.
• I am Christian but still trying to figure out what my relationship with God is.
• I care about people - a lot…so much that it hurts.  I like to do whatever I can to make everyone else happy even if that means sacrificing my own happiness.
• I am a perfectionist - like, I color coordinate my closet, have a disgustingly organized planner, erase things and rewrite them if I don't like my handwriting, you know, that kind of thing.  
• I am a picky eater; I eat like a 12 year old - well actually, my 12 year old cousin is a more adventurous eater than I am so I can't even say that.  When I go to Subway, I get ham on bread - nothing else.  Yeah, I know it's weird, but hey, I'm a cheap date, right?
• Lastly, I have no idea what I want to do with my life, but I do know that I want to be happy.

So there's that.  That's me.  Ten things about me that you may or may not have known before.  Thanks for listening - er well reading I guess...

Until next time!

Sincerely Yours,

Just Another Original

Hello World, This is Me.

To any and all who enter this page -

Hello friends!  My name is Julie.  I am a 20 year old college student trying to make sense of this thing called life.  In the short 20 years that I have been living on this planet, I have had more life experiences than many people will ever have in their entire life - some good, some bad, but all learning experiences.  It is easy to get caught up on the emotional roller coaster and cry through the pity parties, smile through the good times, and deny the things I'd rather not acknowledge.  However, throughout the ups and downs, I have decided to take what life throws at me and see what each experience has to offer.

Part of what I have learned about myself in the midst of these experiences is that I'm not very good at talking - about myself, about my feelings, nothing.  I am all too perceptive and don't like talking when I am aware that people aren't listening because I have a hard time believing that people care, so most of the times, I stay silent.  So, I've decided to start this blog to push to myself to share.  This blog is all about me sharing my life experiences and the lessons I've learned.  This is the first step in me starting to talk - a seemingly small step since I won't have to see who is or isn't listening, but a step nonetheless.

So, here we go.  Regardless of whether people are listening or not, it's time.  Time for me to start talking.  Time for me to open up to others.  Time for me to let people care.

Sincerely Yours,
Just Another Original