I’ve certainly been more absent on here than I’d like to be. And in that process, my writing has also been absent from where it wants to be; to what I envision this blog going and evolving into. 

Maybe what I feel internally is being represented in this space, and that’s something I didn’t try hard enough to correct or shelter the reader from. My sincere apologies. But starting today, I’m putting my best foot forward and claiming the space I want to create in this little corner of the internet that is my own. 

Firstly, I’d like to make the statement that what I write here is purely for selfish reasons. I’m not a doctor or expert at anything. A Jill of all traits, if you will. Although I can and most certainly want to touch upon ideas that may bring controversy to the reader, ideas that spark curiosity, and mindfulness and instill a humane and loving lens into the world, it continues to remain a safe space for me to spill my thoughts onto paper. I’m a curious being, and although sharing bits and bops about my personal life is great, I’d love to extend that curiosity to new things I’m learning about, things on the horizon, and discoveries that can and hopefully do alter my way of viewing the world and transform them and myself into a kinder, mindful and aware soul. I do what I can, and my oath is that this little corner of the internet will be not just my personal diary, but an open one that invites you, the reader, to join in on these bits we call life. I can only hope that the reader is someone who enjoys the little intimate discoveries of life I write about but also is open to new and exciting ideas, ideas that should challenge us into becoming better people. Whether that is ridding our lifestyle of habits that are harmful or detrimental to other beings and the planet or reading a new book that transforms our awareness to envision more than just the water we swim in, I welcome it, and I hope you do too. 

If you don’t know this about me yet, I’m a nearly 30-year-old first-generation Angeleno. I grew up visiting my family in Mexico every summer and moved to Asia in my early 20s for travel and work, moving back home only early last year in 2021 after, or more so during, the pandemic. I recently earned my Master’s degree in Humane Education and I write and create programs for nonprofit organizations that aim to push the needle a little closer to the side of the kind, mindful awareness for all living things. I also do a fair amount of education outreach for two nonprofits that I love and admire. And I’m so lucky to be doing this work. I’m excited about my own growth and development in this field, I’ve certainly got a long way to go. I’m a vegetarian, I only shop second-hand, and I recently got into plants (as did every other person during the pandemic). I’m fairly poor, saving my little money for travels and lifelong savings, and the rest of it I spread it into a mean budget. I enjoy drinking IPA’s on my off days and wine in the late evenings when I’m feeling moody and bougie. I love an area with a good vibe, whether it’s dim lighting or bright sunny plush pillows, I welcome it. I’m an introverted extrovert, and I believe that all is good with a balance. Oh and I like to write, as you can imagine. 

I too like to read, and I vow to continue to read and share my readings along the way, although I promise most are a lot harder to deconstruct than you’d imagine. I’m still working on deconstructing Aphro-ism for you, but you can read about the first chapter here. And I’m currently working on noting down thoughts from a book I recently put down. So many thoughts and ideas constantly run through my mind on things I want to write about, but I don’t want to write about these important topics nilly-willy, and life tends to get in the way of these more complex pieces. However, I plan to take that time and share the discoveries I welcome and the challenges I may face. Patience, please.

The journal category of this blog will remain like a personal diary, sharing the new and old happenings of my day-to-day life. While the lifestyle category will touch upon broader ideas that are reflective of my days but with a more astronomical and applicable emphasis. The solutionary living category explores and unpacks bits and bops that should be challenged, should be analyzed with a critical lens and so forth in effort to live more solutionary, promoting the most good and least harmful habits. 

I definitely want to develop the travel section of this blog a lot more. And I’m learning a ton as we speak about what these realities that I’ve experienced meant, what they should mean, ought to mean, and how to continue moving forward so that we don’t repeat the bad and chisel the good for better. Travel is a complex topic. Complex because it doesn’t just involve me, it involves an entire industry, local peoples, communities, animals, the planet, money and so much more. All rippling onto each other, impacting one another, and leaving a mark wherever we go and whoever we impact along the way. And I want to be mindful of that, so I am finding it a bit difficult to defeat the anxiety that comes with writing about travel. I’ll find my voice, soon I hope, but until then I’ll focus on developing the voice I do feel comfortable with and topics I know I can speak more freely about with less research. In the meantime, please check out some thought-provoking blogs I’ve already written like deconstructing cruise-ship travel or about Aphro-ism’s chapter 1: Black Lives, Black Life. In the meantime, ill be working towards writing more digestible and informative pieces on important topics like these. 

So where does this leave this blog? Where does it fit in the internet world? It’s meant to be a small inspiration for growth. For personal development, curiosity, and mindfulness. We all live on this planet together, and who says we all fit perfectly into a box or singular category. We don’t, and neither does this blog. It’s a space for new, for old, for unpacking ideas, and for celebrating events. Finding the perfect mesh between old and new, bad and good, discovery and unlearning, for all and for nothing. As is life. I hope in the future it does develop into a thought-provoking space that challenges the common theme of thought. I want to disrupt. But first, I need to get comfortable. And that’s what this is here and now. Me, just getting comfortable and welcoming you to a seat at my table. Or a picnic blanket, that suits me better. Your furry companions welcomed, always. 

Love, 

Natalie