Things I Learned in 2015

1. Just go with the flow - it's so much easier to just cruise through life and not have to plan everything out. For instance, I don't have to know my major right away, or have things planned out everyday. I used to fill up my planner with so many lists of tasks to complete & this year my planner has looked more spacious than usual. I learned that I don't always have to be busy doing something, but that it's okay to relax and sit back.

2. It's okay to ask questions because people are always happy to help - 2015 was the year I landed my first job ever (during the summer). I had two different jobs in retail at two different department stores (though the same company) and there have been some moments where I felt as if I was asking too many questions. But I learned that people are always happy to help you or answer any questions you may have.

3. A lot happens in a year and you will change - when reflecting on 2015 I realize that I am definitely not the same person I was on January 1, 2015. I've matured, become more confident, and am continuously learning and growing.

4. Decluttering your space/things can help you live more meaningfully - There is a lot of truth to this. I never was one who would buy lots of clothes or other material possessions, but I would sometimes think I need this or I need that. I recognized that the fewer material possessions I have the happier I would be since I would not feel weighed down by the items I owned. I currently am going through the process of cleaning my room and decluttering my space since I believe a clearer space equals a clearer mind.

5. People come and go - sometimes people grow apart but that's okay. Everyone is on their own journey doing their own thing, and figuring themselves out.

6. Things will not always go as planned - but everything is going to be alright.

7. There is no need to spend a lot on a prom dress - There is a lot of hype surrounding prom actually, but it's always fun to dress up and feel like a princess.

8. Creating a capsule wardrobe is a challenge - because essentially what I end up choosing will be what I wear for three months.

9. While taking public transportation is convenient, you still need a car sometimes - especially when you want to go hiking!

10. There is more to your clothes than you think - while I love fashion I didn't really consider the people who make my clothes. There is a story behind your clothes, and researching into the garment industry has made me more aware of the world. Since then I have been more conscious of my purchases and have avoided fast fashion.

11. You learn a lot from people by hearing their story.

12. "No matter how you feel get up, dress up, show up and never give up." Keep going 'cause you got this!

Christmas is Almost Here!

As of right now at 11:50 pm there are ten minutes left until Christmas Day. I am so excited for Christmas and can't wait to see the smiles on family member's faces when they open their presents. I am excited to see what I will receive for Christmas as well since I didn't have anything on my wishlist. Christmas is one of my favorite holidays as it's such a festive time of year. There are beautiful Christmas trees, Christmas lights, delicious hot chocolate, gingerbread, and everyone is in a jolly mood. I also love deciding what to get people for Christmas. In all honesty, I think I'm pretty good at finding gifts for people! I make sure to find a gift the person will like and appreciate, and use as well. However, one of my most favorite things about Christmas time is the music. Christmas music is lovely. And more importantly, I love Christmas because I am able to spend quality time with loved ones. It's a time to spread love, joy, and kindness. Merry Christmas!

Ambiversion and the Myers Briggs Personality Types

I never really considered myself an extrovert. I wasn't very outgoing, and I was never really the most social person especially when it came to being around lots of people. I always thought of myself as an introvert because I was more reserved and quiet. I learned more about introversion and extroversion from a youth career camp I attended in the summer of 2014, and learned about the misconceptions surrounding each end of this introversion-extroversion spectrum. People usually think of extroverts as being very social and outgoing - I thought so too, but extroverts just tend to get their energy from their surroundings - their outward environment. Whereas introverts tend to become energized from inward reflection and their own thoughts, and need to recharge by being alone especially after being surrounding by so many people for long periods of time.

I firmly believed I was introvert. I usually gained energy from my own thoughts, from being by myself, and by reflecting on life. Even my Myers Briggs Personality Type was an INTJ - introversion, intuition, thinking, and judgement. I guess you could say my brain never stopped (and it still doesn't) - I was always thinking about the littlest things, about life, about the future, about the possibilities of things, about the book I just finished reading, about my classes, about how fascinating communication or psychology or whatever I was learning about was, etc. I was very detail oriented, methodical, and had a plan for everything. Perhaps that is why INTJs are called "The Architects."

However, now I am not so sure I am as introverted as I used to be. I recently took a Myers Briggs personality assessment from 16personalities.com sometime in July. My result (to my surprise) was ENFP. What? Extrovert, intuition, feeling, percieving? Well, yes of course according to my assessment. Afterwards, I read the description of ENFP and I could really understand it. I am positive and energetic, I can be quite random at times, and I'm quite imaginative. I also read the INTJ description, and I could relate to many of the things said as well - I'm independent, open-minded, and a jack of all trades (I guess). I did notice though that I am not as picky about details as I used to be, I tend to go with the flow more often now, and I am not as strongly INTJ as I was. I also took the assessment again, and INFP was my result. But I would say that I mostly relate to the ENFP and INTJ personalities.

I have to admit that I felt like I didn't belong somewhere when I got these different results. But now I realize that it's perfectly fine to get different results because I'm sure that every person can relate to and has similarities with each personality type, regardless of their dominant personality type(s). The thing is, people change. They mature, learn, evolve, and grow as life happens. I guess my dominant personality of INTJ shifted to ENFP to INFP, and it will probably change again.

Also, I'm neither an introvert or extrovert - I am both. Remember, introversion and extroversion are on a sort of scale with each at the ends, and ambiversion in the middle. I would say I am equally introverted and extroverted, but sometimes I may lean slightly more towards one side depending on my mood, situation, and overall current state. No one is ever exclusively on one end of the scale because of the fact that we are all both introverted and extroverted. These labels can sometimes confine us, but I would say ambiversion does not; it is acknowledged that you are part of both worlds.

I find personality, psychology, and anything similar to these topics to be very interesting. I am always trying to better understand myself, and learn more about who I am. Knowing myself helps me better understand the world around me because I learn more about how I perceive it.

As always thank you for reading!

Yours truly,

Soli

A Few of My Favorite Things!

"These are a few of my favorite things!...When the dog bites! When the bee stings! When I'm feeling sad...I simply remember my favorite things and then" - Alright, I guess that's enough singing, but "My Favorite Things" as sung in The Sound of Music definitely has to be one of my favorite songs EVER! And this song actually inspired me to write this list of some of my favorite things. I hope you enjoy reading!

1. The crunchy typing sound of desktop computer keyboards - laptop keyboards don't even compare

2. Eating pizza for breakfast

3. When I can see stars in the sky

4. The brisk, cool morning air of a spring or summer's day

5. Hikes that have beautiful views

6. Taking the clothes out of the dryer, and hugging all the warm clothes on a cold winter's day

7. When babies smile or wave at you - SO cute!!

8. Toast with olive oil, salt, and pepper

9. Jeans that are stretchy

10. Waking up early before everyone else

11. That cheery and jolly time of year between Thanksgiving and Christmas!

12. Wearing dresses and skirts with athletic shoes - comfort and style make a great team!

13. Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies that have gooey chocolate chips!

14. The moment when an airplane accelerates in speed to take off the runway - yeaahh!

15. My dad's cooking - it's ahhmazing!

16. Long conversations

17. Having "Dancing Queen" by Abba as my theme song when I was 17

Well that is all for now. As always thank you for reading!

Yours truly,

Soli

25 (Hopefully Interesting) Facts About Me

1. Travel is my passion in life.

2. Fish and chips are one of my most favorite foods EVER!

3. This is my favorite number, and my lucky number as well!

4. I love reading history textbooks - I just find history so fascinating!

5. Growing up, some of my favorite TV shows included Lizzie McGuire, That's So Raven, Kim Possible, and Teen Titans.

8. I've never dyed my hair, nor do I ever plan to.

9. I love reading books on nutrition - one of my favorites is Food Over Medicine by Pamela Popper.

10. I also love watching documentaries on nutrition, health, and similar topics.

11. I don't really like painting my nails - I don't really having the patience for it. With that being said, I actually don't own any nail polish!

13. I love cleaning and organizing things - I always feel such a sense of accomplishment afterwards.

14. I feel so at peace when I am witnessing a breathtakingly beautiful view of the mountains and ocean.

15. I love to listen to music in the car, on the bus, or while I clean my room.

16. I still need to learn how to drive.

19. I don't own a pair of heels once I think about it.

20. I prefer Android phones over iPhones - probably because I've only used Android phones.

21. I love popcorn drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with salt and pepper - it's my favorite snack.

22. I love thrift shopping!

23. I actually prefer watching a movie with subtitles, even if it's in English

24. Spring is my favorite season.

25. I love volunteering and helping others.

Well those are 25 facts about me! Thank you for reading this blog post - I hope you enjoyed it and found it fairly interesting and entertaining!

Yours truly,
Soli  

Sometimes Less Really is More

"The secret to happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less." 

~ Socrates

Ever since this summer began I've made it a priority to reflect more on life - such as what matters to me, what's important to me, and what goals I have for the future. I reflected on my likes and dislikes, the things I'm passionate about in life, and what my interests are. I also realized that having tons of material possessions was never ever a priority for me - I would feel weighed down from owning a lot of stuff. Also, my upbringing plays a part in this because growing up my parents never really liked having a lot of things in the house and we didn't have much to spend either.



We live in a society where shopping occurs a lot. New phones come out every year, new fashion trends come out more frequently than the four main seasons of a year, and there is a huge emphasis on shopping during holidays. I used to think Black Friday shopping was pretty cool, but now I don't go shopping on Black Friday anymore. When it comes to trends I don't feel the need to keep up whether it's fashion trends, buying the latest technology, etc. Also, just like my parents I don't like having a lot of stuff either. Trust me, I am not one who would like retail therapy and it wouldn't really work for me anyways. As I said earlier, I would feel weighed down by having too much stuff. However, for the time being I would say everything I own is manageable and does not add any additional stress to my life.

"Be content in what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you." 

~ Lao Tzu

Thanks for reading!

Yours truly,

Soli

Just a Little Update on Life + My Summer 2015 Bucket List

Alright. I think we have all noticed that I am a very very inconsistent blogger. It seems like I frequently disappear from writing on the blog which results in many hiatuses. Today I was looking back at all my past posts that I have written, and I must say that it was quite entertaining for me to read each and every one of them. I can recall the thoughts or feelings I had at the time I wrote each post, and I remember the enthusiasm I had when blogging was something new - something of novelty for me. About nine months have passed since I made the decision to start a blog, and I still think it's one of the best decisions I've ever made. I like having my own little space - my own creative outlet.

2015: A New Year, Another Day...and No Resolutions?

I can't believe that it's already 2015. Today we reach day 11 of this new 365 page book, and undoubtedly there are many more pages to fill that I am sure will be full of countless adventures. It still hasn't really occurred to me that I'll be graduating high school this year. And I didn't realize that we are now closer to 2020 - a whole new decade. It's funny how I'll think of the 2010's as the cool years where I was a teenager.

The 2020's are years away, however, 2014 was an amazing, wonderful year that was full of opportunity, adventure, self discovery, and growth. I think throughout the past year, I became more independent and discovered more of who I am. I learned that I loved writing and I decided to start this blog. Starting a blog was somewhat of a scary thing to do, but now I'm so comfortable with this relatively new creative space.

I found out that public speaking isn't so scary and I actually like talking in front of people! I used to be shy, but not so much anymore. Also, I wrote to different bloggers telling them they inspire me and that I love their blogs. It was awesome to see them reply back. And I attended a summer youth leadership program and learned so much and grew as a leader. Quite a few changes happened in 2014, such as the fact that I decided to not eat meat anymore, but I still eat fish and seafood. I feel better than ever, and overall a lot happened in 2014, but I am truly grateful for the all the great things that happened.

But now it's 2015: a new book with plenty of blank pages to fill.

Time Flies and Welcome to New York

Lately, I haven't been blogging much at all. I've just been so busy with school, college applications, and extracurricular activities like most high school seniors around this time of year. Now the month of November is nearing its end, and soon it will be December. I can't believe how fast time flies - in just a few short days it will Thanksgiving - one of my favorite holidays!

However, I hope to start blogging more. I only started this blog in October and my first post was on October 2, 2014. I know this is quite recent, but for some reason it does feel like a long time! A lot has definitely happened between now and then.

I feel like I have all these ideas for blog posts, yet I never have gotten around to writing about them. I currently have a long list of blogging ideas that I really need to start writing about. I really want to start posting my outfits on the blog as I do love fashion and want to showcase more fashion on the blog.

I'm not sure where this post is going, or whether people will read my ramblings but oh well. I just like writing away. There's so much to do, but I will be back soon! I definitely won't forget about the blog; starting up this blog was one of the bravest things I've ever done. All summer long, I contemplated starting a blog, but I was too scared and nervous to do so - I have no idea why. Anyways, I conquered that apprehension.

I've also been listening to "Welcome to New York" by Taylor Swift! The song is heavily influenced by 80s music and I actually like it! I'm planning on buying her new album 1989 soon.

Sincerely, Soli

Let Me Properly Introduce Myself...

Why hello there! Thank you for reading my blog thus far. Maybe it is about time I write out a proper introduction. I feel as if I jumped right into this whole blogging experience without ever introducing myself. So here begins a post about me:

My name is Soli, and I currently am a senior in high school. Yes, I will be graduating this year and it is all very exciting. Just recently, I ordered my graduation cap and gown, and I am well on my way to finishing this last year. As for college, I am still working on my college applications, but college apps are stressful - I had seven drafts of my personal statement! I am planning on pursuing a business major (unsure of what specific major) and possibly minoring in communications or computer science.

I am kind of a random person who has so many interests. I think this blog will showcase my many instances of randomness. I don't have a favorite color actually, but I love bright colors like turquoise or orange because they remind me of a sunny tropical paradise. I love the sun - it makes me so happy! Also, my favorite animal is an elephant. I am passionate about traveling - I love to explore the world and meet new people. I love to keep myself inspired, and therefore I have an inspirational quote of the week. I would consider myself a minimalist to a certain extent because I don't like having too much stuff, and I like to keep things fairly simple. I am just an ordinary teenage girl who is chasing her dreams. Nevertheless, welcome to my blog! 

A Song From My Childhood

Whenever I hear this song, a smile always forms on my face. I am reminded of happy memories, favorite places, family and friends, and my hopes and aspirations of the future. This is an amazing song, sung by a wonderful singer who passed away years ago. This song never fails to make me happy on a bad day, and it always inspires and motivates me. It's called "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," and is sung by Iz Kamakawiwo`ole.

A random photo of flowers that I decided to take, but they still are very pretty!

Click here to listen to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" on YouTube.

Sincerely, Soli

Remembering A Day in Monaco from April 2013

Monaco: luxury, fancy cars, the Monte Carlo casino, Mediterranean waters, and tons of yachts.

 The Port of Monaco