Just My Journal

Tanning Salons As a 5 billion dollar industry, it's no wonder that tanning salons still exist. I've only ever gotten a spray tan (and a free one at that), but I could never imagine exposing my skin to a tanning bed knowing what I know. Tanning salons are everywhere and even my gym has tanning beds for people to use! According to the  American Academy of Dermatology , if used before the age of 35, indoor tanning bed increase the risk for melanoma by 59%. It also has a compound effect, putting you at higher risk each time you tan. The UV light from a tanning bed is a known carcinogen and therefore, it's the AADA stance that "no person or facility should advertise the use of any UVA or VB tanning device using working such as 'safe,' 'safe tanning,' 'no harmful rays,' 'no adverse effect,' or similar working or concepts." My promise to myself in 2020 is that I will never go into a tanning bed. Smoking Cigarettes I'm lucky enoug...

One YouTube, I watched Jenn Im's My Perfect Imperfections Tag.  The Imperfections My Uneven Eyelids - I'm Chinese American and I have monolids. And my monolids themselves, I've never had a problem with. I've never looked at my eyes and thought, "it'd be nice if I had a crease." Or, "I need eyelid surgery." But the fact that my eyelids were uneven got very apparent when I started to wear makeup in college. Specifically, it's easier to see the lash line on the _ eye, which means I need more eyeliner on my other eye to make them look even.  My Body (Calves and Arms) - I am not very tall. I like to say I'm 5'2" on a good day. Some people who are shorter are proportionally petite. I am not. I was actually supposed to be taller but once I got my first period that stunted my growth. I think if I grew to the height I was "supposed" to be, my arms and legs would look proportionate. My arms just don't look as toned as...

There are plenty of things in the world that piss me off, these are a couple of them. This article describes how Jessica's rapist still has visitation rights to her sons. She was raped multiple times when she was a teenager and now has two sons. In addition, she miscarried once and another son died due to "a disease common in cases of incest." Her rapist and step-uncle was never convicted, despite DNA evidence. How in the world is someone not convicted despite DNA evidence ! Especially if this is happening multiple times. And for her family to not only allow this to happen, but to encourage it, is disgusting. Apparently she was also forced to marry her step-uncle. In Alabama, rapists still have their rights, which is insane! So the judge told Jessica, with each visitation denied, she would have to spend 48 hours in jail. So you're telling me you want a pedophile rapist to have visitation rights to two young boys? Guess I'll never visit Alabama. Shall we m...

Thanks for coming in at 11 PM while we're trying to make your mother comfortable enough to sleep. Thank you for coming to see your mom for 30 minutes, I've just been here for hours. Making sure she gets pain pills without oversedating her. It's been a problem in the past, and I don't want to create another one for her now. She can't move that well on her own. So it's not a problem when a nurse or a nursing assistant use a gait belt and a Sara Steady just to get your mom from the bed to the chair and back again. Actually, two people are needed just for this one task to make sure she's safe. And sometimes two people are needed to reposition her every two hours - in reality even more frequently because she's so uncomfortable laying down or sitting.  She gets anxious. So anxiety meds have been ordered and changed for her. But it's not enough. So she asks me to hold her hand. She gets lonely, so we called the chaplain, volunteer services, and art ...

"Do you want to wait in the car? Or do you want to help start the fire?" Nic asked. It was a cool December night, and the prospect of starting a fire didn't enthuse me. "I'll stay here," I said. As he walked away, I grabbed my phone to update my roommates. It took him a couple of minutes before he came back. Enough to tell them how it was a weird date and how he's nice but I'm not sure yet. The fire was nice, warm. Two chairs were set up, side by side. Nic put a lantern on a tree branch to light our way back. It didn't take long for us to kiss under the stars. It was intense, the kind of kiss where explosions go off in the background. The scent of bonfire lingered long after we left his backyard, and as the fire died out ours didn't. He lead me from the fire pit back the house where we spent the night in the basement. Well, most of the night. I left at 3 AM because I had class the next day, not to mention my roommates were wondering where I...

When people ask how I met you, I like to answer with "online." Although that's the simplified answer, it's the truth. The long answer, we met through an app called Whisper . If you've never used Whisper it's a confession app. People post about anything and everything there. Me? I was posting about my relationship life, or lack of one probably. I don't remember what the confession was that got us talking, probably something along the lines of "just a nice girl looking for a nice guy." You say that you messaged first, although I beg to differ. That's something we still disagree about to this day. We didn't message long before you mentioned dinner. Applebee's for wings. But instead of meeting at the restaurant, you wanted to meet in a parking garage. I was skeptical, to say the least. You wanted to meet there because there were cameras so my car wouldn't get stolen or something like that. And while the cameras made me feel a littl...

Saving money is important. As if you needed this blog post to tell you that. But how do you save money? And while not all of the tips I'm going to share with you are feasible for everyone, hopefully, you'll read at least one thing that applies to you. Start looking for jobs before you graduate Yes, you do have a grace period after college before loan payments start. But trust me, those six months will fly by. Between the application process, interviews, and finding time between classes to travel for interviews, the earlier you start this process the better. I was lucky enough to find a nursing job before I graduated from college. It is in Milwaukee which is close to my hometown. Which leads me to my next tip... Consider moving back home after college I know, I know. Moving back home sounds like the worst thing ever. You've already been out of the house for a couple years and moving back home means sacrificing your independence. But if your home life isn't terrible...

That my choices should be knowledge-based, not fear based. Almost every mother says it (I know my mom does). That one phrase that makes you a little more wary as you walk on the street at night, "the worlds a dangerous place." These simple words stick with you and now you're suddenly hyper-aware of everything around you. But as dangerous as the world is, I knew myself. I listened to my gut and I was fine. I kept my head high, I knew where I was, and I made sure other people knew where I was as well. One of my friends even said they knew if they were with me, nothing was going to happen. It's not about avoiding situations because of potential dangers. That's no way to live your (college) life. But it's about knowing them and taking precautions. I probably wasn't as good with money as I thought. I never asked my parents for money. I was pretty aware of what my bank account was because my card didn't get declined. But I didn't stick to a budget....

Although a little late compared to others, I'm finally able to say #MeToo... I didn't want to because that guy on the street catcalling me didn't do me any harm, at least not physically. I kept my head high, brushed it off and kept walking towards my destination. Hell, it was even a bit of an ego boost. But I don't remember what he said and to me, and that was enough to convince me that he didn't matter. He wasn't anything more than a guy on the street. I didn't want to because when I started college, I hadn't had my first kiss yet, so when someone seemed interested in me I jumped. I met him in the science building. He was nice enough... but not really my type. But the prospect of finally having my first kiss pushed that thought to the back of my head. We went from one study date to watching movies in his small dorm room on campus. The kiss itself was underwhelming. But it wasn't the kiss that scared me. It was what he did next. How his hand wand...

Use Summit Credit Union's Primary Savings Account I've only been a member of  Summit Credit Union  for a brief amount of time. However, I love their savings accounts. Their primary savings account doesn't have monthly fees or minimum balance charges, and it only took $5 to open! I can take my money out whenever I want, no questions asked. Plus I earn dividends ($) once my balance hits $25+. Compare that to my Chase savings where I earned 1 cent for $1000 dollars in savings... I will be closing that savings account to put money into Summit. I may also open a second savings account (GoSave Account) with Summit that allows me to earn higher interest compared to my primary savings account. The best time to save money is every time you get money. Pay yourself first. Use the same Computer since 2013 Honestly, I love my laptop. I don't have much on it because I don't need much. Right now, I'm using a VAIO  system which is perfect for watching videos ...

Moving sucks. Everyone knows it. There are boxes upon boxes upon boxes of stuff, stuff that you forgot even existed. You find old clothes that no longer fit and canned food in the pantry that's probably expired. You wonder how all that stuff even fit in your small 2 bedroom condo. And why do you have 50 scarves? A dozen jackets? Old computer monitors? What purpose does that stuff serve you? But what if moving is an opportunity? What exactly am I talking about? Donation! Tonight I was able to get rid of a table and chairs at my local +Goodwill  ... this set was just sitting in the basement taking up space.  One of these backrests that I bought my freshman year of college and rarely used. A giant dog bed my dog doesn't even use, a hanging organizer for the clothes I never put in it, and a giant stuffed tiger I haven't touched in years. Even just moving out of a dorm room or college apartment sucks! What am I going to do with this eco-shelf after college? And no,...

Never will I ever step into a tanning bed. According to the Melanoma Research Foundation , as much as 90% of melanomas are caused by UV exposure - this includes both the sun and tanning beds. The WHO's IARC classifies tanning beds as a carcinogen! If you are looking for Vitamin D, you won't find it in a tanning bed. If you have a good diet, your Vitamin D levels should be fine. UVB radiation is needed for Vitamin D production, UVA is the type found in tanning beds. I have friends who have a family history of skin cancer, yet they still use tanning beds - especially in the winter. However, this can triple your risk of skin cancer! In other countries (ex. Brazil) tanning is illegal, but it's still legal here in the US. So no thanks, but I'll stick to the sun if anything. However, I did just get my first spray tan at Sun Tan City. It was my birthday and their free spray tan week, so I decided to give it a try with some friends. I wanted a glowing look, not necessaril...

I'm not going to lie... Winter break is highly unproductive for me. I sit around at home and basically just veg out. I'm a self-proclaimed homebody and am perfectly comfortable just sitting around. But when that is the only thing I do every single day, even this girl gets restless. I could be checking out new places, but in the winter it's just so cold. Yeah, it's a lame excuse, I know. But this winter, my sister and I are completely revamping our living situation. She has enlisted in the navy , so over the course of the next 6 years or so, she's not going to be home much. This is part of her motivation to de-clutter. Selling (text)books , clothes , and other items around the house that don't mean that much anymore. This will also give her some extra cash before she flies off. For me, I'm embracing a more minimalist  lifestyle this year. What does minimalism mean to me? It means consuming deliberately. If you were to ask either of us, our mom is a ...

Let's just put the fact out there: Donald Trump is the 2016 president-elect Am I thrilled? Not really, but here are my thought's after the past couple days #NotMyPresident - to me it's not about not accepting the results of the election. Instead, it's a sentiment that Donald Trump does not represent the people (and not just in the sense that he lost the popular vote). I would never wish for him to fail, in fact I hope for the opposite. I hope he proves me wrong But in response to the protests and the harsh sentiment towards each other... Peaceful protests are fine, great really! But don't turn into the people you were protesting against in the first place. I always thought the point of protests was to bring awareness. To tell people that being sexist, racist, homophobic, etc is wrong. If that's why you are protesting, great. But if you are protesting in order to diminish those who voted for him, stop You can't dismiss someone's fears about the...

hi everyone! so if you weren't aware, there was a " 10 Atheists' Commandments  contest" for athiests to write their own "rules." because I am on winter break, I just finished a religion course at my college and this post definitely peaked my interest and I was pleasantly surprised! all of the following "commandments" are statements I also believe in, and here's why: ~ be open-minded and be willing to alter your beliefs with new evidence if science and life has taught you anything over the course of history, it is that things change. being narrow minded will get you nowhere, especially if you are proven wrong. being open-minded doesn't make you any less strong in your beliefs, it just means you are mature enough to know that you can be wrong. ~ strive to understand what is most likely to be true, not to believe what you wish to be true though this might not be the best "rule" concerning religion, it is a good rule for life....

for those of you who know me, or those of you who don't, I love make up I love the way it makes me feel, the satisfaction of pulling off a perfect red lip, or just smoky eyes however, I rarely wear it I am super simple and usually don't even find the time to put on eye shadow in the morning, let along foundation, lipstick, eyeliner, mascara, etc when I do though, and when I am done with the day, I really take the time to cleanse my face (and body) and let everything breath so here's how I do it I take off all of my makeup using a two-phase cleanser, the kind where you can see oil on the top. then, I use a face mask: nothing too fancy, but because of my normal-to-oily skin I tend to gravitate towards a clay mask. once it sets, I use some warm water to rinse it off. Then I use a cleanser with salicylic acid, around 2%, mixed with a little bit of sugar for exfoliation (if I feel like my skin needs a boost) to cleanse my body I use another sugar scrub. I put a squi...

it's time for a rant. i know everyone has those times. where they just want to let everything out, without fear of judgment or ridicule. well, here's mine. people look at me and i know what they see. someone who gets perfect grades, volunteers, the innocent one. but it's not true. or i guess, that's not everything. i just put on this façade to save my skin. really, i'm weak. when my nana was dying in florida, i couldn't even pick up the phone and make a call. to tell her i love her that i wish we spent more time together. i think distancing myself makes things easier - but in reality, it makes it easier to fall. and i feel so horrible that i didn't pick up that phone. i'm weak. and now, my sister is going through a hard time too. and i'm not there. i'm doing it again, distancing myself. you know what my parents said? "she thinks you're not there for her." do you hear that? it's the sound of my heart breaking. i hate that...

out of all of the seven deadly sins - greed, gluttony, pride, lust, anger, envy, and sloth - envy i think is by far the worst. its the one that hurts the people around you the most. for example, my roommate is/was dating another guy in the dorm ( its complicated doesn't even begin to describe it). when they are together, the guy in the relationship gets really jealous about her being even remotely close to another guy. first of all, jealousy equates to not trusting the other person. if you don't trust your partner then why are you with them?! also, its not pretty or appealing on anybody. its okay to be mad at your partner if they did something wrong, but if they aren't then stop worrying about them. having a reason is completely different than just speculating going back to my roommate, when they weren't in a relationship, she would get really jealous about the girls her ex would hang with. she would call the other girl ugly and a slut and all kinds of words. ...

its always hard when you are on a team learning how to work with others, where you belong, how you belong, and what you can do to improve on yourself and thus improve the team but being on a team is critical, or even more so, competition if you are to know anything about me, know that i am a tennis player i don't care what you play or where you play it, but i think every child should play a sport at some point in their lives and how you define "sport" is up to you it could be gymnastics, dance, tennis, basketball, swimming, whatever but be sure it's something where you are told "no" where you taste the sting of defeat why? because if you never experience defeat you can never know how to rise above it. you never know how to improve afterwards. and you would have never learned that part about yourself. i was talking to my coach about how the mens tennis team needed more guys. and i knew of some guys who wanted to play but were very hesitant and i th...