What Does It Mean When I Say Honesty?

Honesty is more than just telling the truth. Honesty is believing in what you are saying and forming trust with the others around you. Without honesty, your life truly becomes a lie. And I guess that's common sense because if you are not honest, what are you? 

There is a difference between being honest with others and being honest with yourself. You can tell other people the truth and you form trust bonds and friendships, that is important. But, what if you are not honest with yourself? What if you don't know that you aren't being honest with yourself? I feel like that is very common these days. People like to lie to themselves, and not even on purpose. They cannot stand the thought of being something or having a certain view or thinking a certain way, so you lie to yourself to change your own thoughts. But, just because you cover something up with a lie, doesn't mean the truth went away. You are just hiding things, and that is really when you start to lose a sense of who you are. You cannot change who you truly are deep down, but you can change and choose the lifestyle that you live. But that my friend, is you living a lie. 

More Than Metal

I always wear a quarter around my neck. I have found a quarter, made it into a necklace and it never leaves my neck. It is something that has become a part of me and symbolizes more than just 25 cents. Even thought I guess I worth 25 more cents than I was before I made this necklace. That's kinda cool. But also not the point. I wear it because it symbolizes my future. When I look at it, it reminds me of what my goals in life are. The quarter I wear is the Alaska state quarter. Alaska is my end goal in life, that is where I want to live and spend the rest of my life after college. But, it even says more than just that. When I look at it, it reminds me of all the things that have to be done before I get to the end goal. It tells a story that only I know about. To someone else its just a piece of metal hanging from my neck, but to me, it is my whole life story.

My girlfriend wears the same exact quarter around her neck. (For the probably 1 person who ends up reading my blog, you're gonna hear about her a lot. #notsorry) And though, I do not know exactly what it means to her; well I know its special to her because I wear one too and we both plan of living in Alaska together. But, I am assuming it is something very similar to my thought process, we have not really talked about it in great detail. But, that is my second meaning behind the piece of metal that hangs from my neck. It brings me closer to her. She is over 500 miles away from me and just to know that when I look down at my chest and see that quarter, I know she sees that same thing when she looks down as well. It is a cute, tiny connection we can share from across the country; and that makes me happy.

The Ones Who Matter

When you have the same people in your life that are almost expected to be there, they become the norm. But, what if one day that specific person was not in your life anymore for whatever reason? The important people that exist in your life almost become taken for granted. Just simply because you always expect them to be there and you are just so used to having them there for you every single day. Now, the people that I am talking about are the people who seem to be in your life no matter what. These are people can consist of your mother, father, brother, sister, friend, boyfriend, girlfriend. And the list can go on and on. Basically anyone that you are used to having in your life. And most people don't even realize that they do in fact, take these people for granted. It is not because you are a bad person or are selfish. You just don't take the time to think about it. When you dig past the surface meaning, you can uncover a whole lot that may have never even crossed your mind before. 

I can give you a perfect example of this in my life. I actually went through this thought process not too long ago. I always try to see the deeper more meaningful sides of people and situations, especially with the people in my life. I am going to use my girlfriend for an example. Mainly because she the person who has made one of the biggest impacts in my life. But first, lets back up and talk about how we might look at significant others in our lives without deeper meaning. When you have the someone special someone in your life, why are they in your life? Because you like them? Because you love them? Because they make you happy? When you look at the whole dating process just on its surface we can see that you obviously like each other and that they are different from everyone else in your life, that is why they are called significant. But, what do they actually do for you every single day? When you dig deeper, you can see that they are more than just the person you like or love. They become this whole system of support and unconditional love; and what they do for you can really and truly be amazing. 

My girlfriend has been in my life for 5 years now. Even though we did not spend all of those 5 years dating, I can look back at all that time and see that I would not be the same person I am today if she was not a part of my life. I will never be able to thank her enough for the the things she does for me. But, one could argue that these things are the expected out of a partner, and I can agree with that. The ideal partner has these expectations. But, when I really thought about how my life would be different without her by my side, I realized what a different having someone like that makes. 

Having a partner means having a support system behind you. They are like that emergency portable phone charger that you pull out when your phone is on 1%. Now, that might seem like a silly metaphor but when you think about it, it is true. They are that extra push you get when you feel like you can't go anymore. They are always there for you and they never give up on you. They are strong when you can't be and vice versa. The two people begin to count on each other so much for emotional and physical support. I know if I asked my girlfriend for a favor she would drop everything to help me out. They become this person that gives you so much and gives you something that you will never get from anyone else. They almost become an extra life for you, because of all the things they add to your it And, sometimes we do take that for granted just because thats what we are used to when it comes to having a partner. Its always been like that and it will always be like that. Its the norm. When they are no longer in your life anymore is when you really do realize how much they changed you for the better. 

I will never take my girlfriend for granted, and I tell her that, I make sure she knows that. I acknowledge all of the great things she does for me because I know my life would not be the same without her. Plus, it is always nice to know you make a difference in someone else's life as well. You feel worth something more than just the ordinary. And to that person, you are that extraordinary. It is important to know exactly what you have in your life, and to be grateful for every minute of it. 

An Album Review: BADLANDS

I've been big into music since forever, but I don't think I really appreciated it until I joined band in 5th grade. Since then, it has been something that has taken over my life, in a good way of course. Not only do I appreciate music more, but I understand the meaning behind it and can pick out what is good and what is maybe not so good. All music is different and everyone has a taste for something different. However, this will be a peek at what I have really fallen in love with lately and why. 

Halsey's album, BADLANDS is an album I am actually very surprised that I came across and liked. I was a fan of one of her songs and that was about it for awhile. I ended up listening to the whole album by accident and I am so happy I did because this has become one of my new obsessions that I keep on repeat. Halsey is a new artist that people may know from collaborating with Justin Bieber for one of his songs on his Purpose album. She then released her own album shortly after and she is predicted to be the next big thing in 2016.

To give you a background on the album, the concept focuses on a fictional dystopian society which she calls the Badlands. After listening to the album countless amounts of time, and researching the song lyrics, you can tell that this album is more than just music. It has so much meaning behind it and relates directly to Halsey's life. When you pick apart the songs, you can see she is open about her mental state; she has openly stated that she has bipolar disorder and you can tell that she refers to herself in her songs quite a bit. The album becomes a metaphor for what goes on in her head and is her escape from life's struggles. And that itself shows why this album is so good; it is raw emotion, you can't get any more real than that. 

So what is this metaphor exactly? When you look up the definition of a badland, it is, "a region marked by intricate erosional sculpturing, scanty vegetation, and fantastically formed hills —usually used in plural." So when we connect this definition to Halsey's album focusing on a dystopian society we can imagine that this is where the people of this society live. The city is basically surrounded by a desert wasteland, keeping the members of this society captive in the badlands. And this is what Halsey likes to compare her mind to. She feels trapped. And even if there is no where to go, you can still find optimism and a mental escape, which she does through her music. 

Halsey's music falls under the electropop genre and it is a little bit different than what you would hear on the radio these days. So if you are looking for something new and different, this could be the album for you. Her song lyrics are very straight forward and honest. She is not afraid to put herself out there and is not afraid to hold anything back. The music itself follows a basic music structure and is pretty easy to follow. Of course you can listen for your own enjoyment, but this is also good because if you like to analyze things and find deeper meanings, then this is the album for you. The other meanings are not too deep where its hard to find, but it does open your brain up to wonder what she is eluding to and how she felt when she wrote these songs. 

I am also a huge fan of her voice itself. I think it is very enjoyable to listen to and it is almost calming. But, even with the calming effect, she still has the power in her voice to get a certain feeling across when you get the more emotional songs. I really enjoy listening to her sing. This album is definitely worth listening to and I look forward to seeing where Halsey goes next with her music career. 

Long Distance Relationships

Something I've heard about a lot in the recent past has been long distance relationships. More and more young adults are meeting people online from all over the country and even world and get involved in these long distance relationships. And I have always wondered if these really work; I mean, they can't be that hard right? Wrong. It wasn't until I got into a long distance relationship myself that I really understood the point of it, and how hard it really is. In the past I feel like I have almost taken how close my significant other lived to me for granted. We lived 5 minutes away tops, we saw each other everyday. Now I am lucky if I see my girlfriend once a month, if that. Even though we did not meet online, this has become a very new and different experience for me.

The idea of being in a long distance relationship didn't scare me. I had no problem with wanting to do it because this girl I fell for was kind of a big deal to me. But of course with my luck, we chose to get together right as she went off to school. We are 530 miles apart and thats basically all we know. I mean, I've known this girl for years but from a relationship standpoint, all we know is long distance. And never did I once think about how hard it was going to actually be until I spent that first week without her. It is weird and hard not having the physical interaction. We still text, call, and Skype every single day; but none of it is the same as being in the same room as each other. And that is something I did not think about going into this. I thought everything would be fine because we can still talk all the time with the technology that we have. I know what she does every day and she knows what I do. We tell each other about our days and its like we are together because the distance doesn't let us lose all the information we have about each other and what we do. But, what the distance does do is deprive us from that physical interaction. I cannot tell you how much it means to be with someone right here and now in the moment. It makes a world of a difference to have someone right in front of you, even if you are talking about the same exact things you would over text or even a Skype call. Dealing with this is hard. There are things you can't do over the phone. Like give hugs when they are feeling down, or to just feel that closeness when you need it the most. You can't do those things from 500 miles away. You experience a whole different kind of miss. You not only miss them, you long for them. You crave hearing their voice, and seeing their facial expressions when they talk to. You miss them, but you also miss all the little things that they do that make your day just that much better.

Now, do these long distance relationships work? I just made it seem like they are these terrible things. And yeah, it is not easy. But do they work? From what I have encountered, they are hard, but so worth it in the end if you can make it work. You obviously need trust and communication cause it is so easy to lie from 500 miles away. It is so easy to do whatever you want from that distance and not think about who you have waiting at home. Thats easy to do. I have never been more open with anyone in my life than I am with my girlfriend. She knows me from the inside out. We have no secrets between each other. We trust each other so much; and that is why this works.

Being in this long distance relationship shows me that we are really something. And by that I mean, we truly do love and care for each other. Because if we didn't, all of this would not be worth it. Why would someone choose the hard route for someone they did not care about? It doesn't work that way. If you find someone you really cherish, you would do anything for them and do anything to keep them in your life. And that is why this works for us. You find out very quickly if you are both in it for the right reasons; and we are. There is no doubt in my mind that we will be able to make this work. She's worth it.

What I Learned Today

There is that saying that says you learn something new everyday. And I realized that with the nursing major you really do learn something new every single day. In my anatomy class we are constantly learning new things because there is so much to cover. There is new information given out all of the time. Today we learned about blood and the heart. Something that really interested me was that that there are so many microscopic parts of the blood. Things you would never know that are in there that are vital to humans. You have two different types of blood cells, red and white ones. But then you can branch that down even further, and there are even different types of red and white blood cells. Each different kind does there own thing and is important to the body in different ways. 

The heart is also this complex muscle that I will never be able to wrap my mind around all the different components of. But you have all these different chambers and valves that work together to distribute blood to your entire body. It is amazing how precisely it preforms to be able to get the job done. The valves are there to prevent back flow of blood into the different chambers and these tiny heart strings pull on the valve to open and close it. And the heart just knows exactly when you preform all of these motions at just the right time to keep us alive. In lab this week we are able to dissect the heart. I cannot wait to get to see it up close and explore all of the parts we learned about in class. This is what I learned today. 

Blogging Responsibilities

Blogging is something people do to get their ideas and opinions out to the public. It gives them a voice, a place for other people to view everything that goes on in their head; or at least what they want to share. Ideas are great to have, but it feels so much better to be able to share those ideas with someone other than yourself. This allows others to view your opinions and thoughts and allows others to also respond and give you their input as well. But, blogging only works if we have a meaning behind what we are posting. Whether you need to get some of your emotions out, or just satisfy the urge to tell someone else about your passion for something, blogging well allow you to do those things. There is a reason for it. Shouldn't their always be a meaning for blogging? If there was no meaning behind a blog it wouldn't even exist in the first place. So, when someone puts a blog out there, it is because they want to be taken seriously, they want to send a message, it is something that is important to them in some way. With all of that being said, our responsibilities would be to be aware of what you are posting, and knowing that not all people will agree with your opinion is that is what you are writing about. Also, knowing what your blog could maybe do for other people, who knows, maybe someone will really enjoy what you have to say and you could influence the things they do. 

We also have responsibilities to others. Like I stated earlier, not everyone will have the same opinion as you  and you need to be able to respect others opinions and even if you do not agree, its always a good idea to be respectful no matter what. Some people turn to blogging as an escape, a way to get their feelings out. Being respectful is one of the most important things someone could do. You would want the respect, and others want it as well.