Smart Girls Have More Fun!

I saw a post on Facebook today from a friend noting their struggle with body positivity and it inspired me to write. I was very body shy for most of my life, I felt very awkward in my body for all of my teens, until probably my mid twenties. I know it must seem odd that I struggled with body positivity when I’ve been petite my whole life. I was always athletic and until my early twenties I was always very thin, I was a double zero until my senior year of college. To give some perspective it’s so thin, it’s a size I never hope to see again. I never made it over 105lbs, which is insane as I went to college in America; with access to all of the junk food you can imagine. I remember the weight because I could never donate blood, and I’m a universal donor and always wanted to donate whenever there were campus drives; but never met the weight requirement. I was a very thin, shapeless, athletic looking, tomboy, who disliked her body. Everyone else had shapely figures by their teens, they ...

Hi I'm Andi and I'm passionate. This blog post was inspired by conversations I had last weekend and then a Facebook memory of this picture popped up and I was inclined to share my thoughts. I'm a very passionate person, mainly my interests are in psychology/education. I'm passionate not only about my individual/personal education and, my seemingly endless pursuit of knowledge, but I'm also passionate about the state of education in my country; it is my hope to be a part of the change. I also do not believe that education is only the things we learn in school, education is also about experiences, the exposure to new things. The world can teach us a lot, if we pay attention. I also focus on being true to myself, I realize the power in being authentic in my identity, my beliefs, and my words. I'm a happier person now because I focus my energy on being as positive as possible, and focus my time on things that matter to me. Living my life to suit others do...

This has been weighing heavily on me recently... I guess letting it out might actually help. I've literally not spoken to anyone about this, well other than countless prayers! I don't know how to when everyone seems to be so happy for me. I've actually wanted to quit school! I know that's shocking, because everyone looks at me as strong, and I believe they're cheering for me. But, being a doctoral student is hard! It's so hard, the closer I get to the finish line the harder it seems. This journey is not for the faint at heart, and lord knows this semester has really made me wanna give up on more than one occasion. This undertaking has been daunting, it seems never ending. It's physically, emotionally, and financially draining. I keep wondering why am I doing this to myself, is this worth it?! Deep down I don't even know the answer, but I tell myself it will be. I'm doing something, worthwhile after all, and I've done well thus far. But, when ev...

I've not blogged in quite some time but I'm turning 33 in a couple of days and now seemed like as good a time as any to write a new post. Life has changed so much, and not much of it has been as I expected it to be, but I love to reflect and take the time to appreciate the experiences I've had. I usually spend the days and weeks before turning another year older reflecting. 33 isn't a milestone birthday, there are no real perks to turning 33, my car insurance rate won't change, I don't gain access to any new social stratum, all I seem to get is the questions about when I'm getting married and/or having children. This is not just limited to family, random strangers ask and most recently even my doctor.... she brought up the dreaded topic of freezing my eggs.... am I really getting THAT old?! Back on track, though 33 may not be a typical milestone, something tells me this new year will bring some amazing vibes my way, a shift is coming. I wanted to reflect on ...

I know that this post may offend some, but I am fine with that. It actually makes me a little happy, because it probably means, that in your reality, your father played an active role in your life. That, however, is not my reality and is not the reality for many others, usually entirely by circumstances outside of their control. I tell my mother, Happy Mother's Day AND Happy Father's Day! I grew up with a single parent, yes I know my father, I see my father, but to say that we have a relationship of the traditional father and daughter, is quite the stretch. I am my mother's child, her world, and she has and continues to play all parental roles. She is the provider, the nurturer, the disciplinarian, the confidant, the advice giver, the drill sergeant, and all other parental roles, all in one. She is my super hero, so when I say Happy Father's Day mum, I do not say that lightly. I do not say that to be trendy, I say it in truth. I say it because it is the reality that I...

So almost 2 weeks ago I did an obstacle course race in the Bahamas called the Chickcharney Challenge. I did this race to help me prepare for my fast approaching Spartan Race. This race was definitely a challenge for me and I am proud to say I completed it. It has me quite nervous for my Spartan Race, but I know I can get through it, it may be ugly but I can do it. Here are some of the professional photos from the race. Thank you so much to my family for coming out to support me. Their support and cheers, truly got me through this race.