gigi.rose

Rules: tag 10 people you want to get to know better

I was tagged by the lovely @motivational-latte, sorry it took me so long to get to it

relationship: single af

favorite color: blue, black, and pink. pls don’t make me choose i am indecisive

3 favorite foods: Enchiladas, sushi, and pasta

song stuck in my hand: only human by jonas brothers

last song I listened to: trust by jonas brothers (can u see what’s happening here hehe)

last thing I googled: “advice synonym” (for my essay lol)

time: 15:27/ 3:27 pm

dream trip: japan and greece

anything I want: a fat bank account 

Rules: tag 10 people you want to get to know better

AHAHAHAHA A FAT BANK ACCOUNT LOL I LOVE YOU @jeveuxpasalleralecole THANKS FOR TAGGING ME GAL

relationship: single heehoooooo

favorite color: cerulean!!!!! the prettiest crayon color to EVER exist 

3 favorite foods: god how can you make me choose!!!! ok pasta (includes mac and cheese), honestly probably pizza, and oh gosh idk the fancy dinners my dad makes sometime (aka chicken w/ a cream sauce and green beans)

song stuck in my hand: ultraviolet by jimmie lee jr. it’s a super jazzy song and i listen to it as my pre-game for studying lol. i dance around my room to it and then get to working

last song I listened to: well a lofi song during my midterm this afternoon but before that! i honestly don’t know LOL sorry

last thing I googled: a physics problem this morning that i didn’t know how to do lol

time: 5:21pm

dream trip: iceland!!!!

anything I want: a tesla 

Tagging: @rylie-studies @lattestudies @medicinestudies @cailloustudy @studiously @meganstudiesss and any of you other lovelies!!

8/13/20

my monthly spread in my bujo! hi i’m obsessed!!!

xo- gg

classes i’m taking this year in no particular order!!

the history of photography

an honors english class

calc 2

physics (intro to mechanics)

french 302!

clean and organize your room

eat the best meal of your life

go for a walk (or a run if you are feeling fancy)

read a book

watch a movie 

cuddle a puppy

make a smoothie

call your friend or go out if them

go buy an ice-cream. you deserve it

listen to music

and dance while you listen to it, even if you think that you cannot dance. just do it

doodle a little

plan your next day if it doesn’t make you anxious

be nice to yourself. go in the mirror and say that you are fucking gorgeous 

rest your legs up on the wall

let out a deep sigh

be grateful 

hug someone

be proud of yourself

With lack of a better place to post this, I’ll be writing this here in the rare event a young girl Googles for information and finds this handy little guide. If this post helps even one person, I’ll be very happy!

Just some background information: this is written by an 18 year-old female who similarly went on her first solo travel at 18. 

#1 - DO YOUR RESEARCH FOR SAFETY CONCERNS.: I went to Japan and luckily, it’s also renowned for its safety, so I didn’t have to think as much about safety concerns. However when choosing a destination, always, always research on it and include keywords like ‘solo female’ to read on others’ experiences and see if the destination’s okay for you. Also, know yourself well! Some locations are touted as ‘safe’ – but for the average girl who’s dealt with catcalls and pickup lines and knows how to remain calm in such situations. Me, a relatively sheltered girl, has never had to dealt with this. Hence, the destination isn’t as ‘safe’ for me as for others. So know what you’re capable of in keeping yourself safe in this world, because sadly the world still hates women.

#2 - AIRPLANE TICKETS ARE KIND OF A LIE.: I was extensively researching before buying my tickets, reading many articles on when is the supposed ‘best’ period to get cheap tickets. And they all have wildly contrasting information. What I found worked best for me was in small part asking those around me who had travelled to the same location and how much they paid for it, using Skyscanner, and my own judgment. 

When using Skyscanner, searching for ‘the whole month’ is useful because you get to see which dates flying in and out are the cheapest within that month. I had been pretty undecided on which part of Japan to visit, so what I did was compare prices of the month against all the airports in Japan to get a sense of what was the ‘average’ price of tickets to Japan. From there, I could calculate what was a good deal. 

Also, not using Incognito isn’t always bad. While you want to hide your searches so that ticket prices won’t be inflated for you, helpful advertisements also pop up sometimes that offer a good deal when they ‘realise’ you’re trying to travel. I ended up getting my tickets from Expedia for less than $500.

It’s hard to say when’s a good time to get tickets. I’ve heard and read stories of cheap tickets from being booked 6 months prior to a trip, but also a mere 2-3 months before. Other sources cite 2-3 weeks. Hence, my tip is really to just start searching as soon as you’re committed to making a trip, but don’t be too hasty in sealing the deal.

#3 - YOUR AIRBNB SHOULD BE BOOKED PREFERABLY 3 MONTHS PRIOR.: I started booking mine 2 months before and was dismayed to find a number of Airbnbs already reserved during my trip - even though I thought booking 2 months in advance was already plenty of time. 

Also, be careful about picking your Airbnb. I never booked a place that had no reviews. I prized those with reviews left by other female solo travellers. 

#4 - LEARNING THE LOCAL LANGUAGE ISN’T ESSENTIAL, BUT HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.: You don’t need to be fluent, but some basics are good. Basics include:

- Good morning/afternoon/night - Hello/goodbye - Thank you - Please - Excuse me (to get someone’s attention) - Asking where a place is/directions - ASKING FOR THE BILL (you’ll be dining alone a lot and need to know how to leave!) - Help! and it’s variations like ‘Someone’s groping me’, ‘Thief!’, etc …

While people can help even if you don’t know a lick of the language, it’s always easier. Plus, it’s more fun to be able to converse to locals. I’ve had very lovely conversations and met extremely kind people thanks to being able to somewhat converse in Japanese.

• clean ya room (just do it). also, check those pinterest boards you save for “one day” and actually go through them and draw some inspiration, even if you just end up rearranging the books on your bookshelf or putting some flowers from your garden in a mason jar on your desk. this is your home, make it feel like it is.

• do your laundry (also, don’t forget your bed sheets). if you’re in the mood, look at next week’s weather forecast and think about what you’re going to wear. go through your drawers, check the back of your closet. that hat you bought some time ago and forgot about because you didn’t dare to wear it? well… new week, new you, right? 

• call a friend/family member you haven’t talked to in a while, tell them you miss them. tell them you love them. remember and appreciate that they are a part of your life even if it doesn’t feel like it all the time.

• draw, paint, journal, write or make some music. something you know you love doing but “never find the time”. sunday is “finding-the-time day”. if you’re not feeling creative, read a book or watch your favorite show. or watch a new show. a scary show. a funny show. laugh as loud as you want. listen to music. listen to your favorite songs, or listen to new songs. even a new genre if you dare. turn the volume all the way up. take a second to consciously feel the music. you can always get up and dance. or sing. or both.

• the great, but still really effective classic: take a bath or a really long shower. if you have this special face or hair mask you’re saving up for a special occasion: congrats, you’re the special occasion today. use it. also, body lotion. we all know you’re going to be running late during the week and skip it one too many times. make yourself feel like the goddess you are. 

• sit in silence for a few moments. listen to your breath. listen to your heartbeat. for the love of god PLEASE listen to your thoughts for once in your life. don’t make them feel like they are wrong. or bothersome. they too just want to be heard once in a while. what are they trying to tell you? what could be soothing for them? be compassionate to yourself. it’s okay. you are okay. you are okay.

• think about things you can be grateful for next week. even if you feel like your life sucks atm, think about the small things you take for granted in a different way. for example: “next week, i will have access to clean water. CLEAN. WATER. 844 million people don’t have that.” or “next week, my legs will take me wherever i want to go. not everybody has two fully functioning legs, so i’m lucky in that way.” you’re allowed to feel bad about your life, but you’re also allowed to feel good about things. 

• if you’ve stayed home most of the week, go out. go for a walk. go swimming. go to a party or dinner with friends. even if you feel like you don’t need to see the outside world, chances are you’ll feel great after you do. if you feel like you’ve been running around all week, maybe you’d like to stay home today. put on your ugliest sweater, comfiest leggings, and fluffiest socks and curl up under a thousand blankets. you a sloth today and it’s okay. 

• eat. i mean honestly: eat THE THING. i don’t care if you’re on a diet. if there’s something you’ve been craving all week that has turned you into the veiny-neck-dude meme just trying to resist it: EAT IT. you deserve it. not because you worked out or ate salads or did well in school, but just because you’re a human and you love to eat and life is short and you should be allowed to eat yummy things. it’s okay. you won’t gain 5 pounds or lose your brain cells no matter how unhealthy it is, i promise.

• plan plan plan yo week. it doesn’t matter if you use a planner, bullet journal, the calendar on your phone or the notes app: write everything down you have going on next week. appointments. events. coffee-dates. when are you going to the gym? what are you going to eat? (meal prep if necessary) also, create reminders on your phone for everything. “i won’t forget it!” is a sweet thought, but oh honey you will. schedule reminders for every event. let your phone remind you that you need to buy toilet paper when the store is nearby. schedule daily reminders for your medications. (once you’ve done this it honestly feels like you just cleaned out 38GB of your brain, you simply don’t have to worry about that anymore, space for more important info, like your new favorite pun to annoy everyone with)

if it takes less than two minutes, do it now

always carry a water bottle!! you’ll (obviously) drink more water but you’ll also save money on buying drinks when you’re out on hot days 

if you notice something you like about someone, tell them. genuine compliments are way too few and far between. 

when you meet someone, repeat their name back to them. it’ll help you remember it (bc i am the worst at zoning out and immediately forgetting someone’s name)

give yourself a time limit to get work done. you’ll do more up against a 30 minute timer than if you have all day to get something done

also: be specific with your goals. if you want it done by winter, say you’ll do it one november 15. it’s easy to let time slip by. 

no one’s forcing your friends to hang out with you. they want to be around you. don’t try to convince yourself otherwise. 

never under estimate the power of a hot meal if you’re feeling unmotivated. take a break and make a grilled cheese dude

always keep $20 in your car for emergences

have a binder/folder to keep all your financial/important documents together. even if you don’t organize them beyond that it’ll make them so much easier to find when you need them

don’t sleep w makeup on!! keep a travel size thing of makeup wipes by your bed for nights that you’re too exhausted to wash your face for real

if you’re studying/working and can’t focus, go outside and take a walk around the building. stare at the sky for a minute. it helps.

networking: when you meet someone, put some notes in with their contact. remembering their kids’ names will make you stand out

fold your clothes while they’re still warm + you won’t have to iron later

get that chair out of your room. we all know your dirty clothes are sitting in it more than you are.

instead, stick some hooks on your closet door for those sorta-clean, sorta-dirty clothes that you wanna wear again

keep a running list on your phone of songs you hear that you like, books you want to read, etc

write down all your friends birthdays!! 

if you can’t sleep, try to imagine something in great detail. design your dream house. plan your wedding. whatever makes you happy + relaxed

get dressed as soon as you get up, even if you aren’t going anywhere. it’s hard to feel productive in sweat pants.

if you don’t ask, the answer is always no

thrift stores are super trendy lately, but they really are great for finding high-quality clothing for cheap.

don’t read the comments section. especially if it’s something you actually care about.

fresh veggies go bad fast, so if you can’t get to the store often have a couple frozen bags of your favs on hand!!

also, pasta is crazy cheap and easy to make into a meal. add some olive oil and those frozen veggies and bam, grown up meal in no time.

be intentional with your friendships. if you want to see someone again, set a date instead of the old “let’s get coffee sometime!” that never actually happens

libraries exist!! and theyre fantastic!!! 

if you’re buying anything, always google “_______ coupons” while you’re in line. you can usually find one, esp at chains!!

if it’s not something you need, put it back and sleep on it. if you want it bad enough to go back and get it a day or two later, it’s (probably) worth the money.

also, think if you’ll enjoy it for the same amount of time if took to earn that money. doesn’t work with everything (food, experiences), but for things like clothes/technology/home goods, it can help you save some $$$

you don’t have to do something if it makes you unhappy. sure, there are times that you have to suck it up and power through, but 99% of the time you have to option to say no and get outta there.