girl-ish
By Ciara LeRoy I don’t have a best friend right now. There are a handful of friends whom I cherish and regularly make time for, but I haven’t experienced the mystical you-know-it-when-you-have-it bond of the best friend in years. Not since Heather.
“My name is Heather. Want to be friends?” “Ok.” This is how I met Heather on the first day of kindergarten. It’s a miracle our friendship survived that first day. I spent much of the morning a hermit of imagination-- secluded inside of myself, reminiscing of days before school upset a perfect balance of Mister Roger’s Neighborhood, Moon Pies, and grandma’s hugs. My anxiety over this new life climaxed after lunch, when our teacher, Mrs. Baker, took us on a tour of the school. My stomach turned as we trotted through the labyrinth of halls on an invisible rope, single file. We paused in front of the chapel, and under the gaze of a stained glass Jesus, I vomited in the doorway of the sanctuary. I looked up at the colorful deity, but not even the Son of God could save me from becoming the pariah of Mrs. Baker’s kindergarten classroom. All of the other kids slowly backed away in horror, but Heather stood by me like projectile vomiting was en vogue. And so began nearly fifteen years of “bestie” status.
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By Christie Gleason Dear Cancun,
When I think of you, my thoughts form in Technicolor- vibrant reds, crystal clear blues, crisp whites- before fading into the colors of your sunsets- perfect pastels of purple, pink, and orange, your skies melting slowly into your ocean. I can hear a soundtrack of certain songs playing on a loop in my mind and can remember the golden light of your sun on my skin, scorching and relentless. The first time we met, I was a person I had never been before. I was heartbroken- sad, lost, and numb, the opposite of who I had always been. Going to see you was an escape for me, an escape from my city and the memories that lingered around every corner. I had never seen an ocean like yours before and when I set foot on your beach, it was practically therapeutic. Your white sand and perfectly blue, crystalline water lifted my heart and cut away at everything that had been weighing me down. By Beth Purvis It happens to everyone. Friendships become acquaintances become strangers you stalk on Facebook and Instagram. I went to the grocery store the other day to buy fish sticks for dinner and as I walk in I see a girl I used to know. I hadn't seen her in person in two years and definitely had never seen her during the day in a normal place like a grocery store. We used to go out at night together and then lost touch after some drama occurred between me and a mutual friend. We both looked at each other and I think we both recognized each other but we didn't acknowledge it. We were complete strangers now.
Meanwhile, I've been periodically cleansing my Facebook and social media sites of people that are strangers to me now. In doing that, I'm not intending to be snarky. I've only just accepted that while those friendships might have meant something to me when I knew them, they don't anymore. After all, people have been doing the same thing to me. By Amanda Paschal You know that girl who helps the guy get his girl, but is never the girl the guy is pursuing? Well, that’s me. That’s kind of who I’ve always been: I’ve spent more time helping set up dates than actually going on dates. For a while, I felt like there had to be something wrong with me, so naturally, I spent a majority of my high school and college years trying to figure out what exactly that was. I began by evaluating my interests. Were they in tune with the guy I liked? If not, I quickly make an adjustment. Confession time: I purchased multiple Nickelback albums and knew every song because one of my best guy friends was obsessed with them….and I just so happened to have a crush on him. NICKELBACK. I mean, come on, Amanda! Unfortunately, this became a habit throughout high school and college (not the listening to Nickelback - thank God that was short lived - but the ever changing interests to match the crowd I was with). AKA: Car Essentials for the Polar Vortex By Faina Matveeva Hello hello Girl-ish readers! It’s been getting much colder in Kentucky and I wanted to share a quick list of car essentials for the coming months. Some of these are pretty obvious but very helpful if you find yourself stuck in a car in the ice, snow, or cold. Without further adieu, Faina’s Stuck-In-Your-Car Packing List: 1. Jumper cables, not necessarily because it’s cold, but because you should always have them. If you don’t already know, jumper cables are just a connection resource to connect your car with another; they’re used in case your car battery dies and needs a jumpstart from someone else. The battery could die because of various reasons, but the two most common are power overuse (accidentally leaving your lights on when you go to work or class) and wear fatigue. Crash course how-to: if your car is dead, open the hood and find the black box with a lightning symbol on it—that’s the battery. Put the red and blue clamps on one end of the jumper cables to the red- and blue-labelled knobs on the battery. Do the same with the other side of the cables to a car with a working battery. Turn the latter car on and let it run; after a couple of minutes, turn your own car on and let it run to juice up your battery. If you’re a visual learner, cue YouTube. 2. Insurance card and contact information for a local tow company, in case you get into an accident or slide off an icy road 3. Food – Pack two or three protein or granola bars and some candy in a little bag in your trunk; if you get stuck in your car, you’ll need something that will fill you up for a while (and the candy is always good for emotional support.) 4. Water – Don’t pack water IN your car; if it gets super cold, your bottle will just turn into one big ice cube. However, try to remember to always have a bottle of water with you—especially in the winter. I make it a goal to carry my nalgene with me everywhere; that way, I’ll have it with me in case I get stuck without water for a couple of hours. 5. Cat Litter – This one may seem kind of random, I’m sure. But have you ever tried to back out of a driveway or up a hill and couldn’t get enough traction to get past an ice patch? Pour enough litter in front of your tires to form a little mound and try to drive over it. The litter will provide enough traction to get your started. 6. Blanket – Keep an extra blanket in your car to keep you warm if you’re waiting in your car for someone. 7. First aid kit – Hopefully you’re never in a situation serious enough to use a first aid kit but, like the jumper cables, it’s always helpful to have one in your car. You never know when it could really come in handy. 8. Emergency kit – You know you’re an adult when you ask for an automotive emergency kit for Christmas! But mine is awesome, thank you very much. It’s got two reflective plastic triangles I can put in front of my car if I ever slide off the road (to let passing drivers know that I’m stuck and need help), a flashlight, a basic first aid kit, some gloves, and a small ice scraper. In case I missed something, what are some of YOUR car essentials for winter weather, Girl-ish? Have a good week.. and stay warm!
Faina By Kiley Shuffett Photo by Claire Buffie I watched the current Miss Connecticut, Acacia Courtney, compete live on National Television for the title of Miss America 2015. It was no surprise to me when she was named into the Top 15! She may not have ended the night wearing the coveted Miss America crown, but that's kind of lucky for me, since she probably wouldn't have had the time in her schedule for this interview!
Late last year, I sat down with Acacia, a classically trained dancer, advocate for health and wellness, and rescuer/trainer of ex-racehorses....if that doesn't describe a Girl on the Move, I don't know what else would. By Claire FitzSimmonds Photo by Claire Being in a relationship is always settling.
Maybe not for you, if you think a one-person house isn’t home and your dream since you were a little girl was a handsome husband and three kids and a pretty two-story house in the suburbs. And maybe I sound condescending, but I don’t mean it that way. It’s fine to want a handsome husband and three kids and a pretty two-story house in the suburbs. There was a time when I wanted that, but I don’t anymore. So for me, and those like me, being in a relationship is always settling. By Ciara LeRoy I’m a Woman. I’m a Christian. I’m Single. And I Think About Sex. A Lot.
“It’s a shame you’re not married. You’re so beautiful.” “One day, you’re going to make someone very happy.” “Whoever gets you is going to be one lucky son-of-a-bitch.” That was just the amuse bouche of the comment buffet served to me when I reveal that I am single, and have been for the past five years. Along with condolences for the comatose state of my dating life, the people around me offer plentiful advice about how to live a fulfilling life outside of a romantic relationship. So I live abundantly. I’ll dress up on a whim, and for my own pleasure- no longer exiling my date outfits to closet space reserved for my “funeral dress” and other emotion-laden garments I barely wear. Dining solo, with no other company besides a borrowed copy of Game of Thrones and a chilled mimosa, has become one of my favorite outings. I paint abstracts, write letters, shoot photography, volunteer with kids, cook from scratch, grow closer to God, and I happily nap more than any healthy 25-year-old woman should. Approached with a positive and hopeful attitude, living single is fine. Until I want to have sex. By Christie Gleason I used to be pretty fearless when it came to matters of the heart. I was the kind of girl that was willing to risk it all in the pursuit of love, an emotion I feel so deeply and give so freely. Because of this, I’m a bit surprised and honestly horrified at the way I regard relationships now. After a devastating breakup followed by two years of casual dating, I have met someone that I legitimately like. And. I. Am. Appalled.
By him? No. By myself? Most definitely. Gone are the days of being the girl taking chances and confidently handing out her heart to those she deemed worthy. Loooong gone is the blind trust that came with earnest, sincere emotions. You live and you learn and now, as I receive a text from the guy I like wishing me goodnight, I picture his cute face. And then I imagine the thousands of things that could go wrong and the hundreds of ways he could hurt me. I wonder if the fact that he hasn’t sent me a cute emoji lately means he is starting to like me less. (Oh my God, you guys, why am I so crazy?!) I think of all these things until my heart is twisted up and settling into my stomach, where it remains as I fall asleep, wondering why I even bother trying. Dating isn’t worth it. Love might not even be worth it. |
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