Tag: dailyprompt

What’s the best advice you’d give to someone younger than you?

If I could give someone younger than me one piece of advice, it would be:

Be yourself.

I know. I know. Very inspirational. Somebody call Pinterest.

But genuinely, be yourself.

I understand trends. I really do. I have participated in trends. I have bought things because the internet convinced me that I absolutely needed them. I have gone through entire personality eras based on whatever I was currently obsessed with.

So I am not sitting here pretending I was born in a field wearing linen and drinking herbal tea while completely immune to societal influence.

However, I do worry that we are entering an era where individuality is being beaten to death by the algorithm.

I recently took my niece shopping, and she was looking at influencers online and finding their outfits. And not just using them for inspiration.

She wanted the entire outfit.

The shirt. The pants. The shoes. The accessories. Everything.

And I was standing there thinking:

Girl. What do YOU like?

Because sometimes I look at younger people online and genuinely cannot tell where one person ends and another begins.

Same hair.

Same makeup.

Same clothes.

Same little purses.

Same shoes.

Same poses.

Same facial expressions.

Same beige apartment with a boucle chair.

At some point I’m like, Are you all friends or is this a software update?

And listen, I understand wanting to look cool. I understand seeing someone online and thinking, “Oh my God, I love her outfit.”

But there is a difference between “I like that” and “I need to purchase every single item that woman is wearing so I can temporarily become her.”

I think we’re losing some of the fun of figuring yourself out.

Because half the fun of being young is looking absolutely ridiculous while you figure out who the hell you are.

Wear the weird outfit.

Have the questionable haircut.

Try the makeup that absolutely does not match your face.

Develop an extremely specific obsession that nobody else understands.

Listen to music your friends think is terrible.

Decorate your room like a 2007 Tumblr page if that’s what your little heart desires.

Have phases!

I have had approximately 47 personalities since the age of 18.

And honestly? Thank God.

I’ve had different hair. Different clothes. Different interests. Different aesthetics. Different ideas about what I wanted my life to look like. Some of them were great. Some of them were absolutely not.

But they were mine.

And that’s the part I think matters.

You don’t need to spend your entire life tr

What’s one thing that would instantly improve your city?

If I could instantly improve one thing about Long Beach, I’d make it more affordable. I love Long Beach, but honestly, my wallet doesn’t always feel the same way. 😂 Housing costs are getting higher, and rents seem to rise way faster than people’s incomes.

It’s frustrating when you can work hard, have a steady income, and still feel like affording a place to live is a constant struggle. I think making housing more affordable would make a huge difference for the people who actually live here. Long Beach is a great city, but it would be even better if you didn’t have to be rich to comfortably stay here.

What’s your best tip for budget travel?

One of the biggest things I’ve noticed from traveling is that you don’t always need to fly. 

Obviously, sometimes flying is the easiest or only option, but if you have a little extra time to get where you’re going, I’ve found that cars, trains, and buses can be a really good way to save some money.

Especially if you’re traveling by yourself, a bus or train can be way cheaper than a plane ticket. I’d say 8 times out of 10, if I’m looking at a trip where I have the option to take a Greyhound or train instead of flying, the bus or train is going to be cheaper. The trade-off is that, well… you’re going to be sitting there longer.

But personally, if I’m saving a decent chunk of money and I’m not in a huge rush to get somewhere, I don’t really mind taking the scenic route.

If you’re traveling with a few people, I also think renting a car can make a lot of sense. Instead of everyone buying their own plane ticket, you can split the rental between everyone. From what I’ve noticed, the things that can make a rental feel expensive are usually the deposit and gas, but once you’re splitting those costs between multiple people, it really isn’t that bad.

And a random rental-car thing I’ve noticed: check the fuel policy before you book. I’ve personally had rental places where the refueling charge wasn’t nearly as dramatic as people make it sound, but every company is different, so don’t quote me on that. Sometimes it can make more sense to just return the car and let them handle the gas, and sometimes you’re better off stopping at a gas station yourself.

I think the bigger point is just don’t automatically assume flying is the cheapest or only way to get somewhere. If you have the time, look at all your options. Sometimes taking a few extra hours to get there can save you quite a bit of money—and honestly, a road trip or train ride can be part of the trip too.

Budget travel isn’t always about finding some magical $20 plane ticket. Sometimes it’s just being willing to take the slightly longer route.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

Okay wait because I genuinely cannot pick just ONE favorite cartoon character! I have TWO and I will be defending both of them with my LIFE.

First: PERIDOT FROM STEVEN UNIVERSE. 

I’m sorry but she is SO goofy. I love that she essentially becomes an Ipad kid! I just love her so much. And her character development is actually one of my favorite things ever because she literally starts out working for the Diamonds and being completely indoctrinated into everything she’s been taught, and then she slowly becomes a Crystal Gem??? HELLO???

And I WISH we got more Peridot and Lapis because those two are literally the most dysfunctional little idiots ever and I adore them. Their friendship is so weird and cute and I just wanted MORE. Give me 700 more episodes actually.

And “Peace and Love on the Planet Earth”???

That song is so special to me because it feels like this huge turning point for Peridot. She finally starts accepting that she’s stuck on Earth, that she’s probably never going home, and instead of completely losing it over that realization, she starts realizing that… maybe Earth isn’t so bad. Because she has FRIENDS now. She has people who love her. And that is something she literally never had before.

LIKE I’M EMOTIONAL OVER A LITTLE GREEN GEM OKAY???

And then my second favorite is GREG FROM OVER THE GARDEN WALL.

Greg is literally just a tiny chaos gremlin. He is out here having the TIME OF HIS LIFE while Wirt is experiencing the worst anxiety of his entire existence.

Wirt: “We might be lost and everything is terrifying and we could literally die.”

Greg: “LOOK A FROG!!! :D”

And honestly? I aspire to have Greg’s mindset.

The entire show is Wirt being like “Oh god, this is so concerning” and Greg being like “I’m here for a good time, not a long time 🫡”

I really love how Greg grows throughout the show. That moment when he sacrifices himself to save Wirt is super important. It’s easy to miss this when people say Greg’s their favorite just because they love his endless optimism. Not that I don’t love his optimism; it’s exactly why he’s my favorite character too.

AND THEN “Potatoes and Molasses” happens.

I’m sorry but it’s just a goofy little song about MASHED POTATOES AND MOLASSES and I love it so much. Like there is absolutely no deeper explanation needed. It makes me happy. Greg makes me happy. Potatoes make me happy. Molasses apparently makes me happy now???

So yeah. Peridot and Greg. My two tiny cartoon weirdos. One taught herself that friendship and love are worth more than everything she was programmed to believe, and the other is just vibing with a frog.

Honestly, range.

And THAT’S A ROCK FACT. 

If your pet could talk, what would be the first thing it says?

I’ve realized I was completely wrong about my mom’s dog.

Previously, I compared Sharkie to Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino. I take it back.

This dog is Courage the Cowardly Dog, and my parents are absolutely Eustace and Muriel.

Sharkie doesn’t even seem to see himself as a dog. He seems to believe he is a very anxious little person who has been unfairly assigned to live in a house with two humans who occasionally have the audacity to leave him alone.

And now, in my head, he sounds exactly like Courage.

“THEY’RE LEAVING! THEY’RE LEAVING AGAIN! WHAT IF THEY NEVER COME BACK?!”

Meanwhile, my mom is probably somewhere saying, “We’ll be right back, Sharkie,” while Sharkie is staring at her through the window like she has personally betrayed him.

My dad could probably walk outside to get the mail and Sharkie would act like he has been abandoned in the middle of nowhere.

And the funniest part is that he is not actually this helpless little creature. He is a perfectly capable dog. He has food. He has water. He has a house. He has two people who adore him.

He just has opinions.

Strong, anxious, deeply offended opinions.

He also has the energy of a dog who has seen things.

Every unfamiliar noise is suspicious. Every person who walks past the house is a potential threat. Every time my parents leave, apparently, the world is ending.

I genuinely wish dogs could talk, because I would love to know what Sharkie thinks is happening in his head all day.

Although, now that I’ve decided he is Courage, I already know.

“THE HOUSE IS HAUNTED!”

“THAT MAN LOOKED AT THE HOUSE!”

“WHY DID MOM GO INTO THE OTHER ROOM?”

“DAD HAS LEFT THE HOUSE! WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!”

And my parents?

Eustace and Muriel.

I can’t unsee it now.

Have you ever regretted reading a book — which one and why?

There are books I remember loving, books I remember hating, and then there are books where I remember almost nothing except the overwhelming feeling of why did I finish that?

Alex Michaelides’ The Maidens falls firmly into the third category.

I read this book a few years ago, so this is hardly a fresh reaction. But every now and then, I come across the title and remember that I actually sat through the entire thing. And what’s especially telling is that my entire review at the time consisted of three words: “Disappointing at best.”

That’s it. No detailed analysis. No passionate rant. Just disappointment.

But there are a few things I do remember. The writing was so boring. The protagonist was unbearable, which made spending the entire book in her head feel like a chore. And despite the title, The Maidens themselves were barely characters in the story. Considering they’re supposed to be central to the entire mystery, I remember being surprised by how little I actually cared about any of them.

And then there was the twist.

I wasn’t shocked. I wasn’t stunned. I wasn’t frantically reconsidering everything I had just read. I was basically sitting there thinking, Okay… and?

The worst part is that I didn’t even DNF it. I stuck with it until the end, presumably hoping that the payoff would redeem everything that came before it.

It didn’t.

Years later, I may not remember every detail of The Maidens, but apparently I remember enough to know that my original “disappointing at best” review was incredibly generous.

What’s the best and worst airport you’ve been to?

Honestly, the worst airport I’ve ever been to is Sacramento International Airport. I feel like I get lost every single time I’m there. They also lost my checked bag once, and I’m not sure if that was the airport’s fault or the airline’s, but I blame both.

The only airport I would rank below Sacramento is LAX. However, I don’t think that’s entirely fair because I’ve never actually flown out of LAX. I’ve only ever driven there to pick people up. Between the traffic and the fact that I’m not the best driver, it’s always been a stressful experience for me.

As hectic as it can be, I actually do enjoy the Las Vegas airport. It’s busy and can be chaotic, but for some reason, I don’t mind it nearly as much as Sacramento or LAX.

My favorite airport is Long Beach Airport. I love it because it’s so small that it’s basically impossible to get lost. I also feel like I can get through TSA in seconds. There’s a bakery inside the airport that is absolutely amazing, and I make a point of stopping there every time I fly. They have another location in Seal Beach, but that location only takes cash. Since I know I can use my card at the airport location, it’s become part of my routine whenever I’m flying.

Honestly, dealing with Sacramento Airport is what made me learn about taking Greyhound and FlixBus. I would rather take a bus than deal with that airport. The first time I took FlixBus, I went to Sacramento, Vallejo, one of those and I remember thinking that I would much rather take the bus than deal with the airport or figure out the public transportation system up there.

What’s the most annoying trope in books or movies?

There’s something about the instalove trope that makes me want to throw my book across the room.

Don’t get me wrong—I love romance. I love the tension, the stolen glances, the awkward conversations, the moments where two people are clearly attracted to each other but neither one wants to admit it. I love the slow realization that oh no, I actually really like this person.

But when two characters meet on page twenty and suddenly they’re convinced they’ve found their soulmate? Please.

And it’s not just books. Movies do this all the time, too. Two people meet, have one meaningful conversation, stare deeply into each other’s eyes for approximately twelve seconds, and suddenly we’re supposed to believe they would die for each other.

Romeo and Juliet is probably the OG example. They meet and fall for each other almost immediately, despite knowing virtually nothing about one another. Twilight gives us Bella and Edward, whose attraction becomes an all-consuming, life-or-death romance remarkably quickly. The Princess Bride gives us Westley and Buttercup’s legendary devotion, while movies like The Notebook and Titanic also move very quickly from meeting to intense romantic attachment.

And books are absolutely guilty of it, too. Twilight, Romeo and Juliet, Outlander, and even The Princess Bride all have some version of that immediate, overwhelming connection.

I understand why people love it. There’s something incredibly romantic about the idea of meeting someone and just knowing. No doubts. No awkward getting-to-know-you phase. No wondering whether they actually like you. Just: There you are. I’ve found my person.

But personally?

I need the middle.

What happened to the build-up?

Give me awkward conversations. Give me unresolved tension. Give me stolen glances and accidental touches. Give me meaningful moments that make me slowly realize these two people actually understand each other. Give me the period where neither character is quite sure how they feel, but the reader absolutely knows something is happening.

I want to watch them earn each other’s trust. I want to see them learn each other’s weird habits and flaws. I want them to discover why they’re compatible instead of the story simply announcing, These two are soulmates, trust me.

That’s why instalove often feels like a shortcut to me. Instead of showing us why these characters belong together, the story tells us they’re obsessed with each other and expects us to feel the same way.

And maybe that’s the difference for me: I don’t want to be told that I’m supposed to root for a couple. I want the story to make me root for them.

Give me the painfully slow burn. Give me the tension that makes me want to scream, JUST KISS ALREADY.

I will take that over “I met you three days ago, but I would die for you” every single time.

If you could relive one year of your life, which one would it be?

If I could relive one year of my life, I think I would pick 2015.

At the beginning of the year, I was a senior in high school. After summer, I was 18 and had this little period where I got to figure out who I was. I took yoga classes, photography classes, and a few community college classes, but nothing too serious.

I was single, working some little part-time job that I honestly don’t even remember, and living my best life.

My biggest problem at the time was that I couldn’t figure out how to make my own fondant.

That’s how carefree I was.

I also had an iPhone 7, and I swear nothing has ever compared. The iPhone 13 Mini came close, but I still have a ridiculous amount of love for that phone. Maybe because I associate it with that time in my life.

I was listening to music I thought was the best music ever made, watching movies I thought were the best movies ever made, and generally just enjoying myself.

Looking back, I don’t think I realized how peaceful my life was.

I didn’t have everything figured out, but I also wasn’t worried about having everything figured out. I could take a photography class because I thought it sounded fun. I could try yoga. I could take a random community college class without wondering how it fit into some five-year plan.

I just existed.

And maybe that’s what I miss most about 2015.

I don’t necessarily want to be 18 again. But I would love to have that feeling back.

The feeling that my life was wide open and my biggest problem was something as ridiculous as not being able to make fondant.

Give me the music, the movies, the iPhone 7, the random hobbies, and the little problems.

Just for a day.

I’d like to remember what it felt like to be that carefree and peaceful without knowing how special it was.