Love: the simple word behind a very powerful action.

Life is hard.

I know you must be tired of hearing people say this, but it is true. Life is also complicated, mean, rude... hell, life is a bitch. But that doesn't mean that life can't be great, either.

People will try really hard to bring you down -sometimes even without a reason- but you can't pay attention to them because, as Dr. Seuss says, those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. Don't pay attention to the negative things around you, no matter how much they might haunt you down at night. Instead, focus on your friends, on your family, on your animals. Instead, focus on anything that brings you happiness and anything that makes you smile.

But most importantly, remember that you're loved by many, even when you can't even love yourself.

Today, I received a message that wasn't very nice, and so, my friends made that heart for me hoping that it would make me smile. And yeah, it totally did. He thought that he was being silly, but I'm an artist at heart, and I can't help but let my imagination run wild from the moment I wake up and my brain starts to work.

He gave me an idea, and although it is rather silly, I'm pretty sure I don't lose anything just by trying.

A while back, I got a message from an anon telling me how I had saved their lives because I tweeted that they were unique and loved, and this person has been so incredibly sweet, that every day since that happened, they send me a "Thank you."

Spreading hate is so much easier than spreading love. One hurtful word can undo many, many positive actions; it can make you spiral back into depression or it can even turn you into someone bitter. One message, specially if it goes along the lines of "kill yourself" or "you're not worth it" can end a life quicker that it takes them to type that out.

Please, before you send hate to anyone, anonymously or not, just think of the repercussions it might have. Seriously, think about how much you would dislike having a stranger tell someone that you love to just end their lives because they annoy them. Don't be that person, be better, be great. Send them a hug or a kiss instead. Tell them they are amazing. Share all the love you can possibly feel and help humanity be better.

I know there's not really much that I can do, and I know that is not enough, but I'll keep tweeting random messages of love to complete strangers. And maybe, if everyone would just share a tiny bit of love with a strangers, things would be so much better.

Meanwhile, though, I'll try to leave my mark somewhere else.

A one dollar bill is something that basically every American has in their hands at least once in their lives, therefore, I'm just going to write that specific message whenever I get one and then I'll pass it along. Hopefully, it will reach a couple of people, and hopefully, these people will smile because some stranger cares enough about them to make them feel loved.

Please, know that you're loved, even when life is kicking your ass. Please, know that you'll be incredibly missed, even when you think that nobody cares about you. Please, hold on, be brave, dare to change the world. Please, look for help if you need it and don't give up. Never give up.

You're special. Don't forget that. And if you ever need to talk, about anything, my inbox is always open. Always.

Cheers!

Change is good, change is necessary and change is also extremely scary... but that doesn't mean that you'll stop welcoming new beginnings with open arms.

Cheers to finishing yet another chapter in the book of life; cheers to hoping that the plot twists in the next one are definitely better; cheers to The Beatles, too, because many decades later their amazing music still lives on and I, for my life, cannot stop singing their songs... and most importantly, cheers to making plans and looking forward to the future!

"The sun is up, the sky is blue, it's beautiful and so are you."

Someday...

I would love to visit:

The city that never sleeps.

Seriously.

I have been wanting to go to New York since forever (well, not really forever, because I didn't even know the correct name of that city when I was in Cuba. Then again, living there was like living in a completely different planet, so it was understandable). Anyways, ever since I started to watch TV series, movies and musicals... the magic that the city that never sleeps holds captivated me and made me fall in love, naturally, with everything that it can offer you when you know how to look for them in the right places.

And hopefully, it won't be long before I'm walking down Broadway and taking pictures of the Wicked banner and maybe, if I'm lucky enough, I'll stumble upon a celebrity or two ;)

Meanwhile, though, here's a list of things I want to do once I get there:

• I want to do every single thing that a tourist would do on their first visit... like have breakfast at Tiffany's.
• Eat a bagel every single morning I'm there.
• Spend a whole afternoon lying down (it doesn't really matter if it is in grass, a bench, the floor or a fountain) just watching people walk by while I make up stories about them. It has to be somewhere in Central Park, though.
• Watch all the Broadway shows! (but having in mind that I'm not rich, one or two should be just fine.)
• Go to as many museums as possible.
• Give money to an amazing street performer.
• Visit Soho and believe for a second that I live there.
• Fall asleep on the subway.
• Go ice skating, just to fall on my butt, at the Rockefeller Center.
• Try to get some tickets for an SNL show.
• Eat in Chinatown and then buy a branded item at a ridiculous low price.
• See one of my favorite bands in concert.
• And see something (movie or TV show) being filmed on the streets.

For now, that's all I can come up at the top of my head... although I'm sure that much more ideas will come up the day I actually get there. Because no matter how long it takes, I will make it to New York one day.

That's a promise.

Let us be badass!

Drink all the coffee!

Coffee has been on my life since I was very little.

Back in Cuba, where I grew up, my grandmother had lots and lots of coffee plants on her backyard. I remember that I would usually just sit and watch her go through the whole process of making coffee -which is kind of amazing, by the way- until one day, she told me to join her.

We would get up early, recollect every mature coffee cherrie at our sight, take the seeds out, put them to dry under the sun and once they were ready, roast them on a huge and hand made charcoal oven. Then, we would take the roasted seeds and grind them -using a hand mill- until the only thing left was coffee powder. After that, my gram would make coffee for everyone in the family -I gotta say, her coffee was the absolute best- and sometimes, even our neighbors would stop by and ask for a small cup of the greatest nectar on earth.

Sadly for me, I stopped helping my abuela do the whole coffee thing the moment a frog jumped on me from one of the plants one afternoon. Honestly, I'm so terrified of those animals that I think it was because of that incident that I also stopped drinking coffee for a while. That didn't last long, though, because I couldn't stay away from it and now I drink coffee everyday and in every variation possible.

My absolute favorite is the mocha frappuccino, although the latte is just as amazing. What's your kind of coffee?

New words are always good for the soul!

My favorite one is definitely "petrichor" because I love the smell of rain even more than I love the sun rays warming my skin on a cold day. Seriously.

I didn't know about any of these words... did you? And if not, which one do you like most?

Quotable Arts

 

These amazing pieces were made by the talented Evan Robertson, and if you like them so much that you want to buy any or all of them, the prints are available right here!

Live, learn... and have fun!

I love this picture because those words are a beautiful definition of who I know I am, and of who I want to be for the rest of my life. 

I'm happy about:

These days, (and everyday for the rest of my life) the first thing I always do when I get back home is go straight to my computer, and today was not different. I checked Twitter, emails, Tumblr, Fanfiction, Youtube, Facebook... and by the time I got to Pinterest, this was the first picture I saw.

What I loved the most about this, is that I have done all the things on that list in the past 30 hours. (This is what happens when is summer time and you literally have nothing to do and sleep doesn't visit you as often as it should). Anyways, onto the items of the list...

• I drink coffee whenever I can. I love it. I'm obsessed with it. I would make it my God if it weren't for the fact that is actually visible. Coffee is the best drink ever and Starbucks is like paradise, so, with that said... yes, I have had more than enough great coffee for today :)
• Last night a cat (I think) made my mom's car alarm go off and when I went out to shut it down, I saw the sky full of stars and I couldn't help but stay, just looking them shine for a couple of minutes. It was pretty awesome, I love stars and I would stargaze every day if I could, but nature had it against me and the night got cloudy, so, I eventually ended up going inside. (The bonus is that the clouds also brought a thunderstorm, which I also happen to love, so it was all good at the end.)
• After I got over the emotional mess I ended up being because of Downtown Abby (great TV show, everyone should watch it) I finished reading The Great Gatsby. To say that Scott Fitzgerald is amazing would be the biggest understatement ever. The dude was a genius, period. I was completely in love with every single word pasted on the pages of his novel and now, I'm incredibly excited about the movie... (so much that I might end up doing a post about it if I don't get too lazy)
• I didn't run outside, but I did went for a ride in my bicycle, which I think it's pretty much the same, right? Weather wasn't really great, but at least the sun was out and about, which is something that I really appreciate because it has been raining non-stop for the past weeks. Also the tiniest dog in the history of tiny dogs bit my ankle but didn't even left a wound... fun times.
• Last night, I caught up with my very first online friend! She found me on Tumblr and we talked for a while (I also almost died twice because of uncontrollably laughter) I gotta say it was really awesome to talk to her again, Amelia is really funny and I'm super glad to know she's going so well, makes my heart warm and fuzzy.
• And I did eat half of the strawberries in the refrigerator of my avatar in one of the Apps I'm playing on my phone... that totally counts! (I myself, didn't get the chance to try them, but I did eat some real oranges, for what is worth)

That was it for me. What about you, anything to share with the class?

Flashmobs: Gotta love 'em!

I never really knew what a flashmob was until I saw one on MTV a few years ago... then I realized, it was something that I did almost everyday, back at my old high school in Cuba, whenever we danced in ruedas de casino. It was pretty cool, I might add. Anyways, here's my top five flashmobs. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

1. Bunch of people at the beach dancing to ABBA? Oh, yeah!

2. For Gleeks from Gleeks. (Props for being hardcore fans and actually using the dance steps from Glee. Also, the awesome marriage proposal is a bonus!)

3. Julie Andrews voice in The Sound Of Music will always be a classic. I think so and they do too. 

4. Honestly, everybody dances to Beyonce. That's like, a law!

5. Dancing flashmobs? Yes, those are pretty awesome; but to actually see a flashmob that creates music instead of a super fun dance? Count me in, please! The next as last video is, by far, one of my favorites. I mean, lets get real, nothing gets better than classic music. Ever. Check out this incredible orchestra belting out Ode to Joy in the middle of a park and just see the greatness for yourself. 

Oh, that was fun to do! Let me know which one you liked more, or just hit me with your favorite flashmobs, since I would like to see more! 

Blindfolded.

I wouldn't know for sure because I have never felt it myself; but I believe that the act of falling in love is the same as someone trying to walk across a dark room, full of obstacles, with their eyes closed.

When face it with it, some people will simply turn around and search for another room. One with the light on. Safe.

But others will try. They'll be afraid at the start, but with every step towards the right place the fear will slowly fade away to be replaced by pure anxiousness and a bit of excitement at the possibility of reaching what they are aiming for. And, although the risk of getting hurt or lost and never able to find their way back to the right path is always present, they wont stop moving forward. No matter how many bumps they'll find along the way, they won't stop trying to walk ahead because they know that the reward at the other end of the room is good. The bright, new light, will always be worth it.

Falling in love must be an extraordinary experience for many, I'm sure. But to be honest, I don't have that natural -and quite common- faith that people seem to have when it comes to the most amazing feeling in the world. I'm a hopeless romantic, don't get me wrong; but outside of books, shows and movies, life hasn't really given me reasons to believe in that true and unconditionally love that plenty have found so easily.

It might be a matter of time, or maybe I'm just broken. Either way, the question still the same.

Is it really worth the risk: love?

That's an enigma that will never have a definitive answer because love is different for every single one of us. So, I guess the disclosure to that question is something that, with time, we will figure out for ourselves.

What have you done so far this summer?

So far, apart from sleeping like a bear on the winter mood and eating like a starving lion, the only really productive thing I have done so far is write -which is something I do every day regardless of if it's school day or weekend or holidays anyways- read (books, fan fiction, blogs and whatever else comes my way) and fill my blog with pretty sayings and witty posts. It's a far cry from the idyllic summer full of adventures that I imagined myself having (although I'm not really an outgoing person) but that doesn't mean that it's less pleasant. After all, I did needed a bit of calm and quiet time for myself.

Although, I do went out from time to time to enrich my cultural side.

Like, over the pass few weeks (and because my cousin's girlfriend works for a theater company) I have been to a couple of really good plays (Hamlet, Avenue Q -the cast of this one was absolutely mind blowing- and Barefoot In The Park). Besides those, I also went to a local revival of Spring Awakening a few days after I got to Miami and I have to say that it was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had.

I've really enjoyed it every single one of them and my theater lover heart ended up being beyond thrilled with each songs, monologues and the dancing moves. Loved it all!

Anyways, the summer is young and I am already planing road trips with my family and a few more visits to the theater (hopefully I'll get to see Les Miserables before I head back home) with some of my new friends. I'm definitely not worried about the next couple of months being boring. And I'm actually looking forward for what's to come.

And I am more than ready to go and look for those.

About Me: In 10 pictures.

So, one of my friends asked me to do a collage about myself, and this is what I came up. I know is pretty random but I honestly identify myself with every single one of these pictures.

So, tell me, how would you describe yourself in 10 pictures?

Update: Check out the replies to my post by these really awesome people! Send me yours and I'll added it here:

• Ashley's
• Lylias's
• Mary's
• Ninon's
• Gladys'

Your Goal...

Honestly, and even if you have more important goals, I really hope this is always your go-to answer because everyone should always want to be happy.

Dream on, dream on, dream on... dream until your dreams comes true.

For the ladies:

Today, and every single day after that. Smile, pretty girl; because whoever you are, I am sure you are beautiful and you deserve to know that.

Out tonight!

It's Saturday, which means that it's finally time to have a nice date with the night.

Go out, have a drink, dance in front of strangers, sing your lungs out in karaoke -so bad that even cats will cry- but don't mind about it. Don't pay attention to anything that doesn't involve having fun because that's the least you deserve after a crappy or stressful or just plain boring week. I'm doing it today, what about you?

Let's. Go. Party!

Just another part of life...

As sad as it sounds, sometimes you just have to let go of those who don't fit in your life anymore, even if they only brought you good things. People change, life goes on and you shouldn't stop moving forward just because you're afraid of losing someone that you love. After all, if they are really important to you and truly care about your well being, you'll find each other again when the time is right.

The A word.

Have you ever wake up saying: "Today, I'm awesome and I rule!"?

*If you are a Leo, please ignore the question.* And no, I'm not kidding... except that I actually am because of a couple of Leo friends that I have ;)

If the answer it's yes, then you should keep doing it because there is nothing wrong with thinking a little bit too much of yourself from time to time. But if the answer it's no, we definitely need to do an intervention.

First, let's take a moment to think about all the happy moments you can manage to remember. And once that's done, know that all those moments already make an awesome person out of you because you were a part of them.

And if that isn't enough -which it should be, by the way- read the following quotes by awesome people talking about being awesome and I'm pretty sure you'll end up feeling awesome anyways.

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” -Gandhi

"When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead." -Barney Stinson

"The most awesome thing about being awesome is the aura of awesomeness around you that makes you feel more awesome." -Kaushal Rupani

"Once in a while it really hits people that they don’t have to experience the world in the way they have been told to." -Alan Keightley

"Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of someone else." -Judy Garland

Have a good day, and wake up feeling awesome tomorrow, too!

Silly things that make you happy...

For me... the sound of the rain, the lyrics of Wicked songs, a conversation about video games with my brother, the sun's reflection on a calm lake, quotes by Scott Fitzgerald, the sight of the moon on a clear night, exchanging texts with my best friend about how different is Canada from Los Angeles, a couple of spoons filled with chocolate ice-cream, re-runs of Game Of Thrones, dancing when I think that no one is watching me or simply sinking on the couch while watching a Glee marathon with my mom is enough to make my heart burst with happiness and lightness.

What about you?