Life Happened.

First, I would like to say that I passed my Fall 2016 semester with 3 A's and 2 B's! I was so proud of myself. Doing so brought my GPA up to a 3.0 and put me on track for graduation which was May 5th, 2017. For Spring 2017, I took 15 credit hours and passed all of them with a 4.0! That brought my GPA up to a 3.1 That really helped when it came time to apply for scholarships at my new school. So I am proof that even if you mess up in college that through hard work you can recover. If I did, anyone can. So yeah, I graduated in May with my Associate's in Science and now I am headed to a four year university to double major in Healthcare Administration and Psychology with a minor in Business Administration. I will have to spend three years there if I chose one major anyway so I went with both. I love the idea of being a healthcare manager but I also love psychology. Why choose?

To make things greater, I am currently employed as a phone operator at the college I will be attending in the Fall. This makes things cool because they are willingly to pay tuition for half of eight credit hours. That may not seem like much but tuition is expensive. I'm grateful. If I get promoted to full-time (which I plan to), they will pay the whole tuition for the eight credit hours. SCORE! Sad thing is I had to give my three week notice to my old college job because this new job wants all my time. My supervisor told me that I needed to spread my wings and fly. It was time and she was right. I miss her and the crew dearly but I had to go. Besides, I wasn't a student anymore so I wasn't eligible to work there any longer.

I bet you're wondering if I decorated my cap after all that talk I did about it. Well, I did. It wasn't exactly what I wanted but I still loved it. I went to Michael's for everything. I absolutely love pearls so I had to include those on my cap. I must say that graduation night was the best night of my life (yet again) but next graduation, I plan on not wearing heels. I feel like there is so much I'm leaving out from you guys. I planned a trip to Houston, Texas and I ended up going alone! It was an amazing trip. The people are super friendly. They constantly hugged me and gave out compliments. I never felt unsafe. I really want to move there. My cousin Kisha tried to convince me to stay. I would have gone but out of state tuition was three times the price of regular tuition. I'll wait. Maybe for graduate school I will move to Houston but I'm not sure. Here are some pictures that I love from my Houston trip! I'll be back my loves! Until next time.

♥

Reisha 

Twitter | Instagram

Lately.

I've been missing in action lately. Mostly because I don't have anything to talk about. I feel like I've abandoned my blog. But I haven't, I swear. I just got shy and ran out of topics lol. Anyway, here's what's going on in my life.

College is so topsie curvy. I need to take psychology this summer and medical office stimulation. Because student loans won't pay because I'm not at 6 credit hours nor will my pell grant pay for it all, I'll need to come out of pocket $95 or add another class. I don't want to add another class because that means I won't have time to do anything this summer along with working two jobs (I'll get to that). 3 classes and 2 jobs for 8 whole weeks. Nope. My sanity will be gone before I reach the end of the semester.

I don't really want to work two jobs. I tried my hardest to get into the zoo part-time and not seasonal but they denied me the position. I don't know why I was denied but I was. If I had been accepted or at least have gotten an interview, my life would be much simpler. I could have worked there and quit my first job. But since the zoo is only seasonal, I cannot leave my first job or I'll be without a job at the end of the summer. I have to divide up my days of the week for both jobs. Three days at my school job and the weekends at the zoo. I love the zoo so much and I cannot see myself leaving them but that is something I may have to do. Only because I still want to have a life. But I also need to stay because for two weeks, I won't have a ride to my first job so I still need some sort of income. I hate how hard this has to be on me. I'll never really have time to rest with two jobs and I'm worried about burning myself out like last summer and becoming stressed and suicidal. Lawd, I need to pray some more.

Dating isn't on my agenda. I've recently been asked on a date which is coming up this Monday but I may cancel. I'm not interested in getting to know someone knew. I'm busy working on myself and fixing my life before I go ahead and date someone new.

My mental health is good and I also lost a lot of weight so I'm thrilled. I think I'm back to my regular weight before the medication I was taking. That makes me super happy. If I worked out a little more, I'm sure I'll have my flat tummy in no time. I'm not interested in losing anything more than that. I think I look fine either way it goes.

Friends are awesome. They're always awesome. I only really deal with about 4 people so I won't have a lot of drama and so far that's a great plan. I found the perfect gift for my niece Amina (Nay's baby) and I cannot wait to order it for her baby shower. Its a onesie that says "My Aunt ___ loves me" with a matching turban bow. I'm in love.

I've come up with two names to change my URL to so far: MyLifeAsReisha & ChasingReisha. Neither have been really big "OH MY GOD LET'S DO THIS" things so I'm just shuffling my cards. Let me know what you think below :)

♥

Reisha 

Twitter | Instagram

End of the Semester Blues.

Are we there yet? No, really. Is it May 3rd yet? I'm burned out. All my classes are online but I'm seriously tired of them. I'm ready for the semester to be over. I don't even want to take exams. Lets just skip over exams and go right to the fun of SUMMER. YAY FOR SUMMER BREAK! Oh wait... I'm taking two online classes and working two jobs so I won't really have a summer break for 8 whole weeks smh. Yet, I long for the end of Spring semester so badly because I'm tired of taking tests every week and doing vocab words. It is beginning to become exhausting and repetitive.

3 more weeks. 23 more days. Someone save me!

♥

Reisha 

Twitter | Instagram

Lately.

It's been two dark months since I lasted posted a Lately post. Don't hate me but things happen. Time slips away and I've been up non-stop for the last two months. I can't sleep. Its apart of my depression but this is a story you will get when you read about my health. So let's jump into my first March Lately post ;D

College is stressful. I gave up on Anatomy pt 2. It was super hard and there was really no one to help me with it and I was afraid of failing. Still, I did the best I could until I could drop the class. Anyway, I have to retake Anatomy pt.2 this summer and work two jobs while doing it. I have no idea how I am going to do this but it has to be done. I'm just scared that I'm going to fail the class and have to work even harder to graduate in May 2016. Yes, I should have continued with the class this semester but I think its for the best that I didn't. I have doctor appointments for my mental illness way too often to be able to sit in class. I'm hoping this and my medicine are taken care of before I start classes in the Fall. Those classes require me to sit in and not miss any days for any reason. Currently I am taking all 3 online classes that include pathophysiology, pharmacology and statistics. Currently I have two A's and a low B in my classes. Aside from that I was accepted into the honors program but I think I'm going to pull myself out of it. Its too much work and extra classes needed in order to graduate with the honors. I'd rather graduate with a 3.5 and celebrate that!

I'm so over my job. Work sucks so much. I cannot wait to get back to the zoo where the real fun is. I miss that job so much. I don't know how I'm going to work 2 jobs and go to school in the summer. Its going to be so hard for me. I'm also looking for a new job. The zoo has part-time positions opened. Hopefully they pay more than minimum wage because I'm all down for it. I also applied to a few banks and got a call back the next day! I'm excited about it. I really need a new job that pays more than minimum wage.

Dating hasn't crossed my mind. My best friend Vince wants to take our friendship to the next level but I don't want to. At one point of time I wanted him so badly but he didn't want me. That's not my problem now that we're older. SO he's mad at me and ignoring me because I don't want to be with him. Womp.

Health is deteriorating especially my mental health. I don't feel myself getting any better. My medicine hasn't really been working and it annoys me. Constantly going to the doctor to see nurses and get my medicines up'd is what bothers me. I'm tired but I'll continue to fight through this. I have no choice. I refuse to let it beat me.

Friends are awesome and supportive. Since being scammed, they have really stepped up and consoled me every moment that I have felt alone. Oh and my best friend Nay is currently pregnant with a little girl. She's going to be beautiful. I'm very excited for her and her new little family.

♥

Reisha 

Twitter | Instagram

Lately.

That awkward moment when you think you have your comments on but they are in fact being hidden smh. Thanks so much to Kay at TheKayTimes for letting me know about that. From now on, all comments are on! Sorry about that =)

So here's my life in a post! My first post of the new year!

I start my Spring semester of college one week from today. I am as nervous as can be about taking 18 credit hours and going to classes 4 days a week. Not only will I have to be in class for long hours, I won't be able to work as much as I'd like. I'm going from 46 hours to barely 30. Aside from that, one of my classes doesn't end until 830 at night. Here comes 15 weeks of unneeded stress. Wish me luck!

Work is work. I don't like my job now that I know I'm getting fat because of it. I don't move around as much and that's causing my weight gain. Moreover, I hate how much I get paid. I'm considering applying to other places that pay more. The problem with that is my classes are all over the place and I'm not sure any other place besides my school will work with me and my schedule.

Who cares about dating? I have 99 problems and a guy ain't one!

Health is declining. At least in my mind it is. I'm not used to the weight I've put on. Come to find out its because of a drug named Seroquel that I have to take for my insomnia. It increases my appetite and at first, I was eating and didn't realize it. Now I look 20 weeks pregnant and I don't have many options to lose weight. I don't have much time and clean eating is harder than I thought. I barely eat anyway but dang. My goal is to go from 163 back down to 130 before my birthday in April. I just have to figure out what I can do to lose weight and properly.

I'm going to skip friends for this week. Nothing much is going on with them. I'm pretty happy with them.

♥

Reisha 

Twitter | Instagram

Lately.

Bye Bye November .. Hola December

Yes I'm behind.

Yes, finals took over.

No, I'm not crazy.

Yes, I'm posting this at a random time.

College is done for the semester. I was feeling burnt out. Good news is I could have had all A's, had I not fell ill. But oh well. My final grades are three A's and two B's. My exam grades were looking like A, A, B, B and a C. I had 6 classes mind you. But one didn't have an exam so it was an A. I was hoping that would boost my GPA up to a 3.5. But it barely even helped my GPA. I went from a 3.20 to a 3.28. I'm trying my hardest to reach 3.5. Aside from that, its officially 364 more days until I graduate. Yup, I began a countdown back in August and I'm already preparing for my after graduation plans. I don't know what I'd like to do yet but I'll soon have an idea.

I hate work. I hate my job. I'm just so ready to become a Medical Assistant and work weekdays and be off weekends. Making the real money. My checks currently suck because of all these holidays. Let me not complain though because I am blessed to have a job but I'd much rather be working part-time at the zoo. I miss that job so much. I miss the people and the money I was making. I was having fun as a merchandiser and nothing brought me more joy than going to work for them. I may just quit my current job in the summer and dedicate all my time to the zoo again... I don't know. Two checks are nicer than just one lol.

Dating is blah. Mainly because I need to love myself before I can love another. My ex still calls. My best friend still has a crush on me. I haven't sorted through those issues nor my self esteem issues yet. I no longer use Tinder because the guys on there don't catch my interest. I'm good with being single. I'm fine being alone. I won't be forever but right now I have a few goals to tend to before thinking of dating. It isn't my motive right now. Maybe one day.

I don't think I ever have good health news. This Thanksgiving I realized I've put on 10-15 lbs and I cannot fit anything in my closet. All of those lbs have went to my tummy and my tummy makes me look pregnant :/ Yeah, can't get worse. I'm constantly reminded of how big I am when I eat or when I get on Instagram. I am insecure, yes. But this is ridiculous. My family crack jokes and sometimes at night, I lie awake thinking of how unhappy I am with my body. That called for a change. I plan on starting the new year dedicating myself to at-home workouts to kill my belly fat and get me in shape to fit all of my old (and new) clothes. I still have clothes with the tags on them because I have nowhere to wear them to. Well, now I can't fit them so what's worse? I've been doing my research and I plan to document my monthly (or even weekly) progress through my blog. I just haven't figured out all the kinks yet. But with doing research, I plan to use Jillian Michaels' dvds. I don't eat unhealthy but lately, I do eat a lot and sit on my butt at work for 8 hours of the day. Its time for a change and I'm going to do it. My health pretty much depends on it.

One of my best friends is pregnant. Its shhh because she's not announcing it to the world which means I cannot disclose her name yet. Im so excited for her but at the same time Im sad because she was one of the only friends I had left with no babies. Oh well. She will make a great mother and I get to be an Aunt! Still.. all my friends are all getting into relationships, having babies, moving out of their parents' homes or getting new cars. Meanwhile, I'm sitting here, wondering when Fruit by the Foot is going to bring back plain Strawberry fruit roll ups. I can't be the only one curious of that lol.

♥

Reisha 

Twitter | Instagram

Driving with Reisha (Part II)

The moment has finally come for me to scream "I AM OFFICIALLY A LICENSED DRIVER!"

*throws confetti*

It all started Tuesday, November 4th, 2014.

I spent most of the night lying in bed, anxiously awaiting for 2 pm to come. I was so scared that this attempt, my third attempt, would be just like the other two: failures. I got to my appointment 2 minutes late. When I got there, it was raining and I was sure they weren't going to take me out because of that reason. I wasn't as nervous when I got there as I was when I was at home. I patiently stood in line and waited for the officer who would be administering my driving exam. That's when I saw the supervisor. Yup, the only person who doesn't wear a police officer uniform. What was she doing, you ask? Twirling herself around in a chair, bored. I immediately grew sad and weary that she was going to give me my test. We had a past. She liked to fail me. & I wasn't in any mood to be failed again. To my luck, it wasn't her giving the test. A man approached me with a happy go-lucky face and said "let's go!" I clutched the car keys of my cousin's Chrysler Sebring and began to follow the officer out of the door. After testing my brake lights and turning signals, we got in the car and he told me we would start with the road test. SCORE! I'm a great driver but I suck at maneuverability.

The driving test went smoothly. I missed a total of 10 points (out of 26 that I could miss) and was pretty low about the test. Next was the maneuverability test. It was raining and I couldn't see anything out of the back window. But the officer instructed me step by step which way to turn the wheel and when to turn the wheel. On my third try, I successful backed out of the cones with no problem! The test was finally over. I took a deep breath and proceeded to drive back to the office so he could tell me my score. I wasn't ready. In my head, I swore I failed by just a little. When we reached the office, he explained to me everything I did wrong. In my head, I was thinking "damnit, he's about to say I failed." But he didn't. He ended with "let's go inside and get your license!"

I took a moment and thought, "huh?"

I was shocked. I was in disbelief. He then got out and I followed behind him with no words, only facial expressions. As I waited for him and the woman who failed me to input my score into the computer, I couldn't stop dancing or smiling.

Especially since the supervisor didn't want to input my score at all! When she handed me back my paper, I immediately ran over to my cousin and we both high fived! In total, I only missed 22 points out of the 26 I could miss. I missed 10 on the road test and 12 on the maneuverability test. As I proceeded through the line to get my license, the woman who helped me smiled and said it was beautiful how happy I was. She could feel my excitement through the air. I bet she could because I was so happy to have passed that test that I wanted to tell everyone in the world that I passed! My license's picture isn't that bad either ;)

The rest of my evening went as so! ^

Now that I have my license, my next goal is to get a Kia Rio or a cute little Honda Civic :D

Thank you to all who helped me and prayed for me! 

You guys are the bestest!

♥

Reisha 

Twitter | Instagram

Lately.

Goodbye October / Hello November 

I'm a little late with my post. My apologies.

But I did give you something to read while I typed hehe.
Also, I am sorry for the half post. I didn't mean to hit publish so soon!

College is a handful at the moment. So many due dates and so many tests. My brain is completely fried. Also, I decided to only take 15 credit hours instead of 18 credit hours. I forgot that the workload will be crazy for each 4 hour credit class. Aside from that, I did receive some good news regarding my GPA on Monday. I guess back when I was struggling with a math course, I petitioned for a grade appeal. I don't actually remember it or any details of it but mysteriously, I received an email that my grade was changed from a C to a B. It also greatly affected my GPA which I am entirely grateful for. My grade point average went from a 3.0 (with the C) to a 3.2 (with the B). That means if I pass all my upcoming semesters with good to great grades, I will graduate college with a GPA of 3.5 or more. Currently, that is my biggest goal. I wanted so badly to graduate high school with honors (and I should have) but doing so in college means a lot more because the work is harder and the degree is worth it. I don't plan on stopping at an Associate's Degree. I want to continue on into Healthcare Administration and graduate with a Bachelor's Degree. If I graduate with honors, there's a possibility I can attend the college in my hometown for free (only grants and scholarships). I worked so hard for this moment and to see my dreams blossoming in front of my eyes is so heart warming. Dreams don't usually come true for a girl like me!

Work is crappy. I'm beginning to hate my job. I think I hate the hours the most. It is currently Friday, November 7th, 2014, my boss is in surgery somewhere, I haven't had a customer because every machine (including the phone) is broken and I'm all alone from 8am until 4:30pm. Frankly, I'm stuck here doing nothing until 4:30 pm. Another thing I hate is that because of Daylight Savings, I am forced to walk in the dark around 6pm when I'm getting off of the bus. I'm afraid of the dark... Not at home in my room dark but outside all alone with a heavy book bag dark. (Should I really be voicing my fears on here?) I can't go home without the permission of my supervisor but she is nowhere to be found or heard of. Anyway, on the bright side of things, I got my license on November 4th :) That is a blog post all for its own. Hopefully, good things are to come from that!

I don't really have an interest or time for dating. I mean I do but I don't. It isn't a necessity. Its just a pleasure. It is one that I don't have time for due to school and the need for a car. Maybe later? Maybe not.

I need to work on my health. I seriously think I'm fat lol. I gained 10 lbs within two months of being on medications and I absolutely hate it because it shows in my stomach. I feel like I eat a lot more than usual now.

My friends lately have been my family. I'm super close to them. I'm also very grateful for that.

♥

Reisha 

Twitter | Instagram

Driving with Reisha

With the help of Spongebob, I want to show you how nervous I am for my upcoming driving test. As I've written before, I failed my driving test twice and I am a new driver. I hope you laugh along with me as you read my experience with driving as a new driver!

When I sit behind the car wheel at my test, 

I become completely immersed in my insecurity.

The police officer is calm on the outside but I know on the inside he or she is like:

& when I fail maneuverability, I can just see the glee in his or her eyes!

"Oh yessss, she failed!" 

& when I pass my road test,
I see the anger and disapproval in their eyes.

But one day, one day soon, I will have my license and life will be grand.

At least I pray for that (I'll probably cry in such glee)

Welcome to my life!

♥

Reisha 

Twitter | Instagram

Lately.

I came to give it to youuuuu!

College is crazy. For one moment two weeks ago, I was at a 4.0 grade point average in all 6 of my classes. Because I decided to take a one day vacation, it is now at a B average. This semester is going by like a breeze. I almost forgot this post needed to be written for posting because I've been so busy with school. My goal is to graduate December 11, 2015 & nothing will stand in my way of this goal. I want my degree more than I have the need to breathe (but of course I'm still breathing). For the mean time, my only concern is how many classes to take for the Spring semester. Should I take 18 credit hours (6 classes + 1 lab = 7 total) or 15 credit hours (5 classes + 1 lab = 6 total). The problem is if I decide not to take the 3 credit hour Statistics course, I'll have to take it in the summer along with a pathophysiology, office stimulation and psychology class. Doesn't that sound like a lot to do? I'm just trying to cut down on hard classes that need to be taken before my last semester. During my last semester, all I really want to worry about is my clinical classes. Nothing more and nothing less. Since my 'mid semester break,' I've been a lot more relaxed. I took a trip to Kalahari Wednesday and cleared my mind of all my problems. I really needed that. Now I'm back and ready to get these A's!

Work is blah. I'm so over my current job (working at my school). There's no excitement. All I do is sit on my behind and do homework. There's barely any customers and I'm so awkward I can't talk to my coworkers most of the time. I don't know. I'm just ready to be in a career with more money so I can do the things I dream about doing. Besides the fact, I reaaaaally need my license. I'm tired of taking public transportation to different places. I am so ready for my own. Maybe that would make work more worthwhile. But for now, I'll be at work this week during the two days that the college is closed to students because my supervisor insists we'll have customers (although we won't).

I've been thinking of dating a lot lately. I want to be in love. I'm probably too young for love but I'm ready to be deeply in love with someone who feels the exact same way about me. But while at Kalahari I realized, I'm missing a lot of opportunities for love because I'm too afraid to flirt or approach a guy. I be so lost for words. I don't know what it is. But I'm 100% positive I could have been close to love in any of the guys I have had a semi crush on if I had approached them.. I fear rejection. I'm sure that's it. & no matter how much I Google how to get over it, I am unsuccessful. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about this.

Health is pretty okay. I sleep too much and when I sleep, I don't feel like I'm sleeping. I'm awake but my body is sleeping. Its weird. It may be a side effect of my new medication but I'm not sure.

Friends. How many of us have them? Friends. One's you can depend on. I don't know. I don't really talk to my friends as much... I mean we speak but not about anything of any relevance.. I feel like we're all fading apart and I hate it.. But right now, I can't do anything about it. I don't drive so I can't see them as much as I'd like.

Thought I'd be late with this post, but I didnt!

Enjoy your Sunday :D

Also check out my current favorite post by my soul sister Kendel (HERE)

♥

Reisha 

Twitter | Instagram

Lately.

Howdy people! I've been away for some time. Kinda. My posts seem to vary here and there. I hate it just as much as you do, I swear. But I have good reasoning why I've been away for so long. SCHOOL. Yup, school. You know how I constantly tell you it takes over my life? Well that's 100% true. Especially now. But I'll get into that soon. Just so you can understand how truly sorry I am to you and myself for being away so long, I thought you should know washing my hair is my stress reliever. Shhh, there's a secret for ya ;) Onto business!

College is stressssful. I cannot wait for December of 2015. The stress of turning in assignments is becoming too much for me. I have a test every day I attend class and taking anatomy and physiology as an online class was pretty stupid of me. I have learned my lesson however. With college, I am now being pressured by the world to get my license and somehow a car before January. I need to drive in order to attend clinicals during next semester. Next semester I will be expected to be in class Mondays and Wednesdays from 9am to 830pm. This is bad because I will be required to catch the bus at 730am to make class at 9am and I won't get home from class until 10pm. That is a depressing thing to consider but I have to do it to graduate in December of 2015. I really need my license. Speaking of which, I renewed my temps today and the woman who failed me twice was there, behind a desk. Figures the time I don't have to take the test is the time she's not administering it. Great. Just great.

Work is horrible. I don't know where to begin with that drama filled place. I am currently only working one job and plan to keep it that way until I graduate from college. Doing so, I need a job that works with my school schedule and right now, my school job is the only one willingly to do so.. Despite the hatred I have for the way my boss handles things, I must say I love how easy the job is. It allows me to concentrate on my homework and still get paid while doing so. I won't entertain the drama on my little space on the internet.. not today.

Dating is overrated.. or maybe I'm just not doing it right. I joined a dating app called Tinder after a few friends recommendations. So far I have 30 matches and only seriously like 1. Yet he forgets to reply to me so its like we don't even speak. He has a lot of potential but I don't know what to say to even turn the conversation that way. Moreover, where would I find time for a boyfriend? Womp. If you read my latest post, you probably know that I was recently curved by an ex. Curved means to get rejected or turned away. Don't ask where I learned this term but it seemed fitting for the situation. Anyway, I was rejected by ex.. or so I thought. He ended up calling me four days later and we spoke. After speaking, I spent the whole weekend thinking maybe I didn't miss him. Maybe I just missed the moments. Moreover, maybe I just needed some type of closure and seeing as he's not doing anything that I'd like in a boyfriend, I know that its over with him. Yet I'm not completely over him. Frankly, I still love him. That is why no one else can get close to me until I can let go of him. Somehow.. damn..

Health is pretty sweet. I'm working on mentally becoming a better person or at least a normal functioning one. Its a hard process. Even harder to deal with in the mornings. I wouldn't wish the symptoms of depression onto anyone. & if you didn't know by reading my posts, I am a victim of depression. I am clinically diagnosed and everything. Its an ongoing battle but I am fighting this war until I have won. I won't be brought down again.

My friends are a different story. Some of my relationships have become very distant after being diagnosed. I don't talk to my friends as much as I had. Actually, I've been focusing on family a lot more these days because of how my friends have been treating me. I don't know. Maybe its for a moment thing but I do miss them. Our schedules just clash. They're always working and I'm so involved in homework.

Well, that's my life in a nutshell. I'll see you guys in two weeks for the next Lately post ;D

♥

Reisha 

Twitter | Instagram

Excel Assignment Spreadsheet - College Tricks

One of the best things I could have came across on Pinterest: THIS. It took me two days but I wrote out and organized every last assignment I would have for the whole semester (including breaks). I am completely aware how obsessive this looks but it really has helped me stay organized. I printed out the months of September, October, November and December, stapled them together and thumb-tacked the list to my wall. Each day that pasts, I marked off the assignment I completed and sometimes I write my grade in. Also, I carry around the month I'm in with my books just to be sure not to forget anything. This is so awesome that I no longer use my planner (& I love my planner). While it sucks that I no longer use the planner, it has been so convenient to have all of my assignments in one place. I took a class in using Microsoft Office products so this came easy. If you'd like to do this and the link above doesn't help you out much, I am willingly to email you step by step how I did it. Just email me or let me know that you'd like to me to post it :) Big shoutout to Kirsten over at Organized Charm for this spreadsheet. This couldn't have came at a better time for me!

♥

Reisha 

Twitter | Instagram

Lately.

August has been filled with a lot of writing inspiration for me. Maybe its the downtime, maybe its the medication. Whatever it is, my mind hasn't been this clear and free in a very long time and it has given me the spark I needed to get back in my first love: writing.

Anyway, say howdy to my biweekly Lately post ;)

The college semester begins tomorrow and I am more nervous than ever about starting. There's so much that is required of students during clinicals. I am not allowed to miss any class nor be late or out of uniform. Each mistake winds up in a loss of points. Some of the expectations I don't think I can live up to. I don't like expectations.

Ever hear "never leave the one you love for the one you like?" Well that is true in all cases: relationships, jobs, friendships, and school. I realized the hard way and had to pay the price of a mean manager, $16 paychecks and working two jobs on the same date. Work is work, I guess. I quit the job with the mean manager, abandoned 2/3 of the jobs I was working and now I'm just chilling with one job. While I miss getting paid every week, my body couldn't handle working two jobs. & working two jobs on the same day was killing me literally. So I'll be okay with just one. My next position will be in a hospital as a Medical Assistant. Possibly. No promises lol.

Dating is the least of my priorities. I don't see the hype.

Health is great. I'm still too lazy to workout lol.

Friends are still around. They're currently mad that I don't like answering my phone but what's new?

P.S. I failed my driving exam for the second time on 8/6. I'm not as mad. Welp.. Guess I'll try again on 9/4. I pray I finally get this right. I want a Kia Rio soooo bad.

♥

Reisha 

Twitter | Instagram

Preparing 4 The Upcoming Semester

This school year will be more stressful than any school year before. In previous years, I never had to worry about buying scrubs or buying really big books because I was taking pre-requisite classes that didnt require much effort. As of now, I have to buy Olive colored scrubs and a new backpack with wheels (my grandma complains that my regular backpacks are going to damage my back), that I really don't have the cash for. While I barely have the money for books, I now have to come out of pocket for ugly colored scrubs to do clinicals in. & while my grandmother is right about my back and my backpacks, I wasn't lucky enough to find a cheap and sturdy with a design that I actually like. Every design I found was out of stock. So there's my list: scrubs, new backpack and new shoes that are required for my clinicals.

I DON'T WANT THE SEMESTER TO START!

Please make it go away..

♥

Reisha 

Twitter | Instagram

This is my 100th post ;)

CMA ;)

Here's to the moment I have been waiting on: 

Orientation for the Medical Assisting Program

On June 28th, everything became official. I received a packet to order scrubs and a program guide of what was soon to come for my program. In three semesters, I will officially be a Medical Assistant. ON DECEMBER 11, 2015, I WILL BE DONE WITH SCHOOL (technically). I plan to attend the same community college in September 2016 for Dental Hygiene before moving away to a new city to start over. Anyway, I AM SO EXCITED! During orientation, we were told the policies, what kind of scrubs to wear, what to bring for the first day of class and how needed Medical Assistants are. I also met the 15 other students I would be spending the next three semesters with. We all did not say much. 

To be honest, I don't really want to make friends. I want to ace every class with a B or above and stay to myself. I'm not down with the 'cheating' bs most students want to participate in. So I plan to stay to myself!

I wanted to share this news because, well, I haven't had much good news in the last few months. So this brought me a lot of joy. A joy that I want to keep as long as I can before my 'mdp' sets in again. 

♥

Reisha 
'your future Medical Assistant ;)'

Twitter | Instagram

Saturday.

Up at 7 AM and dressed by 7:30 AM, I began my journey to the BMV to take my driving test. The night before I prepared my hair to be curly and cute so my driver's license would be the cutest legal picture I would own fpr the next four years. With hope in my heart, butterflies in my stomach and God with me, I claimed my license before it was in my possession. Before signing up to take the test, I was given the warning to avoid a short haired woman who failed everyone who came in her path. I was also praying if I did have her, that she would allow me to maneuver to the right as opposed to the left when it came to the cone test. To my luck, she was the one who would be administering my test. Worst of all, her supervisor came along without my permission (bummer). I spent the entire month preparing for this day, only to realize I may not have been ready. But that didn't stop me. Once in the car, we began the maneuverability test. She allowed me to go to the right of the cone and back into the space without hitting any cones. During practice trials, I got this correct. However, when it came to the test, I didn't do as well. All because the officer's supervisor kept making comments like "you're about to hit the cone" "STOP!" But the one that killed me the most was when she said I hit a cone and i didn't hit it nor did the officer agree that I hit it yet I still got points marked for it. After failing the maneuverability test, we moved onto the road test. I did GREAT on that part. At least I thought. The supervisor would ask "why are you so calm?" I don't think it would make sense to be nervous and kill us all. Once we pulled back into the BMV, the officer told me "you turned on red and that's an automatic fail." Really? REALLY? In the handbook, it says if you stop and look both ways on a red light, you may turn as long as there isn't a sign. I did JUST that. However, it didn't matter. We walked back in and the man scheduling and signing people in said with sadness, "your next driving exam is August 6th. Pick a time." He said this as if he knew she failed me. I wouldn't be surprised though. This is the same woman who failed my father 30 years ago, my cousin 15 years ago and my friend's mom 25 years ago.

I failed my driving test today by 5 points.

But that's not why I'm mad.

Nope. I'm not mad at that.

I'm mad because my hair wasn't flawless... 

I would have refused to take my license picture with half uncurly hair.

Welcome to my life lol.

♥

Reisha 

Twitter | Instagram

Lately.

"The world is not a wish-granting factory." - John Green

The quote above is from a book I recently finished reading entitled, "The Fault In Our Stars" by John Green. Last month it was made into a movie but I prefer books over movies any day. I could tell you alllll about the book and how emotionally impacted I was by the characters, but that will be saved for another post at another time. Right now, I'm hitting you with an update of my nonsensical life & hoping you'll still be around when the ride is over. 

Its amazing how college still plays a huge role in my summer; although, I am not presently attending this semester. I am currently stuck between two majors anyhow. I have no idea which one my heart belongs to. I guess I could write a compare and contrast list along with the pros and cons but what much could that do if I want both but can only afford to do one? How the US handles the tuition of college and the payment of loans is stupid. In my opinion, if a student graduates college in a designated time period for that degree (ie. 2 years for an Associate's degree), his or her loans should be forgiven because he or she completed the program or degree within the designated time period. I think its highly unfair that many people graduate college with their dream job but are in debt due to loans just to pay for schooling. It sucks. -sigh- I begin clinicals for medical assisting in September but I want to pursue Dental Hygiene. The issue is dental hygiene clinicals only take 25 students each fall semester. If I could afford it, I could complete my Associate's degree in Medical Assisting and I could still take on Dental Hygiene before I graduate.The issue is money. The issue is always money. But after speaking with a Dental Hygiene graduate about the course workload, I grew weary of that decision also. She informed me that lectures were harder than clinicals but I believe I am a pretty good listener and note-taker so lectures wouldn't be so hard. Moreover, what is hard for her may not be as hard for me. I guess its simply just preference. The reason I want to pursue Dental Hygiene is because most Dental Hygienists work part-time and still receive benefits and high pay from their employers. If I worked part-time, it would pay off for currently having two part-time jobs at the moment. Besides, working ONE part-time job as a Dental Hygienist would mean I could have more time to do things I missed out on at 18-20 because I had to work 2-3 jobs to get the things I wanted. I doubt working full-time as a Medical Assistant would be that much more rewarding. The reason I chose the Medical Assistant major was because I like doing paperwork and handling scheduling. I fell in love with Electronic Health Records (EHRS). I think its fun. But it may not make me financially stable. Then again, after speaking with a woman who has thousands because she is cheap, there's a possibility I could be financially stable. Yeah, yeah I know I shouldn't do it for the money. I'm not. I'm doing it based off interests... but I refuse to go back to living how I was. Nope. Being an adult SUCKS.

Work is dreadful yet exciting. I'll start with the dreadful part lol. Before June 28th, I was running off of barely any sleep. I was sleep deprived. I was usually more tired than the day before. I finally got to sleep in on the morning of Monday, June 30th. It was so bad I was hallucinating from barely any sleep. At that one time, I had just two jobs (in which I hated one) just to save up enough money to buy a car. Preferably the Kia Rio I found on Craigslist. I'm so tired of the public bus that I am ready to just start walking (or biking!) I won't lie, I have even considered taking a break from college to save money for a car. I am tired of the regular ol' get up and leave two hours before you need to be somewhere. That is sooo tiring. Plus, there isn't a guarantee that I would get to where I need to be in time. That drives me nuts. I'm so oh tired of it -pouts- On the other hand, I had an interview at a store called Journeys on Monday during the afternoon (after 2). To my surprise there were 5 different hiring managers I was speaking with along with a group of other possible candidates. I did my best and tried to answer each question professionally, happily and first if possible. I believe I did great because not even 24 hours later, I was called and offered a part-time position, starting Monday. YAY ME! I finally got myself a job in the mall... but it may not even be permanent. So I don't know.

Dating isn't my priority. Well, not at this time anyway. I want love but I do not want it right now. I want to reach a few goals prior to jumping into a relationship. I must say I did run into a former crush. But you can read about that here. No dating has caused guys to pursue me like crazy. I do not know what it is that suddenly attracts these guys to me but I am not losing focus on my goal(s). So they'll just have to wait. It'll take someone pretty special to change my mind right now. & I'm sure he doesn't live close to even try.

My health is pretty crappy right now. I don't sleep much and I eat maybe 2x per day. My food habits are worse. I have gotten really used eating candy for lunch and breakfast and falling asleep on the floor as soon as I get home from work. I can say that I did burn a "few" calories on June 20th at the gym with my friend Nay. Those two hours were very excruciating. I came home and literally collapsed on the floor while Nay was refreshed and ready for bed. WOMP. I couldn't walk without feeling like my knees would give out for two days. It hurt like hell. But on the plus side, I survived two hours of gym training. Give me my props!! *fist pumps the air*

Friends are my support system. Well, a little of it. Some encourage me to do better while others are just there. I have been evaluating a lot of my friendships with those I speak to one a regular. Although, they mean well, it may be time to let go! Some good (bad) things must come to an end eventually.

On a brighter note, don't you wish the world was a wish-granting factory?

♥

Reisha 

Twitter | Instagram

Lately.

When I wrote my last Lately post, I was nineteen years old. Crazy how that was almost three months ago. I feel bad. I completely discarded my feature and forgot about it. Seriously, I had valid reasons why I did not update. Mostly due to stress and trying to maintain good grades to pass all my classes. But yea, you will read more about that soon. Here's to my first Lately post as a struggling, 20 year old college student! *throws my hat in the air*

College is o v e r for the semester and I AM SO HAPPY! I earned a 3.5 for the semester with grades of 2 A's & a B in Chemistry. That B made my life complete. My grade was exactly 79.9%. It was rounded to an 80% which gave me a B. That B allowed me to receive an invitation to start clinicals as a Medical Assistant for the fall of this year. I am so excited. After June 5th, I will find out what semester I'll graduate and all the details but for now, I AM CELEBRATING! Which brings me to my next concern, will being a Medical Assistant have me working as hard as I am now with two jobs? Will I make enough money for the lifestyle that I would like? Will I be happy? Is this the right decision? Then I began to regret the fact I didn't ask to be evaluated for Dental Hygiene. I honestly do not know what I want in life.

Work is extremely complicated. I am so ready to quit my second job to focus on my first job but unfortunately I need a part-time job and my first job isn't offering that. So in order to survive after the summer is over, I have to work two jobs and maintain a social life somehow. Working two jobs stresses me out. I don't have "me" time. I'm miserable at both jobs because I'm tired. I don't sleep much. When I get off of work, I immediately take a shower, eat something then go to sleep. I'm probably sleep deprived. My body aches. But as much as I complain, I can't seem to quit. I want a car so badly that I am willingly to give up my sleep and life to obtain it. I don't know what else to do to get it. Its times like this I wish I was a bit privileged and someone would buy me a car to get back and forth to work/school with. Some people don't know how great they have it. Seriously, I miss having an off day and relaxing. Honestly, my next off day isn't until Sunday. I worked from last Thursday and will continue to do so until Saturday of this week. Just thinking of this makes me wanna cry. But on the plus side, I am learning how to save my money for my car with books and better financial decisions. It will take at least $200 a month to come up with $600 by the end of the summer. Pray for me.

Dating relationships are blah. I'm not interested in anyone who tries to spit game. I won't even consider speaking to someone I find to be cute because I'm not ready for it. I'm not ready for it because I am still working on myself. I feel as though I am not ready for a relationships because I do not have much to offer. I also have trust issues that I have no begun to work on because I am focused on other things at the moment. Maybe once I get a car and reach my fitness goals, I'll feel better about myself and be open to starting a relationship. I cannot love someone else until I fully love myself, right? Right. But as of now, I am NOT interested in no man or ex or subspecies. I am only interested in earning a car and a license to begin this beautiful life I have been imagining for years.

Health is a working process. As I stated in my last post, I have a few workout goals and body inspirations that I want to accomplish. Its been a challenge due to how I work. When I get off of work, I'm way too tired to do anything. Instead of allowing myself to eat and lay down, I must learn to give myself a pep talk to keep going if I want the results I so desperately desire. I worked out once last Wednesday and I worked out once today. I want to keep this up. Working out every day up until Saturday and giving Sunday as a rest day. On the bright side of things, I believe I'm at least 5'2 now! & possibly have a depression issue, but that is in the works of being handled.

Friendships are blasphemy. I fell out with a friend in April because her boyfriend used me to get out of his problems with her. Since the incident, I have not spoken to her and plan on not speaking to her. She's fine where she is. If she was ever a friend of mine, a boyfriend would never have been believed over a friend she has had since middle school. I just assume that my friendship didnt mean as much to her as it did to me and I have become okay with that. Shit, Im not pressed for friends. I'm pressed for money. On the bright side of things, my bestie Nay has recently moved into her own apartment. Of course inspiring me and what not with her decision! I am so proud of her!

By the way, thank you so much for 14,382 views! You all are AMAZING!

♥

Reisha 

Twitter | Instagram

Motivation & New Goals

Lately it has been said on the internet that it takes 21 days to make a habit. That sounds inspirational and all but after thoroughly research, I learned that you do not gain a new behavior in only 21 days. According to a researcher by the name of Phillippa Lally, it takes more than two months (exactly 66 days) to form a new habit. While its nice to believe that I can change my entire thought process in as little as 21 days, it is unrealistic and I can't focus on that. Instead, I must look forward obtaining new goals, new challenges and overcoming my depression in 66 days for good this time. Sixty-six days seems like a reasonable amount of time to change my overall thinking & I have a plan to do so. To set my plan in stone, I plan on posting right here for the entire world to read, my future plans without revealing too much detail of my goals. I just want to briefly put it somewhere so later on I can reflect on it (hopefully). The key to MOTIVATION is PREPARATION. My motivation will be all over my blog, plastered all over my room and a constant morning reminder in my phone. I am preparing to motivate myself to accomplish my wildest dreams. Alongside preparing myself with inspirational and motivational quotes, I plan to prepare myself by breaking down the elements of my short term goals. So prepare for a long post! This will indeed be one.

Hair Goals/Hair Inspiration(s)

I wanted to begin with my hair goals and share a my biggest hair inspirations first because my hair is a big part of who I am. I began my hair journey in the summer of 2010 when I came across a video of an African American woman with long hair. Her name was ULoveMegz and her hair was relaxed like mine. This inspired me to begin to take great care of my hair. I cut out going to salons and focused on learning my own hair. Sadly I couldn't purchase any of the products I'd like to try until June of 2012, but I did the best I could to use only products that did not contain Vaseline or Sulfate and to cut back on using heat on my hair to only once per month. Over the course of two to three months, I noticed an entire difference in my hair. It was growing more and it was beginning to look less damaged. Therefore, I continued my journey. As of today, I am a product junkie and hair enthusiast. I dream that one day my hair will be as long, healthy and thick as the women I have selected as my hair inspirations. Like me, they are all relaxed hair beauties. The difference is each of them are either waist length or longer. Depending on your back torso, that is how you will know whether you have reached waist length or hip length. I have a bit of a way to go to reach this success but I am willingly to strive hard for it.

Ten things to do to reach my hair goal:

• Find a new shampoo and conditioner that will keep my hair feeling silky and moisturized.
• Find an oil that will help defeat the dryness of my hair.
• Drink more water daily.
• Find new protective styles and try switching them up every month so I do not get bored.
• Stay focused and motivated.
• When flat-ironing, use a comb to help smooth roots out.
• Learn to moisturize (water-based moisturizer) and seal (I believe you're doing this wrong).
• Spray new growth with water-based moisturizer to stop breakage and help to stretch relaxers.
• Introduce protein treatments to your hair and follow up with a moisturizing conditioner.
• Try biotin pills for 60 days. Just to see if there is any difference.

Fashion Goals/Fashion Inspiration(s)

When I was little, fashion did not really concern me. I was fine with anything I put on. Heck, until this day sweatpants are my favorite type of pants.It barely bothers me. However, there is a certain way I wish I could dress. This brings us to the infamous fashion diva Jordan Craig. Her style is so laid-back, classy and professional all at once. These four pictures represent how I would like to dress on a regular. The only problem with dressing like this is money and confidence. My money is currently focused on buying a car but I think I can add a few goals into this section.

Six things to do to improve my wardrobe:

• Feel confident with your body type.
• Try to Polyvore each outfit that you think would like good on you.
• Learn the colors that look best on you.
• Choose shoes that you can match up with multiple items in your closet.
• Learn your measurements so you can online shop accurately.
• Be sure to clean out your closet often. Throw out or donate things you cannot fit and/or are damaged.

Fitness Goals/Fitness Inspiration(s)

My body image is something I have struggled with since puberty hit. Like any normal girl, I wanted to be skinny and fit into any article of clothing that Forever21 & Aeropastale released. Unfortunately, I did not realize that my body would take after my mother's and that the Freshman 15 was real. To make things worse, the media does not seem to mention any girls who wear more than a size 3. I think that had an everlasting effect on my self-esteem. I blamed genetics and the media for the reason I was unhappy with my figure. In all honesty, it is not genetics nor the media's fault that I wasn't happy. It was mine. I have now assumed responsibility for my unhappiness and I plan to change it. In order to begin changing, I made a collage of my fitness inspirations. I found some realistic body types and followed their fitness stories to learn what to and what not to do to achieve my goals. In fact, Ashanti (collage at the top right) is my overall fitness goal. I want to look that good when I am her current age (33). I believe that our body type is sort of the same but since that is further up in age, I decided to look towards some individuals closer to my age. First is ChelseaPB is a former lingerie model and current bodybuilder. In the top photo to the right, Chelsea was around nineteen or twenty years old when those photos were taken. Also, that was years before she began bodybuilding. I chose these photos because I want my stomach to be as flat as hers and my butt to be as toned. If you look as her photos, there is a curve down her back over her butt to her thighs. I wouldn't mind having her thighs too! I believe I can achieve that body type. Next is Yovanna Ventura. She is a model and has recently been labeled as Bieber's new girlfriend. While  I don't know much details about it, I am more concerned about her body. If you see, Yovanna's stomach is flat and her abs are very toned. Alongside that, her butt is round and looks toned. Her body is my dream body minus the toned abs. I can do with just a flat stomach. Yovanna is 18 years old. Just two years younger than me. She shares a bit of her workout regimen on her Instagram, in which I plan to follow. Lastly is viner, model and singer, Liane Valenzuela. I have no real reason why I chose Liane. Don't get me wrong, her body is awesome! I feel that she is a combination of Chelsea and Yovanna. That is why she is last. Plus, the clothing she models for Fashion Nova fit her body so well. That is exactly how I want mine to fit. Just like the others, Liane's body type is what I aspire to accomplish. If my body could be either of these three, I would be okay with that! Overall, I feel this is achievable. I just have to mix cardio and strength training and motivate myself to stick to my workout plan (or Blogliates workout plan). I must remember that it takes two months for my body to learn that workout out is a new habit.

Eight things to do to accomplish my fitness goal

• Exercise for six days for one hour. Let Sunday be your rest day.
• Drink 65 ounces of water daily (four 16.9oz bottles)
• Create a workout plan. Reps should be 8 to 12 and typically 3 sets.
• Incorporate the lazy girl's workout ;)
• Eat more fruit (two pieces a day)
• Set a reminder for motivational quotes to continue working towards goal(s)
• Get a gym membership if you feel its needed or take advantage of your school's gym.
• Remember fitness will help your hair goals and fashion goals! 

Education Goals/Education Inspirations

I don't have any inspirations for this segment but I do have many, many goals. Education has always been important to me. Even though I had no idea what I would do when I got into college, I feel as though I have gotten pretty far in life. I'm currently happy with the choices I have made. I don't regret screwing up in high school. If I hadn't, I probably wouldn't have met the amazing people I have at my school. It has made me a better person. For myself, currently, I have the goals below.

Three things to do to accomplish college goals

• Earn A's & B's to boost my GPA up to a 3.5 so I can be invited to be a part of the honor society Phi Theta Kappa. So you can graduate with honors and the robes.
• Think of a secondary degree I'd like to pursue.
• Continue to study and dedicate time to each assignment. Do not take on too much that you can't handle.

Blog Goals/Blog Inspiration(s)

I love my little blog. Its like my own little space on the internet to say and post whatever I'd like. But I have to be honest, I don't keep up with it as much as I should. My posts should be weekly instead of all over the place. I appreciate my subbies a lot for reading and awaiting my posts. I will do better. Pinky promise! As far as inspirations go, I could list a million and one blogs I follow for writing inspiration (trust me, it's a lot), but I'm going to save that for an actual post. For now I'll share the goals and aspirations I have for this blog.

Seven things to do make my blog successful:

• Finish my Code Academy lesson so I can understand HTML better and design my own personal blogger templates.
• Post weekly. Even if it must be scheduled to do so.
• Designate the days I want things to be posted (or at least posted around).
• With all of the blog hopping I do, comment more and let others know I have visited.
• Learn more about sponsorship.
• Send friendly emails to fellow bloggers. Blog friends are awesome-sauce!
• Learn to filter your post. As raw as you like them, imagine a family member finding your blog. Would they be happy?

Conclusion

I can't wait until my life falls into place the way I want it. With God on my side, I can do this. I am very optimistic about this.

Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.
–Napoleon Hill

♥

Reisha 

Twitter | Instagram