Right now

Wow. Life has changed so much! Its such a roller coaster now, but you know what? I'm getting stronger everyday, and learning to handle whatever life can throw at me.

Am I...

In a relationship? No

Happy? Yes

Strong? Yes

Loving life? Without a doubt

Kjerstin is not going anywhere. She is just growing up and learning to love the life that she is living.

"So keep your head high, keep your chin up,

and most importantly, keep smiling, 

because life's a beautiful thing 

and there's so much to smile about."

Love,
Kjerstin L.

Norms

There has been this fascinating thought that has been running through my mind for the last couple of days.

What are norms?  Why are they created?

I personally think that norms were created so that people can just break them.  I remember when I was younger, I listened to rap music. Rap music?!! Yes, I listened to rap, but I only did it because of the reaction of other people to it when I said it.  I didn't realize that I did this for years! In fact, I didn't realize it until recently.  Even now, I have to specifically think about why I like things. Do I like them because I like them or because it would throw people to find it out?

Now I know that the reason I like certain things is just because I do.  I challenge myself everyday to discover what I really enjoy. Now you go do the same.

"Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew.

They're what make the instrument stretch-what make you go beyond the norm."

Love,

Kjerstin L.

Secrets..

Have you ever had one of those secrets that eats you away? .. The kind that makes you want to talk to someone about, but you can't?  Or you won't?  And if you did, you would be breaking someone else's trust?
I don't know what to do.  I'm hurting, but I have no one that I can talk to about it.  I feel like I did something wrong, but so did they.  And I can't even talk about it.  I'm not allowed to!  What the fk?  This is so wrong...  The only person that I could technically talk to about this is the person!  ....  Why can't life be simple?  Why did we have to make it so complicated?

Love,
Kjerstin L.

Absence

You know that quote that so many people say: "Absence makes the heart grow fonder."
Well, it's true. I have multiple examples of this:

One would be my best friend who is over at basic training right now. If you know me, you know who I am talking about. He is an absolutely amazing friend to me, and we've been writing letters back and forth while he's been away. He won't be back 'til May-ish.. That first week of him being gone was the worst.. I was used to him being around all the time..almost to the point where I was frustrated by his presence lol(: Now, I just wish things could have played out differently.. I mean, I definitely do not regret anything, but I do sometimes lay awake at night wondering what could have been said, or changed..and what not.

The other would be a friend of mine that I've known for about 5(?) years now.. I remember our first class ever together.. Mr.Wagener.. Haha :D That crazy critter. I remember this friend of mine's glow and the fondness I felt for him right away. We dated once, and things did not turn out so well, and we haven't dated since. I think there will always be a sense of brotherhood with him, because of how close he is with my family now. He just clicks well with everyone here, which I think is awesome... But for a while, he completely stopped talking to me, and practically avoided me. I couldn't figure out what was up with him.. I asked him if he was mad at me or if he just didn't want to be friends.. We worked things out now, so let's pray that we can actually be good friends again :)

"You are not alone tonight
Imagine me there by your side
It's so hard to be here so far away from you"

Love,
Kjerstin L.

Fear

Fear sucks.. Fear of dying young, getting sick, being single forever...
But fear does not have to control your life.
What you can do is face it,
Which is what I have decided to do.

I have many fears.. Some of them were stated earlier, but there are other ones that I won't specifically put on here. Anyone can ask me about it, and I'll tell them, but I would prefer for it to not be out there, in the cloud, forever.

The fear that I am going to overcome will take a while for me to prepare myself for,
But I am willing to take a chance if the other person is.
I am willing to face my fears.

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence,
By every experience in which,
You really stop to look fear in the face.
You must do the thing which you think you cannot do. "

Love,
Kjerstin L.

Bad Breath

My aunt asked me:

How do you get rid of coffee breath if you have no gum, mint or toothpaste?

Now, rather than just answer that question, I'm going to answer the best ways to get rid of bad breath, in general, because these tricks also could possibly work for coffee breath.

I'm going to tell you eight ways that you can get rid of bad breath:

1. Keep your mouth moist
   *Drink water
2. Ask for a dish that either has or comes with ginger, basil, mint leaves, or parsley.
   *Chew on any of these for instant refreshment
3. Eat an apple
   *Freshen and remove any pieces of stuck food in your teeth
4. Use salt, if you can take it without raising suspicious glances
   *Gargle it
   *More effective if combined with baking soda
5. Have a glass of whiskey! (21+)
   *Kill the germs on teeth causing smells
   *Don't overdo it; breath worsens the more alcohol consumed
6. Sneak a spoon into the bathroom:
   1.Stick out your tongue and check for a pasty white goo on it
   2.Turn the spoon upside down and use it to scrape your tongue, using a back to front motion
      *Try to relax or you will gag
   3. Rinse your mouth and the spoon and sneak it back to the table
       *Make sure you rinse the gunk off!
7. If you can't sneak a spoon:
   1. Go to the restroom
   2. Wash your hands
   3. Use your fingernails to scrape your tongue
   4. Wash hands again
8. Rinse your mouth with water, and use dry paper towel or the inside of your shirt to rub each of your teeth. Then rinse your mouth again.
   *Be sure that the towel and/or your shirt are clean, otherwise it might make your breath worse

Hope this helps!

"..Most dear actors, eat no onions nor garlic,
For we are to utter sweet breath."

Love,
Kjerstin L.

Men, Women, and...Farting

This is a post that a dear friend of mine--*cough* my mom *cough*--asked me to talk about:

Why is it socially acceptable for men to fart, but not women?

This is a very interesting topic, because it is true.. I know plenty of women who are completely and utterly embarrassed when they have to pass gas, so why is this?
To be honest, there is not very much research on this question, but I will share why I believe this is so.
For guys when they are around other guys, the reason farting is okay for them is because they think it's hilarious. Plain and simple. For the most part, gentlemen will not fart in front of women because that is impolite.
For women, farting is considered a taboo, because farting-burping also-fall under a category that could be considered disgusting. Men like to think that we do not have the disgusting taboos that they have.As women, we are viewed as polite, delicate, and not disgusting. With this type of logic, men like to think that we are the opposite of them; men are rugged, disgusting, and dirty, while women are delicate, respectable, and clean.
Therefore, you can see that there are reasons behind why it is socially acceptable for men to fart, while women cannot.

Feel free to comment what ya think about this ;)

"Give, and it shall be given to you.
For whatever measure you deal out to others,
It will be dealt to you in return."

Love,
Kjerstin L.