October 16th, 2019 – a day I will never forget. The image above is my younger brother and I leaving the courthouse after I closed the most traumatizing chapter of my life. Chills went up my spine when I saw that photo. I instantaneously felt as light as a feather. The monster who assaulted me now resides in prison indefinitely because I put him there. I feel empowered that my voice was heard and acknowledged. I have fought long and hard these past three years and I want to continue to be vulnerable and transparent. If I prevented one
Whirlwind: this is the word I would use to describe the past 759 days of my life. I had to put my hard hat on, dig deep, and rebuild a foundation from the ground up. I have managed to render the heartache and hold on to the strength I have courageously embodied. I am going to continue blossoming because I am on a journey that does not necessarily have an end point – and I have finally accepted that. I consider myself comparable to an orchid – I have longevity, I grow at my own pace, and with the perfect
Relationships: my favorite topic to write about. I have held the title of Most Single Girl in America several times now. Your girl is not ashamed; I’ll wear it like The Scarlet Letter. When I’m a single lady, I don’t mope around – cry me a river and make pour (be kind, re-wine) decisions. I embrace the fact that I am an intelligent lady unwilling to sit around wasting my precious little time. You can waste your money, you can waste your food (I’m Palestinian – we don’t get down like that), but no, hun, you can’t waste my time.
My hands are trembling as I write these words. Vulnerability is a terrifying feeling I rarely dance around. Yet, here I am – facing my fears and letting my guard down. I often write with a dash of humor in hopes to drive my intended point home. For those of you who read my blog in search of a laugh or two, I sincerely apologize, because the content that follows is not a joke. This is the most raw and transparent version of me. This is my life. I am opening my arms and sharing the most traumatic experience I
I know it’s been a minute, but I’m currently trading in my Daytona (for a more lady-like dial), so your girl lost track of time. I didn’t want you to have to endure separation anxiety for much longer, so I decided to give you all a present (my presence). I allowed myself enough PTO to diligently observe my surroundings, comb my hair and rack up a base tan that will keep me J-gLOwing throughout the winter. As Halloween approaches, I have come to the realization that the only thing there is to be fearful of is the world around us. To no surprise, twenty-seven has been a year of chaos. Every
The bags under my eyes remind me of a lunch lady’s upper arm – droopy. To say the least, your girl is getting older. When April rolls around, it’s an instant reality check that not only am I aging faster than the acceleration of my vehicle, but my chances of being on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list are slowly dwindling. Twenty-seven, here I come! As the day of my birth approaches, I look back on the things I have accomplished. I set goals for my future and continue to work towards becoming the best version of myself. Personally, I think the
I did everything in my power to get my act together yesterday afternoon. After a weekend of overindulging, I decided I needed to put on some spandex and hit the gym like Babe Ruth. Then (somehow), per usual, I convinced myself a 45-minute gym session was unnecessary. My hair was smelling fresher than Mr. Clean and I had been running my mouth all day, so I didn’t want to overdo it on the cardio. The whole self-deliberation process consumed less than five minutes of my very precious time, but my mind went from “YOU GO GIRL” to “see that bottle of
Love is a four letter word with an immense level of power. I have fallen in love twice. I fell for my first love when I was young and childish. As time progressed, calling it quits was necessary. The second time I fell head over Louboutin was with none other than Yours Truly. Call me crazy; you wouldn’t be the first to do so. We can easily fall in love with other people, designer duds, tropical destinations, catchy songs, intriguing movies and furry animals, but how many people truly love themselves? Throughout my 26 years of gracing this earth with my presence, I
Remember the days when your crush would call your creepy house phone with the ramen noodle cord (conveniently located in the kitchen), plan a date, pick you up, take you to tiramisu for two, walk you to the door and lean in for an appropriate goodnight kiss? No? Me either. In my opinion, it’s extremely rare for people of our generation to establish genuine romantic relationships that did not stem from some type of involvement in social media. It’s a definite possibility that your babyboy slid in your DM’s like a Slip ‘N Slide. Maybe the woman of your dreams swiped you
What do you get when you mix eight personalities, Don Julio Blanco, Mexican cuisine and multiple visits to El Squid Roe? The best vacation ever. Our weekend getaway was in honor of the birthday girl, Ms. Dorothy Wang. What better way to celebrate than in sunny Cabo San Lucas? In Cabo, you can let your hair down (or braids #DWang), live a little and hop back on a two-hour flight home. The Cape Hotel I have visited Cabo numerous times and stayed at several different hotels. It’s difficult to find a hotel with a balance between the 9PM-bed-time-guests who wear cashmere
