Turning 23!

If you were to tell me that on my 23rd Birthday I would be single and fabulous, I would’ve been shocked. In my later high school years, I would have expected to be married or in a committed relationship about to be engaged or even married by this age. When I toured Meredith College and ultimately decided to commit there for college, I knew that many of my future classmates and those before me got engaged and married soon after college. That Southern culture and way of life excited me then. But, what was about to be in store for me for when I graduated college the year after was much better than what I ever anticipated.

*Disclaimer: Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through one of my links, then I will receive a small commission. This commission is at no extra cost to you. Additionally, this post is not sponsored, and all opinions are my own.*

My Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!) is filled with ALLL of my Birthday celebration adventures!!! Whether it be getting Georgetown Cupcake and enjoying them on the Georgetown Waterfront, to devouring my favorite corn fritters at Coastal Flats, and even enjoying a nice brunch in my favorite historic town nearby home of Occoquan all with my besties Alanna, Hannah, and Shivani in tow, I had an amazing time celebrating my Birthday Weekend. Beyond my biggest dreams, I had an amazing 23rd Birthday celebration and festivities ALL throughout this past week. 23 is definitely going to be a great year with an even greater kick start to it!!

The other day, my coworker and good friend of mine and I were talking about the vast differences between those who are in their early 20’s in the Washington, DC area versus in the majority of the South. In the majority of the South, people are getting married and committed to their lifelong partners during their college years and the near years after. In North Carolina where I went to college, a ton of folks are getting engaged and married to their college, high school, and even middle school sweethearts. It’s wild. Many of my classmates are engaged, married, and potentially expecting and/or have a child. Indeed, just last week, there were 3 engagements, 2 weddings, 1 wedding anniversary, and a baby announcement and more on my Facebook feed. Meanwhile, in the Washington, DC area, many of my peers and coworkers are single or in relationships that are nowhere near the stage of lifelong commitment. It’s a vast vast vast difference looking at both cultures and both of them played a role in how I saw and eventually see myself in my early 20’s.

To say that it is easy to see several major milestones related to romance and family in my Facebook feed and not feel a bit sad at times is the truth would be me lying to you. But, at the same time, for me to say that it is easy to picture myself being in a committed relationship and getting engaged and married at this time in my life would also be me lying to you. It’s, indeed, a contradiction for sure. Though I may be sad that my future isn’t where I envisioned myself at the age of 23, I am at a place where I feel utter contentment for where I am at in life. I am at a place where I am financially independent, have a job that I LOVE, amazing friendships and family that have been nothing but a blessing to me, the dog of my post-college graduation dreams aka Rosie, a great blogging community over here at The Pink Chickadee, and a never-ending amount of clothing in my full closet (aka my happy place!!!). I can most definitely see myself as happy to be right where I am now as a fabulous single lady!

The other day, I was telling my friends Hannah, Alanna, and Shivani that I feel most excited in life about my career trajectory. In my professional life, even though it is my first year out of college, I have several career goals and aspirations. Some of these professional goals are even including a Master’s degree that I plan to work for in a few years. This is something I had never even expected coming out of college. I remember this time two years ago I was devastated about the idea of missing out on many college activities due to COVID-19. One of my then-friends told me that “you came to college to get a degree”. While the degree is the main main reason for college, the social aspects of the college life are also just as important. However, her statement about college and degrees rings true to the facts that so many doors and excitement opens up once you receive that degree. These career goals of mine to me are much more exciting than anything else, including romance which I can be a sucker for. I am SO excited to see where I’ll go and view the future as nothing but bright!

Now, to take on 23 single and fabulously!!!

XOXO – Katie <3

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My Car Shopping Experience + Tips!

These past few weeks have been a blast, especially since I purchased my first big girl purchase – my Volvo S60 T5 Momentum that I named Daisy! Daisy and I have been cruising around town ever since I purchased her, from a road trip to Charlottesville, Virginia to a bunch of drives of I-495 to my office about 45 minutes away from my house and *of course* to my nearby Metro station (Washington, DC’s subway transit system) to go into downtown Washington, DC. If you follow me on Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee), then you have probably seen a peak into my adventures since purchasing Daisy. What people don’t know about my pre-purchasing journey to getting Daisy is that it took me around 6 months to make a car purchase. So, today, I will be sharing ALL the details into my car shopping process, what I learned, and tips – especially in this tough tough tough-to-buy current car market.

*Disclaimer: Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through one of my links, then I will receive a small commission. This commission is at no extra cost to you. Additionally, this post is not sponsored, and all opinions are my own.*

So flashback to October 2021 and I went on my first-ever car shopping experience. My Papa and I went to a local Honda dealership to test drive some Honda’s. Initially, I wanted to go for an SUV and my two car models that I kept looking at were the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV-4. However, when Papa and I got to the dealership, I fell in love with a Sedan Honda model known as the Honda Insight. I loved loved loved the Honda Insight’s huge truck and its small, adorable look. Unfortunately, when we went to the Honda dealership, I wasn’t even able to test drive a car due to the lack of inventory and supply chain issues that still persist to this day (aka April 2022). I did, however, get to sit in that adorable 2022 Honda Insight! Even *yes, even* the car salesmen at the dealership were discouraged by the current supply chain issues. Papa and I left the dealership empty-handed and discouraged.

In October 2021, I was driving a family car which I shared with my step-siblings while they were away at college. I decided then to continue to drive my family car for the time being. I felt hopeless with the idea of purchasing a new car at that time and didn’t want to deal with that tough tough market. On the same token, car prices were skyrocketing. There was little room for negotiation and the prices seen on a car’s sticker at the dealership was the price that you would buy the car for. There was barely ANY room for negotiation or even wiggle room. You were indeed lucky if a couple hundred dollars or less was taken of the price of your new car. So, given these current car market failures and struggles, I felt fearful to even think about starting to buy a car. So, I decided to take a break from the car search.

Initially, for the time being, I decided to focus on a Honda and only a Honda to purchase. BUT, that all changed in March 2022 – a flash-forward y’all – when I started the car shopping process yet again. This time, my Mom and I went back to the same Honda dealership and got to test drive the Honda Accord (Honda Insight’s were REALLY hard to come by then even for a test drive). So, we can all assume that the car market’s supply chain issues persisted into March 2022 and still persist today. The test driving experience was super strange – we only drove a whopping 3 laps around the parking lot. That being said, we left the car dealership and went to another Honda dealership nearby. We test drove the Honda Civic and Honda Insight even on the highway and left empty-handed. I, then, went onto TruCar and started searching for Honda Accord’s since I enjoyed the Honda Accord even with the whopping 3 laps around the parking lot test drive of mine and got price quotes, BUT the prices were sky-high upwards of $40,000 for a new car. $40,000 was definitely out of reach for me when buying a brand-new car. The car prices for the Honda Civic and Honda Insight were ridiculously high, especially for the used models that I test drove yet didn’t fall in love with.

Later that week, my Mom and I started looking into used Volvo’s. For some context, my Mom purchased a used Volvo a few years back and LOVES hers. I also love that sweet white Volvo of hers, too. She has the Volvo S60 T5 Momentum 2017 or 2016. I looked online at cars that were used Volvo’s from 2019 or 2020. It was then that I found an adorable white Volvo S60 T5 Momentum 2019 at a nearby dealership that had been sitting at the lot for over 2 months. I ended up calling the dealership to test drive this car, not even thinking much except that I’ll test drive this car and see if I even like the idea of purchasing a Volvo. Well, when Papa and I showed up at the dealership to test drive this car, I fell head over heels with it. I found the test drive – which was on the highway and through windy roads – to be a great test drive and better than those of my Honda test drives. I sat on the idea of buying this car for a few days, but I knew that I would probably try to pursue purchasing it. A few days later, Papa test drove the car. Then, later that day, Papa and I went back and bought the car! That car is Daisy!!

Papa and I also had a great time at the dealership, too, the other dealerships we went to were trying to force a sale, unlike this dealership that wanted us to get a car that was a good fit for us and also get to know their clients beyond their perspective sale. We even got a few hundred dollars off of the sale price, which was nice, and purchased an extended warranty package aka my biggest concern with purchasing my new car. Since then, I have really enjoyed my brand-new white car. I have always wanted a white car and a week before purchasing my friends made fun of me for wanting a white car – HAHA!!

Car Shopping Tips

When car shopping and making that big, exciting purchase, make sure that you have ALL your ducks in a row when you do so. Trust me, there’s a lot of ducks that have to be put in a row when purchasing a brand-new (or used like myself) car. You want to make sure that you’re well-equipped both financially and safety-wise. These tips helped me when buying my car!

  • Get an auto insurance quote on the exact car model and/or VIN before purchasing it
  • Make sure you’re auto insured BEFORE you take your car off the lot
  • Choose an auto insurance company that you’re comfortable with using
  • Have a set budget in mind that you’re comfortable with (for both down payments and monthly payments)
  • If you don’t have much credit, consider having a cosigner on your car loan, to lower the interest rates
  • Shop around for auto loan interest rates to get the best rate for you
  • Make sure you test drive the exact model and year of the car you’re considering purchasing and DO NOT drive it for a whopping 3 laps around the parking lot before deciding that’s the one you’re going to buy
  • Be willing to negotiate on car purchases and perhaps bring someone who may be more experienced than yourself
  • Make sure your car has a decent warranty before purchasing it, even if that is an add-on purchase
  • Lastly, make sure that the car you purchase is the RIGHT CAR for YOU 🙂

In the meantime, I have linked the my outfit details below!

Happy car shopping/car shopping learning!!

XOXO – Katie <3

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Relationship Sunday’s: How My Relationship Blossomed with Myself

With Spring officially in full bloom in my hometown of the Washington, DC area, I wanted to take the time to talk about how my relationship blossomed with myself *pun here anyone?! I think yes!!*. If you follow me on Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!), then you know that I have been adventuring ALL around the gorgeous cherry blossoms and blooming flowers around the Washington, DC area. As someone who has fully adjusted to post-college life (for the most part!), I can work on myself in ways like never before, thus, blooming my own relationship with myself into a gorgeous flower.

This past March, I took my first-ever solo road trip Charlottesville, Virginia for a work conference and saw my Aunt Lisa, Uncle John, and cousins Mary, Joey, and Matthew while there (read more about that here!). In this past March 2022, I also purchased my first-ever car – a white Volvo S60 T5 Momentum that I named Daisy, which I have spent several days since purchasing her driving her around and enjoying it. My adventures in my Volvo Daisy have been of both solo adventures and adventures with others, too. I visited the Smithsonian’s temporary #IfThenSheCan exhibit (read more about that here) not once but TWICE and learned to be proud of my career in STEM and being a #WomenInSTEM. At the same time, I have been working A LOT and really starting to enjoy my projects at work and find passions within my own career. Through each of these endeavors, I have really truly blossomed with myself within it all.

My solo trip to Charlottesville was one of the monumental experiences for my relationship with myself. Essentially, I just turned on the 80’s station on SiriusXM and jammed out the entire way. During this time, I learned a lot about myself and simply got comfortable with myself, even in a brand-new place. My first stop on the trip was to the University of Virginia, where I had about an hour to myself before my work conference. I managed to find and pay for parking on my own (the University of Virginia campus is definitely a ZOO it felt like going there for the first time when it comes to parking – HAHA!) and ask others for help navigating the HUGE (well, compared to my tiny campus at Meredith College – LOL!) campus, so that I could see the gorgeous, well-known Rotunda. I was able to successfully take care of myself, my car, and enjoy myself all along the way.

This April and May, I have quite a few *yes, quite a few* plans that are solo. After my solo road trip to Charlottesville, I am super excited to be able to feel comfortable enough with myself to do even more solo excursions on my own moving forward. Even just a few months ago, I felt like I “needed” to go do something as long as I had someone else to go with. However, that is completely the opposite. If you want to go do something, then just go yourself and have a good time. Going somewhere by yourself AND simply enjoying it is a skill that I believe everyone needs to learn as well. I also feel like if I can enjoy myself while doing something on my own, then why bother going with someone else all the time?! Through my solo adventures, I most definitely feel that I was able watch my relationship bloom with myself – a beautiful thing!

Overall, through feeling more comfortable with myself and how I am, I feel like my relationship bloomed with myself in ways like never before.

XOXO – Katie <3

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Reflection: 2 Years Since COVID-19 Began

It’s been 2 years since I flew to Tennessee and landed to the news “the coronavirus has been declared a pandemic.” I was staying with a then-friend at her family’s home and we both felt fearful. We were hearing the other North Carolina schools – NC State, UNC Chapel Hill, and Duke alike – cancelling classes for the upcoming weeks. Then, a few days later, Meredith College followed suit. A few days later, my Dad and Step Mother drove to North Carolina to pick me up and we drove home to essentially quarantine. I, then, quarantined with my Mom and Step Father. We didn’t know for how long and neither did anyone else. No one knew what was going on or what was to happen. It was scary and it was uncertain.

The first few thoughts going through my head when COVID-19 first hit was what about the remainder of my college experience? What about my friends’ college experiences? What about my classmates’ college experiences? What about others’ college experiences? The same idea for anyone in school. None of us knew what was to come, except for the fact that we would probably be at home for quite a while, with our academic experiences missed due to COVID-19. Experiences that we would never get due to the pandemic. While frustrating and sad, it was the reality and right when COVID-19 hit and social distancing for days ensued, so did that fear of loss and then the loss. Needless to say, there was a lot of grief going on inside of me. It sucked. BUT, it sucked for everyone else too not just me.

Looking back on the COVID-19 pandemic, I spent so much time obsessing over the what-if’s. I think we all did. No one knew what was coming. I vividly remember feeling like I wanted to know when: when would this end? When would I be able to leave my house without any worry or feelings of backlash for taking a mask off for a picture? Just when? Well, we didn’t know and no one else did either. I really wish that I enjoyed the moment more with my family, despite the circumstances.

Flash forward to the coming months/years and I went back to my college apartment. I lived out my Senior year of college and got to graduate in-person on my college campus in the most bittersweet way possible. Although not the highly anticipated Senior year of college that I had had in mind, it was surprisingly not horrible either. I actually enjoyed my Senior year of college, even *yes, even* with COVID-19. I also became employed and moved back to the Washington, DC area – a dream of mine since I started college. I have a dog named Rosie and I live with my Papa. My blogging platform has grown in ways that I had never ever ever expected. Truly, my life is insane but in the best way possible!

2 years since March 2020, I see someone that has worked on herself like never before in ways that I can only thank due to ironically the COVID-19 pandemic (read more on that here!). I developed my blogging platform here at The Pink Chickadee. I networked with so many folks and continue to network with others, whether it be family, friends, fellow influencers, or professionally. While COVID-19 is a tragic pandemic and event, it did not crush me in the long run – rather, it made me stronger. Indeed, I *even* have a greater insight into what my goals moving forward will look like. All thanks to a turn of events which made us ALL stronger.

As life feels as if it’s opening up in a post-pandemic manner, I am only excited for what is to come. I want to put myself out there in ways like never before – both professionally and personally. I want to explore my own city aka the Washington, DC area and make new connections while maintaining the one’s that I already have. I want to count my blessings one piece of confetti at a time. And, I want to invest in ME.

Right before writing this, a smile popped onto my face as I saw that some of my Meredith College classmates who were Freshmen during the 2020-2021 school year (now Sophomores) got to experience a special event that I experienced my Sophomore year just recently. Those classmates of mine are true testimonies of putting a smile on your face even in times of adversity, as they started out their college experience in the midst of the pandemic. Now, I strive to do the same. If COVID-19 taught me anything, it is that there is good even in the bad. And, the little things are the things that matter the most.

XOXO – Katie <3

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The Importance of Mental Health when Moving

YAY! You have a new job and in a new city. Perhaps, your spouse may have a new job in a new city. OR you are going to achieve a degree in a new city. Whatever the case may be for you, you are moving. You are moving and you are excited. You may also be scared. You may also be sad. You may even be feeling all of the above feelings and emotions previously listed. Whatever the case may be, while chaotic, your mental health matters when moving.

When I was in college, I knew that I wanted to get out of the South. As someone who truly embraced and thrived off of diversity, I wanted to be in a city that was more diverse, embraced, and accepted the beauty of diversity. I have family in the Washington, DC area and friends, too. So, I knew that Washington, DC could just very well be the place for me. While I LOVED my time in North Carolina, I longed to live up North instead. Flash forward to March 2021, and I made the decision even without a job lined up then to move in with my Papa into his apartment-like space in the Washington, DC area. Just a few weeks later in then-April 2021, I got a job in the Washington, DC area. My ticket was essentially purchased and ready for me to roll on up to the Washington, DC area. I was *finally* moving back up North. Life is good.

Flash forward to May 15, 2021 and I graduated from my now alma mater, Meredith College. I now have to go through my entire apartment on my college campus and move out. It’s, then, May 16, 2021, and my apartment is empty. My entire contents of my belongings is in a U-Haul trailer and 3 different cars. Everything barely fit jam-packed into all of the vehicles and U-Haul trailer, but it works. We, then, make our way to the Washington, DC area. I am walking around my campus moments before. I am emotional. My friend Chandler stops by. We are both emotional. I, then, make my way up North and am barely looking back.

May 17, 2021 is a high day. I am high on pride and excitement that I recently graduated from college. I am filled with gratitude for the extraordinary friendships, family members, relationships made with fellow Meredith College staff and professors of mine, and excited for my upcoming job that I will start that July. My Papa and I go to Walmart and Giant – a local Washington, DC area and nearby states’ grocery store chain. I am enamored with ALL of the beautiful selections of items, when compared to the Food Lion and even Harris Teeter in Raleigh, North Carolina. I am more than excited and those high exciting and feelings of pride and gratitude remain in my heart all week.

Just a few weeks later, I start to miss the life that I used to have. The life where I was living right by my classmates and friends in my on-campus apartment. I didn’t have many friends nearby and since I hadn’t started my job yet, I didn’t have enough money to travel to go see others until I started working. I felt down and sad. At the same time, I was late to the game to learning how to drive and had yet to get my drivers license. I was pretty bummed. I couldn’t really explore my new town much, most of my friends were in North Carolina, and I pretty much had empty days filled with nothing to do. My mental health plummeted. Not to mention, I had TONS AND TONS of boxes to unpack and reorganize.

Moving is stressful to begin with. You’re going through several boxes that may or may not be organized based on its contents and location within your new place. You have lots of things to do and places to be and people to see. At the same time, you may miss your old home and are processing being away from your friends and former community. I dealt with all of it. I would hear my friends tell me about all of their exciting Summer and/or Fall plans – none of which I could attend due to my new home’s location being an hours’ drive away. It sucked. It was hard. My mental health plummeted. My life was filled with stress, sadness, anger, and uncertainty.

Once I started my job at the end of July, things got much better. My days were busy and I could utilize the skillset that I acquired from my Mathematics degree and minors in Data Science, Statistics, and Website Development. Soon after I started my job, I got my driver’s license and was able to go places on my own (needless to say, I shopped wayyyy too much at first haha!). I also got my first-ever paycheck, too. My hard work was paying off. But, still, I missed my old community at Meredith College and within the Raleigh, North Carolina area. It sucked. When you move you have to essentially build up your community yet again. Building up communities in new cities and homes can take multiple years. It felt and still feel elongated due to the lingering effects of COVID-19. It isn’t easy, but it’s reality.

Even almost a year after moving to the Washington, DC area, I still have yet to grow a community here. COVID-19 has made it much harder to build a network and community for everybody – NOT just me. When moving during COVID-19 it’s much harder. Mental health can take a toll on us all. Remember to take time for YOU, moving or not. And, most importantly, know that things WILL get better.

XOXO – Katie <3

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Why COVID-19 Helped Me On My Self Love Journey

None of us knew and realized how tragic the COVID-19 pandemic would be to us all. Though tough for us all, little did I know, the COVID-19 pandemic would actually help me on my self love journey. Self love is key to having peace with yourself and showing love, kindness, and grace to others too. Indeed, self love has become ONE of my favorite topics to share on my social media, especially my Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee). I will pre-phase that I firmly believe that one’s self love journey is a roller coaster – we all have our up’s and down’s and it’s not ever a linear journey, like one may think. BUT, surprisingly COVID-19 helped me grow on my self love journey in ways that I had never anticipated.

Before COVID-19, it was 2019. 2019 was the year that I was struggling the most with my self worth. I defined my own self based on what I wore, bought, activities I did, trips I took, and how frequent I did it all. My self definition of whether or not I saw myself as “worthy” of love didn’t depend on my flaws, rather it depended on how I presented myself to the world. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, like pretty much EVERY college student, I was forced to leave my beloved college campus to go home. Home for me is in Virginia – 5 hours away from my sweet Meredith College and the majority of my college community who lived in Raleigh and called it home. ALL of us were pretty much confined to our homes for a few months. I got depressed. I missed my old way of life – the life that so defined how I viewed myself.

There were quite a few weeks-months in 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic that I became really depressed. I missed my previous way of life more than anything else. Especially being in Virginia, when my friends got together slowly but surely in Raleigh in Summer 2020, I felt extremely sad not to be there. Needless to say, I felt crushed by all of the things that I was missing out on due to COVID-19, just like my fellow classmates and peers. However, as I was feeling crushed and felt like the things that defined me for the better were taken away from me, I was essentially forced to look at myself from a whole new lens. A new lens of which allowed me to look at myself for who I was, rather than who others saw.

Y’all, I used to care SO much about what others thought of me that it took away from me simply being me. Caring about what others thought of me hurt me SO much (read more about my experiences that hurt me when I cared about others here). When I was caring about what others saw me in their own eyes, I lost a ton of touch with how I viewed myself. Most importantly, how we view ourselves is the ONLY person whose opinion of ourselves matters. During the pandemic, as my plans started to dwindle, so did how much I cared about how others thought of me. And, thus, I started to look at myself for who I was and rather how I was seen.

At the same time of all of the COVID-19 ongoings, I started my platform here at The Pink Chickadee. My blog here helped me not only pass the time during the COVID-19 pandemic that kept me at home more than I would have liked to, just like many of y’all too. If you know anything about blogging, then you know that being a blogger or influencer or small business owner of any kind involves A LOT of putting yourself out there. The more I focused on my blogging platform, the more I put myself out there and the more I really focused on loving myself and what makes me ME.

As for my Fall 2020 semester, my apartment roommate decided not to come back to campus for the year. One of my then-friends that I was super close to decided not to come back to in-person classes as well. SO, my plans for the Fall 2020 semester were crushed it felt like. I would be living alone in an apartment in the middle of a pandemic that kept us all apart from our friends and the regular occurrences of college life. I was devastated. BUT, I ended up really loving living alone and truly had time to focus on solely me. My time during the Fall 2020 semester living alone did wonders for me. I got to work on myself in ways like never before.

While the COVID-19 pandemic was a struggle for us ALL and still directly impacts each and every single one of us 2 years later, it has also allowed me to become a better me. Through it all, COVID-19 has helped all of us in different ways, ways in which will make us who we are meant to be – stronger and more resilient – in the long run.

XOXO – Katie <3

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Relationship Sunday’s: A Letter to my Former Relationship-Obsessed Self

Dear Former Relationship-Obsessed Katie,

It is February 2022 and you are thriving and sometimes barely *just barely* surviving adulthood. You graduated from Meredith College with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Mathematics with minors in Statistics, Website Development, and Data Science. You are employed. You’ve traveled the world and are continuing to, whether near or far. You are sustaining yourself financially. You feel empowered. You have the blog of the dreams. You have a dog named Rosie. You also live with Papa and love it all. You have extraordinary friendships that you’ve maintained over the years, yet you’ve lost some friends along the way too. Through it all, you have become stronger. You love yourself and are proud of what you’ve accomplished. You may be surprised, but through all of this you are also happily single.

YES, you Katie, are happily single in 2022. You’re single AND loving it – something you thought you would never hear before in your life. While you’re reading this, you are probably shocked and that is OKAY. Time will tell, but you’ll be happy being YOU more than you will be dating someone else in February 2022. In fact, you even had the best Valentine’s Day 2022, spending it with your Papa and dog making crab legs and Barramundi (a fish that Papa and I both LOVED!) single and ALL. You’ll be able to travel, have your evenings to yourself, and simply the freedom of not having to worry about anyone else. When you’re worried about when and who you’ll end up with in the long run, just remember to enjoy your time as the extraordinary woman that you are, being you and enjoying the moments. You’re single but it doesn’t define you. If you’re content with who YOU are then that is all that you need in life.

You will enter into a relationship. The relationship that you thought you have dreamed of. You will date somebody that you think will be your lifelong one. However, in short notice, you will realize that this person is anything but for you. This relationship of yours will get too serious too fast for your liking. It will provide you with the allusion that you are supposed to be committed to this person for life – a person that is anything but committed to you in the way that you are to them. You will have a Valentine’s Day with them, which will SUCK and that’s okay. It will get better once you release that they are not ever your forever. But, remember, that you DO NOT ever have to commit to them. You will miss your single days while dating this person. You WILL become single again and you will learn to love your single days.

Flash forward to May 2021, and you will graduate from Meredith College. You will move to the Washington, DC area which will become your post graduation dream while in college. You will move in with Papa and continue to love every minute of your time with him. You will adopt your dog Rosie. You will love every minute of it all and continue to simply enjoy the moment. You will be repulsed, in fact, by the idea of a relationship. Singleness will be your contentment and you will thrive in it all. You’ll enjoy your memories as a single woman and continue to do so, especially as you want to look back on your single days happy and content when you find your one and only.

Although you are very content with your single days, remember that you will feel sad being single at times and that is OKAY. Through it all, remember to believe in love, even when you don’t think it’s near. You can and WILL find your one and only one day and it’ll be beautiful. But, remember to enjoy the single days and let them outweigh the days you may not enjoy, whatever the case may be (such as being sick or stressed with work or even just mentally struggling). Believe!

While you dealt and will continue to deal with a lot of heartbreak, remember that at the end of the day, you are not alone. You will always have yourself. Nobody is ever alone. You will become content with yourself and that is ALL that matters.

XOXO – Katie <3

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Why Caring About What Others Think of Me Hurt Me 

Once upon a time, I was in high school striving to perfect the *perfect* shot for the good olde Instagram. All I cared about at the time in my life was whether or not others would like my photo and sometimes even who would. I wanted others to like my photos and cared wayyyy too much about what others thought of me. Perhaps, it even consumed my life and EVEN into part of my time at college. At some point in our lives, all of us have cared about how we were perceived by others and probably do from time to time. I get it as it IS human nature. However, when caring about what others think of us gets to be too much, it can REALLY hurt us in the long run.

Before getting into the bulk of this blog post, I want to mention that it is important in certain ways to care about how you’re perceived, such as in the professional world, dressing according to dresscode for an occasion (even if it means going into the office), being a kind person, and having a strong work ethic as a student. Those are all VERY important and valid things to be sure you care about succeeding the part for, as you SHOULD! I do, too.

When I was in high school, my Mom asked me “why do you care [about what others think of you] so much?” Mom was indeed right, just why should we care? We shouldn’t. BUT, it is easier said than done. TRUST ME!

In high school, I was *super* self-conscious, which may come as a surprise to some of the folks that knew me in high school. Although I did put myself out there A TON via dressing in my own Katie fashion style as I do today and simply being kind to others no matter who they were, I was also bullied quite a bit for it. The bullying started in middle school where it got really bad and continued into high school but not as much. People are mean and their actions that were hurtful towards me left a sore taste in my mouth and, thus, paved the way for me to be super insecure about how others perceived me. There were even times that I did things just to make sure that I felt affirmed by my friends at the time. Little by little, I was hurting only myself by simply giving even a little attention to what others perceived of me at any given moment.

In college especially during the pre-COVID years, I was beginning to really feel the pressure to be liked by everybody. Meredith College is such a great college and I am so blessed for my experience there. BUT, Meredith College is an historically all-women’s institution, so there is a lot of drama there, too. News flash: girls get catty and Meredith College women are NO exception. There were several moments that were trying at times, many of which only hurt me in the long run. It wasn’t until I started my platform here at The Pink Chickadee that my care for what others thought of me went away. At first, it was there and trust me, 2020 Katie was SOOO self-conscious. However, her confidence grew over time and her care for what others thought of her simply dimmed away.

At the end of the day, caring about what others think of you is a waste of time. Take it from me: a young woman who spent WAYYYY too much of her time – wasted time – thinking about others’ thoughts of me which I CANNOT even control. Instead, foster that time into your passions, walking or petting your pet(s), cooking, or perhaps even a nap. Whatever it may be, you have so much more better things to do with your time. It’s easier said than done – definitely know this from experience. But, caring less about what others think of you will make you stronger in the long run, like it did for me. You GOT this <3

XOXO – Katie <3

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Relationship Sunday’s – Being Single and OKAY With It

Well, it was New Year’s Eve 2021, and I saw a meme that said “if you’re sad about not having a New Year’s kiss, then wait until Valentine’s Day – you’ll probably be single then, too.” Although a bit funny, when did it become a sad thing to be single? I hear it all the time and I am going to say it here and now: it is better to be alone than with others who make you feel alone. At the same time, being single does not make you alone or a loner. Rather, being single can be a fun time to enjoy your independence, work on growing your own self love and self empowerment, and simply doing things for YOU and no one else.

When talking about being single and some of the many things that I seriously LOVE about it, it is also important to mention that relationships don’t have to be the end all be all to our own personal independence, self growth, and doing things for yourself. In fact, when you’re indeed with the right person, you WILL feel empowered to work on yourself and be an independent person while cheering on your person in their similar journey, too.

Our world feels like it’s meant for couples – I mean, we literally have a holiday aka Valentine’s Day that is simply for couples. BUT, Valentine’s Day simply does not have to be solely for couple’s – I LOVE using Valentine’s Day as a moment for self love and care, irregardless of one’s relationship status. Indeed, there is so much to be grateful for as a single person. I’m grateful for my independence, growing on my self love journey, and doing things for me and only me. At the same time, I have an amazingly supportive group of family and friends that I am oh so thankful for every day. I have two dogs that I love to death. I have a job that I am learning to love and grow passionate for every day I report to work. And, not to mention, y’all here within my community via The Pink Chickadee. Through it all, I am extremely grateful for all that I have. Being single is literally in the smallest of scopes when it comes to all that the world has blessed me with. In the scheme of things, being single is a small thing and it’s something I’m blessed with at this moment, too.

Being single used to feel like the end of the world to me. I thought I was miserable and that being single meant that I was alone and, therefore, miserable. However, I have since learned that that is FAR from the case. When I got into a relationship with the wrong person destined for me, I realized how much I missed my single days. I was dating someone who was wanting to marry me after 2 days of dating, which *surprise* meant that I was in a relationship that got too serious wayyyy too fast. As the short-lived relationship progressed, I realized that I did not want a forever with my ex, like they did. I wanted my freedom, the ability to live wherever I wanted to (they insisted I stay in North Carolina and move to their hometown with them) post graduation, and independence. When I *finally* decided to break it off with my ex, I felt nothing but empowered. As a newly single woman, I felt READY SO SO SO READY to take on the world by storm!

For me, my relationship with my ex made me feel nothing but content about being single. I was excited to be able to enjoy my single years for what they are. And, at the end of the day, I want to look back on my single years with glee and happiness and nothing but contentment. Don’t you?!

XOXO – Katie <3

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5 Ways to Show Yourself Some Love this Valentine’s Day

The other day, I was talking with my friends about Valentine’s Day. Each of us are fellow proud single women who love ourselves for who we are and watch one another grow on a regular basis. To their surprise, I celebrate Valentine’s Day in full swing as a proud single woman and utilize this holiday solely for loving ME! Valentine’s Day has historically been a couple’s-only holiday and a day to exchange candy cards in elementary school with your fellow classmates. It has ALWAYS been a day that is used to love on others around us and most definitely significant others and it should continue to be that way, BUT it should also be a great opportunity to show ourselves some love, too. So, today, I have listed out 5 ways that ALL of us can show ourselves love this Valentine’s Day.

  1. Schedule an appointment to get some pampering done because YOU deserve it! – About a week ago, I scheduled a hair appointment the week of Valentine’s Day to get some much-desired highlights. While I rarely go out and get any type of pampering done, I feel so much better personally when I do. It is definitely an investment, so I don’t do it much, but I think that’s why it is such a treat when I take the time and set aside the money for some pampering for myself and myself only!
  2. Enjoy a nice workout – Whether it be a walk, trip to the gym, or a run, whatever it may be for you, getting some good olde exercise in is always beneficial for the soul. Confessions: I am most definitely ONE that is the worst at scheduling in the time for a workout. That’s why, I have an OrangeTheory membership, as I schedule accordingly and loose a class allotted in my monthly plan if I don’t show up once I do schedule it. Enough of me rambling – haha! Needless to say, I always always always feel amazing when I do make the time for a workout and after I workout.
  3. Invest in an item on your wishlist (money permitting) – Valentine’s Day is an excellent time to invest in an item on your wishlist that has remained on it for some time now. Last week, I *finally* ordered the Lilly Pulitzer Annaleese shift in Boatylicious, after refraining from buying it for months. It was low in stock at Saks Fifth Avenue, and I felt like I had hit the jackpot. Although an investment, I knew that I had been saving up a lot of my money and knew that it was time to treat myself some, too.
  4. Reorganize your living space – Yep, you heard me right! Reorganizing pockets of your living space is such an excellent way to truly show yourself some love. Just like a workout, I ALWAYS feel reignited when I take a few moments here and there to simply reorganize my own space, given the things that I already have at home and on hand. It is free AND actually relaxing and can easily be done for a few minutes each day, too!
  5. Cook/Bake a New Recipe in the Kitchen – If you know me, then you know that I LOVE spending some sweet time in my sweet sweet kitchen. On my Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!), I consistently share the recipes that I cook, which have most recently been via HelloFresh – a worthy investment that I got my good friends Hannah and Alanna hooked on, too! I always love to cook something for myself and even have pushed myself to on many occasions when I haven’t felt like it and TRUST me, having a great meal at the end of a cooking rainbow is like hitting the jackpot!

Above all else, remember to love yourself this Valentine’s Day season. Life gets CRAZY and there are many times that we forget to take time for ourselves – we have work, families, friends, and so much more in our hands. It’s ALL valid. Self love is some of the the best love, too!

XOXO – Katie <3

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