The Reality of College Friendships Post-Graduation

Flash back to August 2017. I had moved into my college dorm at Meredith College, which I am a proud alumnae of and LOVE to brag about on my Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!) and met A TON of people, all of which I considered to be my besties. Overwhelmed with excitement and giddy about how fast my social life had blossomed and tremendously grown in the blink of one night in my mattress pad-covered dorm bed, I couldn’t wait to make more and more besties the next day. These besties of mine that I had met at college, whether through Facebook (yes – I was THAT girl who introduced herself to and added EVERYONE on Facebook from my incoming Freshmen class Facebook group the months before moving in), socials arranged by on-campus organizations, orientation, or simply in the dining hall, I saw myself as becoming besties with my brand-new besties and remaining besties forever. Flash forward 5 years to summer 2022. I am oh so grateful for the relationships and friendships that I have established. BUT, my list of besties from college is nowhere near what I thought it would be one year out of college.

In college, we meet ALL kinds of people. I met people from small towns in North Carolina, big cities in North Carolina (such as Charlotte, Raleigh, and Winston Salem), other Southern states including Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia, and everywhere in between. My eyes were truly open to the vast diversity of people within the state of North Carolina and the South as a whole. A few weeks after I moved in my Freshmen year, I went on a trip with other Meredith College classmates of mine to Savannah, Georgia. My Sophomore year a group of us went to Washington, DC. My Junior year, a group of us went to Charleston, South Carolina. I also studied abroad in Sansepolcro in Tuscany, Italy and London, England and even San Ignacio in the rainforest region of Cayo, Belize. I was able to see the world around me and learn from it right with my Meredith College classmates. I met several people from several different backgrounds from all across the globe. Many of those folks became my besties and played a strong role in my college experience, too.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, my college social world felt as if it was over as I then knew it. Pre-COVID-19, I hosted multiple dinner parties each month. At one point in time, I even had over 30 people and a dog in my tiny tiny tiny apartment at once on a Wednesday night. I went out to lunch, breakfast, dinner, coffee, and all of the above ALL THE TIME. I participated in ALLL the Meredith College committees, events both on and off campus, and even local Raleigh events. I even spent HOURS each week in between my classes sitting at a table in the Student Union helping to sell shirts for both class and club fundraisers as well as events, alike. I saw everyone, socialized with everyone, got pictures with everyone, and dressed to the 9’s in my good olde Katie preppy style. Life felt good and then when COVID-19 hit, it wasn’t. I had LOTS of friends that I saw day in and day out, many of which I lost touch with and grew apart from during the pandemic.

To my surprise, the pandemic was the first of many waves of distancing from many of my so-called besties. During the COVID-19 pandemic, my apartment roommate moved back home, so it was just me in our apartment. I feared being alone, but once I faced that fear, I *surprise* actually LOVE and embrace being alone from time to time. When I faced my fear of being alone, I also started to truly work on loving myself. I treated myself with better care and kindness and continue to to this day. Working on myself so much made me realize that some of those friends of mine were not truly friends of mine for the long haul. Many of my college friends would call me only to ask for favors or check-in’s (for context: I regularly checked in on college friends during the pandemic that I rarely saw) would only come from me and not from them as well. On the flip side, I had several college friends who we would only use our memories for show aka for the social media post, but not much for the friendship. Looking back on some of my college friendships, I felt stressed around some of those I’d hang out with in ensuring I got the perfect picture to post, had the perfect outfit, and went to every social outing. There was NO foundation to our friendship and many of those friends I couldn’t even think of one reason why I was their friend than for social outings and social media. It made me realize that I deserved more in the friendships that I invested in moving forward.

They say the more you work on yourself, the more people you let go. That rings true to friendships of ALL kinds. When I broke up with my abusive ex and got out of that toxic relationship and ultimately chose myself, I lost many of our then-mutual friends and those in our community that supported and admired our relationship. Only a few people stuck around and made sure I was okay after the breakup. I had a lot of support from those in my community who truly cared for me and wanted simply the best for me. The rest left and the break up truly was one of the first experiences that made me realize who was truly in my corner at ALL times. Similarly speaking, when I moved to Washington, DC post-college graduation, many of my then-friends became a distant memory. Some friends checked in and others didn’t. To some friends, I left and wasn’t coming back to Raleigh, so I was a distant friend from a past world, and to others, I was still their friend that they checked in on and wanted to see when we were both in the same city. Some of these friends just moved on like I left and never looked back. I realized that I deserved and do deserve MORE. Others made the effort to check-in and reunite when we were together. Those are the friends that I still have in my corner. We have travelled together and some have even come to visit me. They are also the ones the I see whenever I come to Raleigh. Friendships are a two-way street. I realized that if I want to maintain a friendship with someone that I deserve a friendship where both parties make an effort to keep in touch for more than just a tag in a post on Instagram.

There were some college friendships that I felt heartbroken to loose and eventually grow apart from. I grieved. I was distraught. I fought hard to keep those friendships alive even when I knew that I was better off without them. These were the people that I never wanted to loose. They were the friends that I envisioned at my wedding, baby shower, and planning college reunion trips with decades down the line. I envisioned having these friends in my life for, well, life. Looking back at some of these friendships though, a lot of the friends that I am not in touch with to this day from college, I didn’t turn to them when I needed them most. Instead, I turned to the college friends that I still am super blessed to have in my life to this day. But, I instead, decided that the friendship was not worth saving. College friendships are HARD to maintain post-graduation. When everyone is dispersed in different cities, working jobs at different companies in different industries, and simply living lives very different from one another and not within an elevator’s or hall’s reach to one another, things change. More and more effort takes place when we live farther apart from each another. It’s life and it’s NORMAL.

Although some college friendships don’t last far out of the college years, others will and others will even grow more after college, too. I’ve learned over time to focus on those that DO care for me and the friends that I DO have. There’s so much joy that I have for the friends that I DO have to this day from college and beyond. We can look back and laugh on our college memories and grow together, even when we live far apart from one another. I have also grown connections with those from college that I wasn’t as close to during my college years, especially in recent times. It’s funny how the stars align that way sometimes. Sometimes we drift apart from those that we weren’t meant to have in our lives, but we grow closer to those who are meant to be in our lives long term. Those bonds are such a special thing, too. Even more special than those bonds once there but not anymore.

While my Freshmen year college self would LOVE to see a whole wedding guest list full of my besties from college of group chats in my text messages to this day, I truly have friendships that I can focus on more so and make it worth the time and investment, too. I have grown as a person and so have all of my besties from Freshmen year of college. Remember, that while you may fear and feel sadness towards loosing some college friendships, you also will gain so much more from the one’s that will remain and are to come.

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

One Year Ago, I Graduated from College

Looking back, my 16 year old self would be sad that I didn’t study and have a career in fashion and currently live in New York City. My 18 year old self would be devastated that I’m currently not in a committed relationship and *surprise* am single AND fabulous. While, my 10 year old self would be thrilled that I have a beautiful closet, a dog, and travel a ton with my best friends. On Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee), I have seen so many influencers share about how their younger selves would view themselves now. I love seeing everyone’s reflections on that, too. Looking back on my life and where I thought I would be at this stage in my life now versus where I actually am are two very different stories. When I graduated from college, it was hard. Despite how hard graduating from college is, I have also adapted and grown personally in ways like never before.

I graduated from college and moved up to Washington, DC within the same weekend, it was a whirlwind of emotions. I essentially went through two big life transitions in the span of less than 48 hours. I came home to my Washington, DC area apartment and was away from all of my friends and family. I had what felt like 1,000’s of boxes filled with my college apartment belongings to unpack and arrange in the way that my own heart desired. At the same time, I also had a lot of emotions to unpack when it came to processing with my post-graduation transition emotions. I felt this deep feeling of sadness when I first graduated. It lasted for a year. I never knew just why I had felt uber sad all the time, but I did. It wasn’t until about a year later that I realized what I was feeling was grief that had yet to be processed.

After college, things change a lot, especially within the first year. When I graduated in May 2021, things were still in that COVID-19 mindset more so than they are now. I didn’t travel much the first summer after and I had moved into a place without many friends and spent a lot of time on my own not really doing much. I missed my friends from Meredith College and talked to them about every single moment of every single day. I held onto as much as I could of my college life. It went away and I moved on, though. Some of my college friends I have grown apart from and others I have grown closer to – its like a juxtaposition. It’s also a gift in a way.

Last weekend, I went to Meredith College’s graduation on campus for the Class of 2022, as my best friend Hannah graduated. It was super bittersweet and heartwarming to be back on my sweet campus that I call Wonderland. I loved getting to see some of my former professors and my Academic Advisor. I also loved getting to see friends from both the Class of 2022, fellow Class of 2021 and 2020 alums and even a few friends from the Class of 2023 and 2024. Though it was a great time to be back on sweet Meredith College grounds, I also felt as if I was beyond the Meredith College life. I loved my time at Meredith College and miss my time there dearly, but it is not where I feel I am meant to be right now as I have moved beyond my college years.

At my best friend Hannah’s Graduation party this past weekend, a lot of my friends and I discussed the things we miss and don’t miss about college life. A lot of what we missed was having all of our friends living within close proximity to us. The more than weekly dinner parties, socials, outings, and everything in between. Not to mention, we all miss having a lot of big events which are known at Meredith College as “Traditions” that we would all get super dolled up for and have wayyyy too many photo sessions. Many of us also wished we could do all of our college experiences again for the many memories that we made. At the same time, we miss living closer to one another. When people asked me how I like Washington, DC, to be honest I love where I live and do not envision myself moving back to the South at any point in time. BUT, I also miss the social life and college world a bit too – the socials that were always never-ending, the people, the professors, and the community. Socials in the post graduation world are a lot more sparse and a lot of folks that I befriended during college do not live near me. I miss it all. Though, even a year after my college graduation, I still haven’t found my community here in Washington, DC. As for what I don’t miss about college, I do not miss the consistently growing pile of schoolwork, the social drama, and the Southern way of life. The South is very very different from the North – people get into committed relationships a lot faster and it’s still extremely traditional and has been for decades in terms of its cultures and values, unlike the North. It was super duper nice to know that my friends and community from Meredith College who are also recent college graduates feel the same exact way that I do. This past weekend was needed for me, it included lots of deep conversations that were nothing other than relatable and raw. It was beautiful and perfectly the way it was meant to be for us all – needed. I am not alone and none of us are either.

There are both good things and bad things about college life and the post-graduation life. Neither is perfect. But, what I do know is that I am where I am meant to be right now in my life. As I travelled back to Washington, DC from Raleigh, North Carolina this past weekend in my little white Volvo Sedan, I spent a ton of time reflecting on the good that is to come. College days may be a distant memory for me, but my life is now just beginning. There is much to come for me and for my fellow recent college graduates in this world, too. The first few years are HARD for all of us after college and even high school (depending on the path you choose to take after high school). Entering the real world is NOT easy, and I wanted to share a peek into the raw and real side of it all – not just the pretty little pictures seen all over everyone’s social media. However, there is always good to come. As my friend Aspen and I were talking at Hannah’s Graduation party this past weekend, we both emphasized how we WILL be better off just the way we are and in stages within our lives. Things work out in the end and they always do the way they are meant to. We just have to look to the bright future ahead!

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

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

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

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

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

The Life of Katie!

Cherry blossoms, Starbucks features, and hustling – OH MY! If you follow me on Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!), then you know that all has been a whirlwind for me recently. Life has been crazy in a good way recently AND I probably say this about every single The Life of Katie! blog post, yet here we go again – haha!! The life of Katie has been a crazy good recently, with Spring coming in the air yet going again and the process happening all over again, a peaceful week schedule-wise, and a reshare BY STARBUCKS of my content on their own page. Needless to say, it’s been going well over here at The Pink Chickadee. Updates, as always, are listed below.

  • A freezing weekend at the Tidal Basin – Over the weekend, my best friend Shivani and I headed out to the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC to see the cherry blossoms as apart of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. It was most definitely a zoo at the Tidal Basin, as the cherry blossoms were in peak bloom then, too. I remember vividly getting off at Metro and there being literal stampedes of people getting off – haha! The stampedes continued throughout the walk to the Tidal Basin as well. However, what neither Shivani nor I expected was there to be rain and sleet *yes, rain AND sleet in the end of March* while we were walking. Thankfully though, the rain and sleet was not as drastically impactful as to damper our day at the Tidal Basin nor keep us from seeing those drop dead gorgeous cherry blossoms. Indeed, the weather was all simply apart of our fun journey to the Tidal Basin!
  • A girl’s weekend staycation in Ballston, Arlington, Virginia with my best friend Shivani – My trek to the Tidal Basin with Shivani was all apart of a super duper fun staycation girl’s weekend with her at her apartment in Ballston, Arlington, Virginia. Before moving to the Washington, DC area, I had never heard of Ballston. BUT, once I did, I was in for a treat – Ballston is a super duper fun and lively suburb apart of Arlington, Virginia right outside of Washington, DC. Ballston, indeed, felt like a city outside of a city! Shivani and I enjoyed time simply catching up, as we went to the Tidal Basin, Clarendon (another suburb in Arlington), and explored Ballston a bit, too. We EVEN walked right by my best friend Bryn’s office for this summer!!
  • Making plans for this Spring & Summer! – Along with enjoying my plans for this early Spring season, I am also making plans for this upcoming Spring/Summer season. I have MANY plans already made, but there are also many more plans to be made this Spring/Summer too. I will be traveling quite a bit this Spring/Summer season and into the Fall as well, both near and far the Washington, DC area. Needless to say, I am VERY excited for it all!
  • Blast from the past early 2000’s movies on HBOMax – This week, I have been enjoying watching some essentially blast from the past early 2000’s movies (along with older episodes of Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix – what’s new there??!!) on HBOMax. So far, I have watched 27 Dresses and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Soon enough, I want to watch Bridgerton on Netflix as my good friends Holly of the Disney ears small business Glitter & Daisies (read her interview on the blog here and shop her GORGEOUS ears here!) and Lindsay of Sunshine & Stair Climbs (read her interview on the blog here!) are highly suggesting it to me. AND, I am excitedly awaiting Season 5 of Selling Sunset (April 22!!!) to appear on Netflix.
  • A content reshare by STARBUCKS!!!! – If you follow me on Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee), then you know that Starbucks reshared one of my photos on their social media pages! I was extremely excited to see that a well-known, international brand such as Starbucks wanted to reshare MY content (with my permission and crediting me, of course, Starbucks is SO sweet y’all!!). Funny enough, the photo that Starbucks reshared of mine was actually taken on a whim after getting Starbucks (my usual is a Mango Dragonfruit Refresher!) and discovered that a tree has blossomed beautifully while in Raleigh, North Carolina over President’s Day Weekend. So, in typical Katie fashion, I took a picture of my drink with the blooms: on a whim and without any plan in stow. The best lesson that I learned from Starbucks sharing my content is that all of us must be ourselves and keep doing us, everyone else is taken, so why be someone else?!

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

The #IfThenSheCan Exhibit that Empowers Women

If you follow me on Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!), then you know that I am a newly proud Woman in STEM. Being a Woman in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is all about empowering younger women to be the BEST versions of themselves – it’s about teaching younger girls to explore their passions within the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields, rather than shy away from them simply because of their gender. It’s ALL about going after a dream and goals that empower us to be a minority within a field that has a male majority, whether that mean being the only woman within a science/technology/engineering/mathematics class, or the only woman in a meeting of all men at work. That being said, women in STEM make up under 30% of the STEM workforce to this day. So, when I heard that the #IfThenSheCan exhibit was coming to Washington, DC’s Smithsonian, I KNEW I had to visit!

The #IfThenSheCan Exhibit (learn more about it here!) is here to change that by showcasing 3-D printed statues 120 real-life women in the STEM industry, honoring their accomplishments within the industry as they pave the way for other women and younger girls to do the same themselves someday, too. The #IfThenSheCan Exhibit was on display at Washington, DC’s Smithsonian from March 5-27, 2022. One of the interesting insights that the #IfThenSheCan Exhibit’s website brings up is that the majority of statues around the United States’ major cities are of men. Indeed, the majority of statues are of men around the world, too. Us women are just starting to make our way in this world in ways that are beyond the household, including within STEM fields, executive leadership, and politics.

I happened to visit the #IfThenSheCan Exhibit twice – once with my good friend Shivani who is also a fellow Women in STEM and a second time with my coworker Katherine whose another fellow Woman in STEM and Shivani. The first time around, Shivani and I arrived on a Sunday afternoon at the Smithsonian Gardens, where a good portion of the 120 statues were placed around the Smithsonian. Before Shivani arrived, I ended up talking to a fellow Woman in STEM who worked with all men about the empowerment of being a women in STEM. Both of us agreed that there needs to be more representation of women of color, women apart of the LGBTQ+ community, women of all abilities, and those who are gender non-binary. Once Shivani arrived, we went inside the Smithsonian Castle and into the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History, which had many of the statues placed around the museum’s exhibits. The coolest part of the statues within the Museum of Natural History was that the statues were coordinated to the women’s specialties throughout the exhibits! For example, a woman who works in oceanography would be placed somewhere within the oceanography exhibits. The same concept went for archaeologists and biologists. And, the second time around, Katherine, Shivani, and I all admired the Smithsonian Gardens’ #IfThenSheCan Exhibit statues before heading to the Cherry Blossoms along the Washington Monument. Cool stuff all around!!

As a woman, it is extremely empowering to be able to succeed in a STEM field. I have been able to meet several women who are also in STEM fields, simply through viewing the #IfThenSheCan Exhibit. It is beyond extraordinary to see and learn and grow and blossom into this magnificent network of fellow Women in STEM. Here’s to strong women: may we raise them, may we empower them, and may we be them. Nevertheless, may we be the women that encourage another woman to pursue a career in STEM, too. Cheers!

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadee2 Comments

The Life of Katie!

Happy Saturday! This past week was a whirlwind of stress, excitement, and everything in between. From making my first-ever “Big Girl” purchase to celebrating Papa’s birthday to the hustle at work (all great things!), it has been a great week, needless to say. If you follow me on Instagram, (follow me @_thepinkchickadee), then you probably know just a bit of the excitement and will continue to first. Now, let’s get into my current life’s goings!

  • Walks are GREAT for the soul! – Sunshine is ALWAYS good for the soul! Recently, I have been working from home a lot as my company has mainly been working remote since COVID-19 began shutting down offices. This past week, I made sure to take the time for ME and take a nice walk in the neighborhood. Last Monday, Papa and I went for a LOONGGG walk with our dog Rosie around the neighborhood and had a nice, enjoyable time too. I have to say, I felt really refreshed and knew that I needed to do it again, even if it’s for 5 minutes around the block. A simple change of scenery makes a HUGE difference.
  • I BOUGHT A CAR!!! – So, this past week, I test drove and fell in love with a little white car so much that I *had* to make the move to purchasing it. I named this beautiful now-little white car of mine Daisy. To me, I am super duper excited to have Daisy as my own, as I was driving a family car that I loved before. I had actually been searching for a car since around September of last year. The car market has been awful right now and since last year, due to supply chain issues and the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, it was also super nerve-wracking when it came to car shopping and making such a huge purchase for the first time ever on my own. However, when I drove Daisy, I knew that my car search had ended. Luckily, we were able to get a great deal on her (shoutout to my Papa for all of his generous help and time along with me – he’s the best y’all!!), given the current times, and I drove away with her just a few days after initially test driving her! Needless to say, I am SO excited about this brand-new purchase of mine and can’t wait for many more adventures to come. Also, be on the lookout for an upcoming blog post about my var shopping experience in 2022, too!
  • Going into the office – Yesterday, I *finally* got an email about picking up my keys for my desk space in my office. My company is slowly but surely going back into the office and discussing the possibilities of the company going back in, too. I am super duper excited about getting to go back into the office, I am actually starting to go back into the office myself here and there and will be more especially in the coming weeks, and even more excited at the possibilities of more and more folks going in over time. My fingers are crossed that my work life becomes more consistently hybrid over the next few months. Google, in fact, announced that all of their employees would be going into the office on a hybrid work format which I think is an exciting move for their employees after COVID-19, too.
  • Starting to Volunteer – Recently, I started volunteering with two different places – my church and a nonprofit focused on funding young girls interested in pursuing careers in STEM. Both places I am very passionate about serving others within their differing capacities and am excited to see what’s to come, too. This past Wednesday, I had volunteer meetings/events with both places and felt so so so revived and excited.
  • Papa’s Birthday!!! – Yesterday, we celebrated Papa’s Birthday!!! If you follow me on Instagram, (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!), then you probably see photos of my Papa all day every day. My Papa is one of my besties and I also live with him and our dog Rosie. Papa is my grandfather and has been a close, important person and figure in my life ever since I was born. Needless to say, I love him to death and love spoiling him. My family and I had a super sweet dinner for him at my Mom’s house nearby, complete with cake and ice cream. Papa and I got to enjoy driving around in my new car Daisy, so that he could enjoy a Birthday cocktail and have peace of mind when coming home from my Mom’s house for dinner. I ended up treating him to some crab legs (his favorite!) that we’ll make one of these upcoming days. Papa had a great Birthday and LOVED all of the sweet Birthday messages from many of y’all on Instagram and beyond, too!

Needless to say, I had a pretty good week last week and am excited to see what’s to come!

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

5 Reasons Why I Love Living in the Washington, DC Area

The big city, the several major monuments, the people, and ALLL the sites – oh my! The Washington, DC area is such an extraordinary place to live. I moved to the Washington, DC area back in May 2021 and have never looked back. Needless to say, I have fallen in love with my new city all over again and do every day! Personally, I am a firm believer in loving where YOU live, as I do myself living in the Washington, DC area. Today, I am going to be sharing 10 reasons why I love living in the Washington, DC area.

  1. The diversity – Washington, DC is a MELTING POT of cultures, cuisines, and people. There is something for everybody and everybody is welcome as they are for who they are and for where they come from, regardless of their race, religion, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, ability, sexuality, gender identity, and pretty much anything else you could ever imagine. Washington, DC is a multicultural center of our world and that’s what I love about it. With my city’s great prevalence of acceptance for ALL. One of the things that made me resent the South a bit was that there was less acceptance and excitement towards diverse backgrounds or backgrounds that are different from one’s own. I have always found such true beauty in diversity and the Washington, DC area’s multicultural melting pot truly embodies that beauty and acceptance that I so truly LOVE and embrace.
  2. The friendly people – Going off of my city’s diversity and great amounts of acceptance and true embrace for diversity, Washington, DC’s people I have found to be surprisingly friendly, given that it is a Northern city. Well, yes, we ARE located below the Mason Dixon line geographically, but we do function like any other Northern city. Washington, DC has A LOT of friendly folks. People are always willing to provide a helping hand and just simply hype one another up. I can’t tell y’all how many times I have complimented somebody on their outfit and they compliment me on my outfit in return – the hype squad here is REAL y’all and it is a beautiful thing.
  3. ALLL the food – The Washington, DC area pretty much has every cuisine you could ever ask for right at your fingertips. Want to try Chinese food that isn’t at a typical takeout place? We have that! Want to try Armenian coffee and pastries? We have that, too! Want to try Peruvian delights? We have that as well! Whatever the case may be, the Washington, DC area has it! I follow a few foodie accounts based in the Washington, DC area AND have found to love seeing ALL of the nations and cultures represented within my melting pot of a metropolitan area. It’s a truly beautiful thing, too.
  4. Public transportation – With all that the Washington, DC area has to offer, it also has an amazing public transportation system, known as the Metro. Metro consists of buses and a subway train system. Let me tell y’all, Metro feels like luxury when compared to the New York City subway – we in Washington, DC are spoiled when it comes to our public transportation! When I was in Raleigh, we only had a NC State Wolfline bus that went through only NC State’s campus nearby. It was tough to navigate and there wasn’t really much information available on Raleigh’s bus system – something I just WISH I was able to learn more about while in Raleigh, since I didn’t drive while in college. Whereas in Washington, DC, I feel so so spoiled with our public transportation system that is so widely used by practically the entire city’s population.
  5. ALLL the things to do – There is SO much to do just in the Washington, DC area! Whether it be the prominent monuments, parks, wineries in the nearby Virginia Wine Country (I have a Virginia Wine Pass for 2022!!!), adorable Virginia and Maryland towns, the plethora of Washington, DC neighborhoods (Georgetown, Capitol Hill, and Dupont Circle amongst the likes!), the restaurants and cafes, and the millions of museums, the Washington, DC area truly has something for everybody. There is SO much that I want to do here that I have yet to. My city is so amazing and it’s great to see how much it has right here and within a close proximity away from me. Y’all I can ALWAYS vacation right here in my own backyard and I love it so so so much for myself and my fellow Washingtonians, too.

I have felt oh so blessed to be living in the Washington, DC area since I moved here back in May. Having my family close by in this magnificent city and being able to live in one of the most historic cities in the world has been nothing but a blessing for me. Above all else, there is SO MUCH to love about where you live. These 5 reasons are some of the many reasons why I love living in the Washington, DC area. I hope you have some reasons as to why you love living where you live as well!

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

The Importance of Self Love During Valentine’s Day

Once upon a time, I was 5 years old watching Cinderella and all of a sudden she finds her Prince Charming and they live happily ever after. I, then, dream of the same day myself, knowing my Prince Charming will come someday. It is 2004. Life is good. Little did I know, it would be 2022 and I am a 22 year old woman in the verge of kickstarting her career. Yet, she I have already started my career and am looking to progress even more in it and within my company. At the same time, I am also praying to find true love someday, with whomever God has set aside for me for when the timing is perfectly right. When Valentine’s Day comes around, being that it is the season of love, couples are ALWAYS highlighted. However, it is important to emphasize the love within yourself, too.

While it is human nature to want to be curious about and look around us for who may be our perfect match, we can also work to be our imperfect selves and love ourselves, too. Our future partners will be imperfect just like ourselves. Why not love our imperfectness just like we love and will love our future and/or current partners?!

Recently, I’ve become OBSESSED with a YouTuber named Mickey – a therapist who reacts to content from Christian fundamentalists and even Dr. Phil and many others, too. If you didn’t know, I am also a major fan of learning about Christian fundamentalism, BUT don’t worry I am not being a Christian fundamentalist (I am a practicing Christian, though) over here as I simply find the subject fascinating yet insane. Mickey provides a real life look into the realities of self love and having a peace with one’s self, too. Everyone’s self love journey is different, BUT it is key to remember that it is a very very very important one. Having peace with one’s self allows each and every single one of us to love ourselves as we do others.

I find it REALLY important to be able to love ourselves and work on loving ourselves. I am personally always working on my self love journey and firmly believe that one’s self love journey is ever-evolving. There are some times where we feel at peace with ourselves and others where we don’t and that is OKAY. I always find it important to love others for who they are, even though we find it SO hard to love ourselves within that mix at times, especially when others may make us feel less than our true potential. BUT, through it all and all of the ups and downs in this so-called thing known as life, we always have ourselves.

It’s important to remember that we’re each perfectly flawed and perfectly imperfect. As we love each and every single one of our friends and family members, remember to love yourself this Valentine’s Day – imperfect and perfectly flawed.

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

6 Things I Learned from 6 Months in the Workforce 

So, I have now been in the workforce for 6 months! Since starting my job, it has been a whirlwind of excitement and growth and learning that I am excited to see where I grow since starting my job. I really love the company that I work for and hope to stay there and expand my career there, too. While I am in the data analytics subject area in my day to day job, I want to share lessons that I have learned that will help people in ANY subject area or industry in Entry-Level roles and/or simply starting out in the workforce within their day to day life – you can also follow me on Instagram (@_thepinkchickadee) to see my daily work outfits.

  1. Your coworkers will come from all walks of life and that’s an AMAZING thing – The workforce is MUCH different from college life. You are working with people of ALL ages and ALL different backgrounds. As someone who has always had a passion for learning about others and their lives and backgrounds, I find this to be such a great thing and a lifelong skill – learning from others’ experiences and growing from it all. The MORE we learn about others and their experiences that aren’t our own, the more we grow as people from what we learn. Trust me, it’s a beautiful thing and you’ll love that aspect of the workforce as time goes on!
  2. You will learn valuable skills that you will use in many different ways – Whether you realize it or not, your job will teach you valuable skills that you will apply in many different ways, whether it be in your career now, down the road, or other aspects of your life. For example, I have ALWAYS been afraid to ask for help, as I have continuously seen myself as someone who wants to do it all on her own. BUT, being in the workforce has made me realize that in life, it DOES take a tribe. Your coworkers will want to help you 9 times out of 10 and are happy to, even when the question may feel “stupid” or “dumb” to you. The same concept goes for planning a dinner party for 10 of your friends and family on your own where everyone brings a dish to share. No one should do it on their own. Whatever the skills may be for you, you will learn some valuable skills from your job, both in your industry and area of expertise and simply life skills. Be thankful for that, too.
  3. Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to someone new – Being in the workforce is not just about what you know but who you know. When starting a brand-new job and entering into the workforce, there are going to be a LOT of new faces. I have always made an effort to introduce myself to someone new within my company or industry, no matter how nervous I may feel about it. While it is daunting at first, 9 times out of 10, people are EXCITED to meet you too. People are typically touched to be able to meet someone new and know that you took the time to introduce yourself to them and that you want to know them too. It may be nerve-wracking and overwhelming at first, but it WILL be worth it in the long run. And, perhaps, you may make a new friend or two too!
  4. Take time outside of work to learn your role – As an entry-level employee, I find it REALLY valuable to take the time to LEARN your role and the ropes of my role and simply being in the workforce. Simply putting it, along with doing your job and getting the job done (because, yes, people aka your coworkers and boss ARE relying on you to get the job done), it’s also your job to LEARN while on the job. Taking the time to simply learn new things while on the job WILL take much effort on your part – it may mean taking some time outside of your job to learn it all too. Jobs are ALL about learning and growing while getting paid to do so, unlike college!
  5. Set some goals but be REALISTIC – Having goals professionally is SO important. But, it is also important to ensure that your goals are concise and realistic. That being said, if you have 10 professional goals, that may be exciting and enthralling, but it also may not be realistic to achieve them all within 6 months or even a year. And, perhaps, you may be able to combine 1-2 of your goals into one big goal. Goals are an excellent way to aim for something exciting and bigger within your professional role and life. Goals will help you to be able to discover your passions and work towards something that will lead to a stronger and healthier professional life for yourself in the long run. Not only will you be able to work professionally through setting goals, but also personally. Though, through it all, it’s important to remember that goals can and will change over time and that is OKAY. Life may take its toll and your perceptions of your initial goals may change. Be sure to be flexible and adapt through the goal getter process!
  6. Above all else, remember to make time for YOU! – While the hustle is the name of the game of the workforce, it is also just as important to take some time away from the hustle for yourself. Be sure to take breaks – maybe go for a walk, go to the gym, go to the grocery store, get coffee with friends, or even take a nap. Perhaps, you can EVEN focus on your own passions outside of work, whether that be a side hustle, your pet(s), cooking, outdoor activities, or something else. If we work too much, then we loose ourselves from within. We NEED to take time for ourselves and even take days off for ourselves, simply on a trip, staycation, or just to nap and watch TV. Above all else, it is OKAY to take breaks, even when work may feel overwhelming. Remember that.

The workforce may define our lives on a daily basis, BUT we must take time to personally succeed and grow, too. Above all else, being in the workforce will shape you into the person that you are meant to become. Trust the process of it all.

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment