Priceless Friendships

A while back, I was browsing the site lifehack.org, and came across this article, “17 Priceless Things We’ve Forgotten to Thank Our Best Friends For.”  Of course, inspiration hit.  Not that I need an article to tell me how lucky I am to have such amazing friends supporting me, but it came to me at a time when I needed it.  (Let’s get sappy here) When I’d begun to feel alone and left out, I read this and just felt so much better, all in a matter of minutes.  Now, long after I originally found this article, I am sharing it with you, and why I am personally grateful for my friends.  The numbers below coordinate with the points listed in the Life Hack article.

Thank you best friends- you know who you are.  (and please don’t hate me for sharing this photos!)

(#1) Complete Honesty- The first person that came to mind when I read that was Chrystal.  No matter how much I hate hearing the truth in the moment, Chrystal is always the first person to be as blunt as necessary with me, even if it means saying something no one else is brave enough to do.  (making her the best person in the world to go shopping with!)  If you don’t have someone in your life like this, you need this type of friend.  And if you are this person, you are such a valuable assest to any group.  Embrace it!

(#3) Weirdness- This statement perfectly described my relationship with Megan.  From holding up signs to each other that say, “Got your CONK,” to making blanket forts to sleep in, our friendship literally has no boundaries.  We’ve known each other since we were in diapers and I can’t imagine my life without her.  We’ve gotten closer as we’ve gotten older, but even before texting and smartphones, whenever we would see each other (often years in between visits), it would be as if no time has passed. 

(#9) Good Times and Bad- Brittany absolutely has seen the good and bad.  Whenever something happens, even if it isn’t to me or involving me, she is the first person I want to tell.  Basically, I want to tell her my every random thought.  This is why Twitter can be a good thing, without it, or something like it, (or other friends) Brittany would never be able to use her phone as it would have a constant stream of my thoughts.  Because that wouldn’t be annoying right?  Thanks for being such a supportive friend, and for always knowing the right things to say at the right time!

What did you think of this article?  What friends did it remind you of?  Share your “friend moments” in the comments below!  I hope you all found this entertaining and fun to read!

To view the original article on lifehack.org, click here.

Until Next Time, Happy Reading!

Allison

Blog Updates

Hello Again Everyone!

It definitely feels good to be back and getting into the swing of writing and posting once again!  I already have several weeks’ worth of posts planned out, so get ready!! 

I just wanted to take a few minutes to update you guys on a few things that are going on right here on my blog currently.  As you can tell if you’ve been here previously, the design is very different from what it has been.  I’ve been working and researching blog design for quite some time now, and brainstorming new ideas.  I’ve only ever had one theme here- the very pink theme- and that was getting very old and to be frank, irritating to me.  And I wouldn’t be surprised if it was irritating some of you! (totally ok for you to admit!)  This design is ideally a “placeholder,” not a permanent design, but what we’ll be seeing for a while until the final product is ready to be released.  I was toying with the idea of having the blog half up and running while being worked on, but it failed miserably, and just was not worth it.  That whole thing was a roundabout way of saying: new design coming soon! Stay tuned!

The bar underneath the blog title (Constant Comments), you can find links for my YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr pages.  All you need to do is click on the site word that you’d like to visit and it’ll take you to my specific page. 

Let me know in the comments below what type of posts you would like to see in the upcoming weeks as well as in 2015.  I would love to get your input and produce content that is appealing to you!

Thanks for reading and for all of your support!

Until Next Time, Happy Reading!

Allison

I'm Back! Updates and More!

Hello Everyone!

  

That sounds so odd.  I can’t believe I haven’t posted on here since June.  But it’s true.  Things have been going completely up and down for me over the last few months, and I have not been myself.  I am now slowly but surely beginning to heal, but it has been an incredibly slow process.  Just as Finnick says in Mockingjay, “It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart.”  I can’t even begin to tell you how true this is. 

I honestly don’t even know what or where to start.  Over the past few months, I have been suffering from severe anxiety, which has caused depression.  There.  I said it.  While I am not necessarily “ashamed” or “embarrassed” that I am dealing with these issues, it can definitely be difficult to discuss with people who have never dealt with them personally.  And I am going to come out right now and say, that many people “coming out” lately in the YouTube and online community saying that they have similar issues really has given me the positive encouragement that I needed to keep pushing myself, and also, to open up here.  Really, they’re helped me start to become myself again.  So THANK YOU.

There have been some events that have played an impact on my overall well-being, but in most ways, small things have just built up over time to make feel the way I do today.  My physical health is not the greatest.  I have been getting persistent migraines for several years now (I essentially get them every day), and have tried multiple medications to control them, as well as recently tried Botox injections.  I have been having stomach issues that have caused me to lose weight because I have an extremely difficult time eating, and essentially never have an appetite anymore.   In the beginning of August, I also had bilateral knee surgery to fix meniscus tears that I had.

But one of the hardest things that has happened recently, and what I would definitely consider to be the worst night of my life, is the night my dog Charlie passed away.  Charlie was my first pet, so this is an entirely new feeling to me.  It has been two months now.  Charlie was an older dog and was sick, so while I “knew” he wasn’t going to live forever, the “way” everything played out was so traumatic it still haunts me.  Charlie was my baby, my guy.  Charlie was my Christmas present when I was a junior at JMU, and I got him specifically to help with my anxiety.  I still think I hear him sometimes during the day, still do “poop checks” behind the chair where he used to go in the house, still think he’s in his bed in my room in the middle of the night.  But while losing his has been unbelievably heartbreaking and impossible, it also has been somewhat of a wake-up call. 

I could go on and on about all of the bad things that have happened just over the past few months, but I’m not going to.  There has also been a lot of good.  Like the fact that my family finally sold our house and we have now moved.  And there is so much more.  But my brain has been clouded.

Despite all of the good and bad that has happened over the last few months, there has not been a day where I haven’t thought about blogging or making videos.  I am constantly thinking of new ideas and planning things out in my head.  And while sharing all of this with you has been incredibly difficult to do, I feel a weight being lifted off of my shoulders, and feel more like myself again.

I hope you all have been having stress-free lives these past months, and I look forward to posting more soon!  If you have any ideas or things you would like to see, leave them in the comments below!  There are lots of exciting things coming up in the next few weeks (including blog construction!), so I’ll have lots to share with you in blog posts and videos!

Until Next Time, Happy Reading!

Allison

Links I’m Loving

1.     32 Times Tumblr Was Too Clever For Its Own Good

This literally had me laughing out loud… at 4 in the morning.  Sincerest apologies go out to anyone that I may have woken up with my cackling.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/awesomer/oh-tumblr-you-so-clever

2.     What Every Summer is Like For People Who Hate It

This is me in a nutshell.  Bring on winter!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/katieheaney/what-every-summer-is-like-for-people-who-hate-it

3.     30 Harry Potter Facts That’ll Make You Want to Reread the Series Again

Is it a bad thing that I knew all of these facts?  Either way, I think you should know them too!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/erinchack/harry-potter-facts-thatll-make-you-want-to-reread-the-ser

4.     LifeHack

This website has so many great tips, tricks, and more that it’s pretty impossible not to find something to love here. 

http://www.lifehack.org/

5.     16 Personalities

Ever since taking a Psychology class in High School, I’ve always found these types of tests intriguing.  A few weeks back, my Dad brought up this particular personality test (Myers-Briggs), and everyone in my family took it.  Turns out, Dad and I are only different by one letter, and Mom and Stephen are only different by one letter!  Who knew?!  It was definitely ‘funny but true’ reading everyone’s personality descriptions as we found out most of the general pieces were true.  This particular site also provides insight into career suggestions, and even dating tips.  If you’re interested in this type of thing, definitely check this out!

http://www.16personalities.com/

Favorites to Follow

As someone who is pretty much constantly glued to some sort of screen, whether it be a computer, iPad, or phone, I’ve definitely developed quite specific tastes when it comes to people that I like to follow on social media.  I love using all kinds of social media, but for today’s purposes, I want to share with you my tastes on two platforms that have somewhat evolved recently- Twitter and Tumblr.  If you’re a user on either site, be sure to follow me! 

Twitter

1.     Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow): Not only does her personality translate into her tweets, but you really just can’t beat her classic joke Wednesday tweets. 

2.     Anna Kendrick (@AnnaKendrick47): Kendrick’s profile description is her personality in a nutshell, and her comedic personality just shines through with every statement she makes.  She’s blunt, hilarious, and essentially the best friend you wish you had.

Looking for other awesome Twitter accounts to follow?  Check out this link from LifeHack!  There are tons of amazing accounts listed here!

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/20-most-useful-twitter-accounts-follow.html

Tumblr

1.     “Diamond Paradise” http://diamondparadise.tumblr.com/

This blog is filled with gorgeous things- from food to makeup to fashion.

2.     “It’s a Funny Story” http://asimplemess.tumblr.com/

Another beautiful blog, filled with just anything and everything beautiful.

3.     “Mint Tea and Honey” http://mint-tea-and-honey.tumblr.com/

Once again, a blog filled with gorgeous photos.

4.     “Watson Love” http://watsonlove.tumblr.com/

The ultimate Emma Watson fan page. 

Don’t forget to follow my own personal Twitter and Tumblr profiles!  Check them out here:

Twitter: @allisoncomments

Tumblr: http://alagonigro91.tumblr.com/

Until Next Time, Happy Reading!

Allison

Where in the World is Allison?

For those of you that don’t know, during the summer between my second and third year of college, I studied abroad in London.  Going abroad in college was something that I knew I’d wanted to do since high school, and I was thrilled when I actually got the chance to make it happen.  But I’ll admit, going out of the country for the first time on my own, and not knowing a single person I was going with was definitely a terrifying thing.  Looking back, I realize that some of my most memorable moments involve just wandering around the busy streets by myself, just soaking in the glory of where I was.  And now, I can’t wait escape to another country on my own again. 

I’ve always had a mental list of where I want to go in the world.  A lot of this has been influenced by stories I’ve heard of others’ travels, history, or just pictures I’ve seen.  So, without further ado, let me introduce you to my list of places in the world that I dream of someday traveling to!

Italy: Rome, Venice, Capri, Florence, Naples, Milan

Greece: Athens

Russia: St. Petersburg, Moscow

Indonesia: Bali

Brazil: Rio de Janeiro

Where in the world do you want to visit?  Let me know in the comments below your travel destinations of choice and what places I should add to my list! 

Until Next Time, Happy Reading,

Allison