who is this golden brown girl?

An LA native, who has been all around the world, on a quest for more self-discovery. Living life golden. Most of my posts center around new experiences, visiting unfamiliar places and sharing my serendipitous epiphanies. 

Growing up in LA, I was exposed to every kind of people. I dwelled in an apartment complex bustling with neighbors from all races, cultures and lifestyles. In all honesty, my entire neighborhood was a melting pot.  My neighbors were Koreans, Russians, Blacks, Latinos, Hungarians, Filipinos, Gays, Lesbians, Monks and Animal Lovers…  and they all loved on this little golden brown girl from apartment #2. They taught me about their traditions, gave me gifts on Christmas, showed me how to care for house pets, fed me authentic foods from their native lands and reflected true pride in heritage and self expression. This village raised me to respect and appreciate the differences in all people and I am forever grateful for that precious gift.

I was a tomboy. I was clumsy. I wore glasses. I rode my bike. I roller-skated. I wrote - sometimes begrudgingly - as my mom used to FORCE writing on me… (I’m lying but also serious). I used to write in my journal damn near every day/night.  Not sparing a single detail! It was almost like the sibling I could tell all my secrets to. My mom wanted me to be a writer so badly. She wanted me to write a book. She wanted me to be Oprah. IDK what she was on... but since I was a semi-only child (the only child in my mom’s house) I had to get out all of my inner thoughts to someone and that pen and paper never failed the kid. I started getting paranoid that my mom was reading my journal so I created a language to write in so she couldn’t understand (hehe). It back fired as time went on because I began to forget what I’d created lol…and I wrote about some juicy stuff back them for a 15 year old. LOL… probably not in real life.. but to me, it was front page news! It was music, fashion, food, love, entertainment and all my friends from school. read: tea!

Anyway, when I went off to college, I began majoring in newspaper journalism (what was I thinking)… then to magazine (a step up, but still not really my jam). I didn’t like to write in-depth news stories. I only wanted to write about my adventures or my personal passions. I finally settled on public relations. I just knew that was where I was going to shine... and I did while in school. But the reality of being a publicist when I graduated didn’t manifest itself the way I’d hoped it would (like working for a cool celeb or music label). 

I also realized while in school that event planning and music were two things that I LOVED the most. If I could wrap myself up in those two things, I was pretty freaking happy. So what do I do with that? (I’m fast forwarding you through a lot of tears and fears and lessons over the years to get to today -- moving across the country at 17 with no money and no phone, joining the military, living in 5 major cities, being jobless, working for $12 an hour post college -- bare with me.)

Now at 33 (where the heck does the time go?) I’m like it’s time to manifest some sh*t foreal this time around that doesn’t require anyone but myself pulling the strings… which is hard because I can be HELLA lazy. Like dumb lazy. Like "how are you SO lazy?", lazy. But in this ever changing world you gotta find your purpose… and honestly, I am a true mulitpotentialite. I have a slew of interests and focusing on one thing is wack to someone like me. Navigating what that looks like is my quest now.

I love food (I’m opening a restaurant lounge one sweet day). I love music (I wanna be a DJ or a curator rather - my problem is that the technical part of DJing is not fun for me. I don’t have the best coordination LOL). I am searching for the best combo of products for my fine, thin, hair (what is porosity? how do I get to the PERFECT wash and go without frizz?). When I care, I keep up with pop culture (meh). I watch the morning news and listen to NPR in my car (when did that start happening??). I have opinions. I love trying new products (I was "rouge" status at Sephora for 2 years)… so now I just want to write about that stuff and see what I can share and learn.

So where does this Golden part come into play? 

Well, along the way, my insecurities and my desire for perfection got in the way of my purpose. That little girl from LA wasn’t living her life like the precious jewel that it is. I wasn’t exploring. I wasn’t taking risks. I wasn’t happy. I was lost. I was heartbroken. I was caught up on the wrong things. But thank God for growth! Because now I am living my life like it’s golden! Because it is and it always has been! I want to live out loud and share my serendipitous epiphanies with girls like me. Girls who know that real women aren’t perfect and perfect women aren’t real. I am perfectly imperfect. I am simply complex. I am awkward. I'm a multipotentialite. I don’t know everything but I’m down to learn something new today. Are you?

I hope my blog inspires you to explore, redefine your happiness, color outside the lines and shine!

attract what you expect

reflect what you desire

become what you respect

mirror what you admire

unapologetic. unconventional. undefined.

LIVE GOLDEN!