You're a stranger

I don't know you

You don't exist.

You're a fantasy

You're a fabrication of my inner desires and dreams

You're pure wishful thinking

You're nothing more than a figment of my imagination yet for some reasons, my subconscious forces me to continually refer to you as if you exist.

So tell me, are you just an illusion or am I the one who's losing touch with reality?

Dark chocolate covered espresso beans are so good! They're a perfect blend of two things I absolutely love: chocolate and coffee.The smoothness of the dark earthy chocolate combined with the crunch and smokey flavor of the coffee beans is irresistibly mouthwatering and delightfully addictive. Not only that, they're also a wonderful pick me up in the middle of the day when I have no access to coffee (or too lazy to drive to Starbucks). However, for some odd reasons, I would always get blisters on the inside of my cheeks whenever I eat those little scrumptious monsters.

What a disappointment! How could something tastes so good, be so bad (for me)?

People often say that just because something tastes good, doesn't mean it's not toxic. Just because something tastes good, doesn't mean it's good for you or that you should eat it. Similarly, just because you love someone, doesn't mean you should be with them. In life, it's tough giving up on something you love, but sometimes, you have to. No matter how long you've been together as a couple or how committed to one another you believe you are, if you're not a match for each other, then go. Go find your happiness. It's never too late for that. It's hard to accept, but you just have to cut your losses and move on. Move on to something else, not necessarily something bigger or better, but something that's more suited for you. Kind of like a piece of puzzle that fits. There's no point in trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, because no matter how hard you try, it won't fit. It just won't, and you'll have to accept that fact.

No more dark chocolate covered espresso beans for me!

Is timing important?

Have you ever asked yourself, “ If only the timing for me had been different?".  Have you ever wondered what might have been, had things fallen out otherwise with your previous relationships?

Timing is everything, and I am a firm believer of that. This is true for everything, not just relationships. Ask yourself this: How much of your life is due to things happened because you were in the right place at the right time? Have you ever driven past a car accident and wondered how lucky you were to have missed it by a few seconds? That’s timing.

As for relationships, you need good timing to be with someone.  It has to do with what’s going on in your life, where you are emotionally, how mature and ready you are, whether one of you is in a relationship, where you are in life in terms of your career, and whether you ever meet the person in the first place.

You need to be at the right place and right time to meet each other, to meet the friend who introduces you, to sit next to them at Barnes and Noble, to be next to them in line at Starbucks. You need to meet when one of you isn’t in a relationship or about to get married, or moving across the country or the other side of the world the next day.

So yes, timing is important. Timing matters. Timing is everything.

My birthday is rapidly approaching - two days away to be exact. Another year older and definitely not counting. I'm searching. Searching for a way to slow down time. I really am. 

A lot can happen in a year, both good and bad, and it’s always interesting to think, "Wow, I had no idea that was coming." This past year of my life has been eventful and even trying, filled with ups and downs. 

As I sit here mulling over my experiences and wondering what the future has in store, I've came to realize that failure, heartbreak, and betrayal don't mean finality. Losing something doesn't mean losing everything. Just like everybody else who lives on this planet, bad things happen to you. At one time or another you will break up, break down, give in, get sick, be sad. Life happens. Life is not perfect. But every mistake is a chance to learn, to grow, and to move on.

I am grateful for every experience I've gone through this past year.  It's true when people say things happen for a reason. Similarly, I believe that people come into your life for a reason as well. Whether you're still in my life or have moved on,   I'm thankful that you walked through those experiences with me, and for being a part of my journey.

I'm ready to leave a packed, wonderful, but tumultuous year behind. 

I look forward to the next year. Definitely not looking forward to getting older, but perhaps wiser and stronger. 

Here's to new opportunities, new adventures and new places!

In life, there are things that are within your control, and then there are those that aren't. You can't change the weather, but you can control your thoughts, your actions, your decision-making, your focus and your preparation. You can't control the rain, but you could prepare for it by bringing an umbrella. You do your very best to control the controllables, and at the end of day, if things still don't go your way, then the problem is no longer yours.

Most of us have made poor choices in our past. We've endured the misery of being in failed relationships that left us broken-hearted, jaded, and cynical. We have had our share of bad dates that led to nowhere. And through those poor choices and mistakes, we've learned and came to realize what works and what doesn't work for us; and we refuse to settle for less than what we are looking.

When people ask us about our standards and criteria, we rattle a long list of characteristics. Why? Because we believe that we know exactly what we want and need in a potential mate. I've experienced the heart-ache of a bad relationship, and I've had my share of disappointments. The more dates I went on, the longer my list got. Why? Because I am, too, believed that I knew exactly what I wanted and needed in a potential mate. Or so I thought.

Lately, I've started to question myself about the list. While spitting out that long list of all these characteristics, I wonder if I really knew what is important, and what's not important. I wonder what qualities within that list are needed and what qualities are the just the extra toppings. People say that sometime we don't know the differences between our wants and needs. Furthermore, sometime what we want isn't what we need, and vice versa. A girl may want to get swept off her feet by a man who's tall, dark and handsome, but what she really needs is just the right man for her and she has to choose to be with him for the right reasons. But how does she know which one is the right one for her?

We meet someone, we're attracted to him/her, and we feel connected. We then exchange experiences, and find out that we have mutual interests and common grounds. It feels as though we've found someone who can give us that warm and fuzzy feeling inside. Obviously, he/she has the characteristics and traits that we want and he/she makes us happy, but the question is, does she/he has what it takes to give us what we need for a lifetime of happiness?

What we want isn't necessarily good for us. And in going after the person we think we want, we ignore what we really need. So how do we know which one we want, and which one we need? How can we distinguish the two?