never stop cruising

home from the bahamas with brittany, chea, tyler and jon. couldn't have been more of what i wanted out of a cruise to gorgeous islands in 80-degree weather. had the trip planned for months and saved up for it for the same amount of time. it's rewarding to work hard toward something and have it all pay off. carnival fascination — i will be back.

share your itunes, share your soul

your itunes music library. it says a lot about you. how organized you are. what your personality actually consists of. everything — especially your 25 most played. hack onto peoples' music at work or in a coffee shop. it's fun to guess who's library is who's. have fun

hangovers are for winners

at what point does drinking heavily on a wednesday night with your best friends become unacceptable and frowned upon? is there an age? is it when you have a serious relationship? is it when you're a parent? is it when it starts to affect your job? what if none of that, like, ever happens?

infused with detroit

this week has been filled with detroit sports. monday the crew headed to the joe for an original six matchup: wings vs. rangers. on tuesday we watched the pistons battle the nba-best spurs, both games in great seats. stubhub offers $3 seats that are hard to pass up. i'm grateful for the opportunity to be in the hub of major detroit happenings. i really do love this city and all that's given me since birth. tough. gritty. struggling. but real. head up, press on. det-ermination.

broke yet independent, and loving it

this is my first year as an adult. ok, i graduated in may 2009, moved to oklahoma city as an intern. then i came back to michigan and worked as a full-time reporter yet lived in east lansing. no one is an adult in east lansing. i certainly didn't pretend like i was. then i moved to royal oak. year 2011 is the first full year where i can honestly call myself an adult. i am paying off two student loans. and a hefty credit card bill. and a car payment, not a lease. and an electric bill. and a heating bill. and a water bill. and cable/internet. and a cell phone. and health insurance. and car insurance. oh, and renter's insurance, too. and i have a tax consultant because my paychecks are untaxed. life is way too real.

but to be honest, i kinda like it. my parents don't pay for anything in my name at all. i'm completely removed from all attachments. sure, it'd be nice to have help but there's something about independence that reigns king over everything else. i don't need help. i have three jobs and always find a way to get by. someday, i'll have a savings. but for now? i'm good.