That’s a question I have asked myself a lot, over the many different stages of my life. I still don’t really know the answer…and if I’m being totally honest, I’m not sure I ever will. Based on my experiences, the answer is quite elusive and ever-changing, as I stumble through life just trying to figure stuff out, learning from all of the experiences I’ve had, and working on my own continuous goal of self-growth and development. I really just try to be a better person every day than I was the day before. Sometimes I succeed, and sometimes I fail…miserably.
Do I have any outrageous stories from my life thus far? No.
Is there anything in particular about me that makes me memorable, or stand out from a crowd? Also no.
Am I qualified as an expert in any field whatsoever? Nope. Not even a little bit.
What I do have are an abundance of personal experiences under my belt that have taught me lessons about life, about the world around me, and – most of all – about myself. There have been times when I’ve felt like I was on top of the world, and other times when I’ve felt like things could not possibly get any worse (they really can’t…can they?!). All I have to offer is a litany of basic human experiences, and a skill in writing (so I’ve been told!) that will hopefully allow me to get my thoughts out, in a somewhat coherent manner.
That being said…allow me to introduce myself!
My name is Kristina. I am a 33-year-old single woman living in New York City. (I. LOVE. NYC.) I went to college, and even got a Masters degree in Mental Health Counseling and Music Therapy.* Despite my graduate degree, I am working as a nanny on the Upper West Side, because that’s what I love to do. Also it pays more – go figure!
I have a handful of really close friends, an extended network of friends from high school and college, and not very many acquaintances because the thought of talking to strangers and putting in work to form new relationships gives me intense self-diagnosed anxiety. I play the ukulele, I’ve been trying to unsuccessfully learn how to speak French for the past 3-5 years, and I’ve been trying unsuccessfully to learn how to cook for much, much longer. I enjoy reading but don’t do it nearly as much as I should, I know how to sail, prefer the warm seasons to the cold ones, and I do believe I missed my life calling to be a Broadway star. Also, I’ve always considered myself a “dog person” but I adopted a kitten during the COVID-19 quarantine and very, very quickly turned into a crazy cat lady (like – scary quick!). I am neither an early bird or a night owl.
Personally, I don’t think that there’s anything particularly interesting about myself, if I’m being completely honest…and as I mentioned, I don’t have any real areas of expertise, or niches about which I feel well-enough informed to relay advice to the world-at-large. HOWEVER! I am a human being just trying to make it through life, and through all that life throws my way. I know I’m not alone in that.
What I’m hoping you can take from this blog, at the very least, is the feeling that you are not alone in the struggles of everyday life. Sometimes reading about someone going through something similar to what I’m going through helps me feel so much better. Relationships are hard. Budgeting is hard. Self-growth is REALLY hard, sometimes…but maybe there are things that we are going through together. So if you can find a little pick-me-up from this page about some random thing or another, than it’s all worth it.
No one is alone having struggles in life, and no one is alone having a little bit of difficulty being human.
(*This site is NOT offering mental health counseling. It is important for me to note that.)