Allow Me to (Re)Introduce Myself

                                                       Hey Everyone I'm Back!!!

Wasn't I such a cutie!!

My life was turned upside down last week with school, work, job, and insurance.  Basically anything that could go wrong either did or almost did.  In the end your girl pulled through and made it through the storm.  To make up for being an absentee blogger, I have decided to join one of my favorite followers @GlitteryGlossy in her 30-day blogging challenge.  Each day we have to tell a little bit about ourselves, and at the end of the 30-days I hope to gain a better understanding of myself and I hope you will understand a little bit more about me.  So let's get started, shall we!

Today's challenge is simple: Introduce Yourself

My name is theINTELLECT, and I am a 22 year-old grad student living and working  in North Carolina.  I started this blog because I had a lot going on in my mind and I wanted a space to put my thoughts.  I am a outspoken, driven Aries who is either throwing caution to the wind or is critically over thinking everything.  I am picky, clinging (at times), a loner (at times),  stubborn and so much more that I haven't discovered yet or I don't want to disclose just yet.

So who are you?  Will you be joining me and @GlitteryGlossy on our 30-day journey?  Drop me an intro in the comment section, and check back each day for a new post.

xoxo

theINTELLECT

Rock and a Hard Place

Sorry for not writing in a while, but life has taking a turn and I have so much going on.  I usually hate when blogs I follow go MIA, but now I truly understand that stuff really does come up and writing about it seems like an after thought.  So to all 3.5 of the people reading this post, I wanna say sorry but I will explain all things soon and I still haven't forgotten that I owe you all an explanation of my NYC trip. 

But for now keep me in your thoughts and I will do the same!

xoxo

theINTELLECT

My Vacation, My Conclusions

I just had to add that in there lol. Hey @12kyle and @kayoticblues

I'm Back!!!! And Thank God For It!!

So I have been "vacationing" in New York City for the past four days, and while I enjoyed spending time with my best friend, I have come to many conclusions about the Big Apple.  

The first conclusion that I came to: Don't ever take directions from a New Yorker!

When someone says your destination is a few blocks up, that in "city" talk means 15 blocks!!

Second Conclusion: There are only 3 ways to take New York.

Either you love the city and never want leave, hate New York with a passion and can't wait to get the hell out, or you're like me and you can handle the city only in doses.

This is my third trip to New York, but my first trip while the weather was warm.  The weather was beautiful, but living like New Yorkers in the summertime and dealing with the smells have New York in the summer have definitely made me a permanent member of the 3rd way to take New York.

Third Conclusion: New York is all hype.

This will be expanded on in a later post.

Fourth Conclusion: New York is the home, epicenter, and mecca for all Pegroes* (Pretentious Negros).

This will also be expanded on in a later post, possibly tomorrow's.

All in all in the trip was decent. The company was perfect as usual (shout to Kimmy), but I must admit that I am very happy to be back in the south and back in my own space with A/C, Internet, and cable #spoiledbrat.

xoxo 

theINTELLECT

* Pegroe is a termed coined by  Areefuh from the "irregular" (her words not mind) Areefuh Explains It All blog.  If you want check it out and learn the true definition of Pegroes.

Books I'm Reading

Since this blog also serves as my one-woman book club, I figured it was time to reveal all the books I am reading.  I am an avid reader.  I majored in English simply because I knew it meant I could read all the time.  I love books, I love finding used bookstores that I can go and explore and find some really cool stuff.  Lately, I have noticed my reading tends to stay in eras.  There was a point in time when I was obsessed with reading the great classics of Austin, Faulkner, Hawthorne, Dickens.  Then I moved on to fantasy epics from Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and even (hate to admit it) the Twilight series.  Now I am discovering the works of black novelist, theorist, and the wonder of black autobiographies.

I've always been a fan of Toni Morrison, and I have pledge to find every novel she has written and to read them in order.  So far I have all the books except for Jazz and Paradise, and I hope to begin reading The Bluest Eye soon.  To me, Alice Walker's The Color Purple is a masterpiece that everyone should read before they leave this Earth.  But the book that really inspired me to explore more about African American authors was Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God.  The imagery, the tragedy, and ultimate transcendence of Hurston's heroine Janie had a lasting effect on me.  Therefore, since first reading this book in high school I have developed a fascination with all things involving the Harlem Renaissance.

While this fascination has been growing for a long time, I have recently acquired a small library of notable works from this era and am excited to begin reading these classics.  First up I will be reading James Baldwin's Go Tell It on the Mountain.  I have always wanted to read something from Baldwin, and I figured I should start with his first and most famous work.  Also, to stay relevant with what's going on in modern literature, I am also reading Bernice McFadden's Glorious; which is a novel set during this time period. 

So I will give periodic updates on how I am coming along with these books, and since I am always picking up new or used books, I will probably post about some other books I have had my eye on as well. 

Is there anything you are currently reading that you would like to tell me about?  Have you read any of the books I have listed? Do you even like to read? What's your favorite book? These are the things I want to know!!!

xoxo,

theINTELLECT

I Have A Case of the Mondays

I don't like cats, but Garfield looks like how I feel

This weekend, as with many weekends, was a real bust.  After graduating college my friends and I made plans for vacatons, quick getaways, and nights filled with things I really can't mention on this site.  But instead, we were met with the reality of the "real world."  My former roommate had a baby (aka the cutest thing since me circa 1988), my best friend suffered the biggest tragedy in his life two weeks after graduation, and a host of my other good college friends found themselves unemployed or in jobs that didn't pay enough for a vacation.

At first I was very understanding of the situations that my friends were going through, but at the same time the selfish person in me wanted to snap my fingers and have everything go back to the way it was during our undergrad days.  Instead, I'm faced with the reality that things have changed and I must change with it; like it or not.  Therefore, I've been the supportive friend who is there for the people who mean so much to me, because if I was to ever be in their shoes I would hope someone would be there for me.

With all my understanding and acceptance of my supportive role, I can't help feeling bitter and angry that things changed so quickly.  Am I selfish for wanting things to remain the same?  Am I a terrible person because I wish my friends had more time and money to do the things we used to do?  Am I spoiled because I have always had a comfortable life and have never really struggled with money or having a job?  These questions and more always cross my mind when I'm sitting at home on a perfect weekend wondering why I decided to stay in Greensboro, NC over moving back to Washington, DC. 

I don't know how to end this post, because change is something we go through everyday and this dilemma is something I am still struggling with so I will just say I Hate Mondays but I Love You!

xoxo

theINTELLECT

Welcome To My Randomness

This blog will serve as an outlet to chronicle all the randomness that goes on in my everyday life and also serve as my one woman book club.  I would hope that I would get many comments, but as a former lurker myself I know that it will just be me out here talking to myself.  In some ways not having anyone comment will be a blessing.  No comments means no judgement right?  Or does no comments simply mean no one cares that much and I am simply a narcissist that loves to talk about herself?  To save face I will say both assumptions are correct and be done with it.  Anyway, feel free to lurk all you want or comment, either way I will be writing about the only things I know: myself and books.

xoxo

theINTELLECT