A Brief Description Of Just How Much Millennials Suck

A Brief Description Of Just How Much Millennials Suck

Photography by Brandon Stanciell.  Featuring Kristopher Young.  Issue 15.

I work at a sandwich shop.  Last week a gentleman came in two minutes before we closed who had obviously had a rough day because his rude level was at a 10/10.  It didn’t bother me or my coworker until she apparently asked a question too quickly and he made some comments about how “kids these days need to slow down and take themselves less seriously because we aren’t that important.”

I’m sure this gentleman had read one of the multiple articles I see daily explaining how entitled, selfish, and lazy the millennial generation is and how we are going to ruin the country over the course of the next few years.  That may have been part his reason for the condescending attitude, or it may have been possible that the 6-pack he proudly bragged about consuming while watching football caused him to loosen his mouth just a little bit too much. Or maybe it was the fact that he had obviously dropped his pizza on his Avengers t-shirt earlier in the day and he’d have to do the laundry sometime during the week that caused his miserable mood.  Either way, his condescending attitude, rude comments, and smirks weren’t welcome but still were received with a smile and a “thank you”.  Well here’s what I wished I could tell him: 

I woke up that morning at 6:30 in order to get homework done before class.  I finished up over some coffee and headed to a couple of classes before finishing up at 12.  I immediately started and finished a 5-page paper due the next day and wrote last week’s article before starting my shift at 3.  I had stayed up until 2 A.M. the night before so, by this point, I was already worn out.  Obviously, I should’ve prepared myself better and gotten more sleep but I’m young and like to have fun because one day I’ll most likely have kids and struggle to stay up past 9:30.   Anyways, by the time this customer came in I had been working hard for nearly 15 hours.  I’m sure he thought that as soon as he exited the store we would lock up and I’d go home and smoke a bowl because that’s all teenagers are good for, right?  What he didn’t know is I’d go to the back of the store and finish my third venti coffee of the day and spend the next hour closing the store before going home and studying for my test at 8 a.m. the next morning.  Obviously, a long day is one thing and happens to everyone.  I’m used to it and had no problem knowing I’d do the same thing for every day of the rest of the week.  I easily served every customer that day with a smile except for this one because of his lack of respect for what students are doing and his clear lack of understanding as to why we are forced to take our lives “too seriously”

I know that me, my friends at school, and my coworkers aren’t as successful as this man has been (his Crocs screamed high-salary businessman), but I think we deserve some credit.  Contrary to his comment about me being his “wife for the night because she’s out of town” (I wonder how much he has to pay her to stay with him), I am of a little more worth than just making a sandwich.  I’m in the classroom for 24 hours a week, in addition I spend at least another 24 doing homework for those classes, I also work for 29 a week.  If a “full-time” work week is 40 hours, then I am just 3 away from doubling that each week.  Not to mention the fact that I rage my face off at least three nights a week and write for this magazine. 

The reason I mention all of this because I’ve noticed that hardly anyone from the older generations has any idea how hard we work.  What makes me upset is that people like this gentleman have such an obviously low view of my peers and I.  I hear all the time how “easy” my generation has things or how we “don’t know the value of anything”.  There seems to be a common belief that we waste all our time “going on the facebook” and have the intelligence of small children “because of all the marijuanas we smoke”.  There is next to no recognition of how hard we work to prepare ourselves for the future.  Instead, all I hear is negativity about how we will ruin the country (thanks for all the debt by the way). 

I know the older generations have had hard lives (I mean walking uphill both ways to school is rough), but I know for a fact that my friends who bust their asses everyday don’t deserve to hear how little they think of us.  We are doing our best, working hard, and trying to be decent people.  Yes, we have fun.  No, we aren’t as conservative as our parents would like us.  Either way, it is my generation that will be taking care of that man fifteen years from now so I think we deserve a little more respect.  Thanks for the 18 cent tip though.  We’re good now.

Ask Yourself: What Makes You Happy?

Ask Yourself: What Makes You Happy?

Sometimes we are too busy and caught up with what is happening around us that we forget to make our happiness a priority. When you let that priority sink to the bottom, you sooner or later find yourself struggling to even crack a smile. This was me before I realized how easy it actually was to be and stay happy. When you realize that you don’t need all the unnecessary glamorous things, you will come to understand how simple it is to be happy. Finding your passion or whatever it may be that sparks your soul makes you feel like you have a purpose in life. And isn’t that what we all want? To know our purpose? Find the things that make you happy, surround yourself with them, and I promise that you will find yourself loving life a whole lot more.   

To help you out, I put together a list of things that genuinely make me happy:

Music

Majority of us use music as a source for inspiration, comfort, or relaxation. Music is just one of those things that will instantly put me in a good mood. Whether it be jamming to my favorite playlist in traffic or blasting music through my speakers while cleaning my room, music makes the terrible things not so terrible.

Concerts and Festivals

While jamming to music in the car may be fun, nothing is better than hearing your favorite song live. Nothing compares to the free spirited crowd, energy, and vibes of a concert. I always make sure that I attend concerts and festivals throughout the year to remind myself of the feeling of pure happiness and joy by living in the moment. I am in my absolute element when I am in that environment. Seeing my greatest inspirations do what they love right in front of my eyes only motivates me to pursue what I love. 

Creating

Finding something to put your time and energy in is really important when it comes to discovering your purpose. Everything just feels right when I’m creating. It is my passion. I always get lost in my work and feel like the world is on my side when I am doing what I love.

Family and Friends

The company you keep plays a huge factor in your happiness. Surround yourself with people you genuinely care and support you. Knowing that I have my amazing family and friends behind me makes me feel like the luckiest person in the world.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S the show

Who doesn’t have a favorite show that they binge watch at 2 a.m. in the morning? This show never fails to crack me up. Sometimes you just need your favorite cast of your favorite TV show to pick you up.

YouTube

I am completely guilty of spending hours and hours watching YouTube. I love watching videos from people all around the world to gain inspiration. If you ever hear me laughing my ass off from across the room, I am most likely watching a video on YouTube.

Coffee

As simple as it is, coffee never fails to put me in a cherry mood. Knowing that I have my Hazel Nut Iced Coffee to look forward to in the mornings makes my day 10x better. It is the perfect start to my day.

Puppies

Can we all agree that puppies are just the cutest things? They are fury bundles of joy! They make my heart warm! 

Bottom line, find the things that make you the happiest and make it a priority to surround yourself with it. When the things or people you love are constantly surrounding you, they make life a little less hard. The atmosphere you allow yourself to be around affects your mood and mindset. Knowing that I have a concert to look forward to, or my hazel nut ice coffee in the mornings, or F.r.i.e.n.d.s to watch when I need to laugh, makes my life a whole lot easier. Sometimes it’s the simplest things that can put a smile on your face.

The Perks of Being a Wildflower Customer

The Perks of Being a Wildflower Customer

When it comes to choosing the perfect phone case, we all tend to become a little picky about what we use to protect and decorate our phones with. Coming from someone who would constantly buy and change her phone case every other week, I have finally found a brand that I am beyond obsessed with that I had to share with you guys! If you don’t know about Wildflower iPhone cases, then you are missing out!

Wildflower is an iPhone case company launched by the talented, Michelle Carlson, in 2013. Based out of Los Angeles, this successful small business comprised of beautifully handmade iPhone accessories are designed by Michelle and her two daughters, Sydney and Devon Carlson. This business all started when Miley Cyrus noticed Devon’s unique phone case and requested to buy more!

Michelle and her daughters find and make unique fabric designs and then create a limited amount of phone cases from each batch of fabric.The uniquely handmade cases are $35 each and they are of excellent quality. The packaging is beyond adorable with the cute little notes and stickers. Their collection consists of designs with leopard and floral print, marble, fur, trendy hand doodles from Devon and Sydney themselves, rhinestones, quotes, and abstract art so you will never get bored! And a bonus is that they have phone cases all the way through the 4-6s! I love how different and bold each design is. Right now, I am currently rocking the classic white marble case. I am very surprised by the quality and even more in shock that the little wf pendent is still secured even after the many times I have dropped my phone.

     

Sydney and Devon’s social status through YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter allows them to secure influencer collaborations and serve as brand ambassadors! Since officially launching the company, Wildflower has secures exclusive partnerships and have collaborated with many YouTube stars and Influencers such as, Maddi Brag, Niki and Gabi Dimartino, and Lindsey Hughes! Even the famous, Kylie Jenner, has been spotted rocking a Wildflower design.

So if you are in the search for a new phone case, be sure to check out https://www.wildflowercases.com to find your next match!

Surviving Your First Year of Living Abroad

Surviving Your First Year of Living Abroad

All photos in article taken by Derrick Freske | @dfreske

Moving abroad is intimidating and unpredictable. You don’t know what to expect when it comes to exploring, meeting people, finding a job, going to school, and everything in between. But once you pass the daunting and unexpected, entering a new chapter of life by travelling to a new town, city, state, or even country can be well-worth the nerves that fall apart during the moving process. 

Last September I moved from a small farm in the Canadian prairies to a city approximately 1,300 miles away from my home to attend university. Even though my mom and step-dad were there to accompany me during the transition, I was worried and couldn’t help but think, What if I don’t make friends? or What if I get lost on a bus and never find my way back to campus? (which actually almost happened once). Thankfully I made it through my first year of living abroad with triumphs under my belt like passing all my classes and making more than enough friends. I figured it was a more than successful year, so here are some tips on how to make the best of your first year living/studying abroad, and how to always return home by the time the sun sets.

The biggest thing to remember is to always keep an open mind. Even if your whole being is against an idea, keep in mind that your opinion is not the only opinion. I had a hard time processing this because I was raised in a town where just about every person had the same perspective on religion, traditions, lifestyle, culture, etc. Eventually you will understand that having different ideas is acceptable, regardless of whether you agree or disagree. 

Believe it or not, public transit was one of the scariest challenges I learned to conquer (more or less). A good idea is to grab a friend, ride the bus for hours on end until you’ve grasped the basic routes of the city. And if you feel inadequate about riding the bus, remember this: once, I pressed the “STOP” button on the bus to get off, but I didn’t actually know how to open the doors of the bus. I stood by the door while everyone on the bus stared at me, anticipating my exit. Instead, I waited cluelessly until the next stop when someone else got off. 

After you’ve mastered public transit, start exploring the new land that surrounds you! I only began to discover the new city I now call ‘home’ in the final stretch of school, and I regret not investigating the city sooner. Research cafés, book stores, concert venues, donut shops, museums, etc. and write them in a log. It’s a great way to meet new people, establish self-awareness, and create unforgettable memories. I’m surprised by how many cheap concerts - some of which were performed by many of my now favourite artists - I found out about by walking around, reading window signs, and checking Facebook.

The last thing I suggest is to get involved. I resent my decision not to join any clubs or teams my first year. Rather, I hung out with my friends on campus for the majority of time (which was nice, but getting involved would’ve added more content to my day-to-day schedule.) Another key point I learned was that you need to go out to find what you’re looking for because it will not come to you. Whether that means going out to discover the best burger in the city or publishing an article in the school paper, you need to chase your desire.

So, while you’re flying thousands of miles away from home this fall or driving to the town over to start a new chapter in life, consider these pieces of advice and hopefully you will find what you’re looking for.