Making Waves

This year, I’ve lived intentionally.  I’ve put myself first, prioritized my well-being, maintained my snatched waist (5am workouts are a sacrifice but they do pay off #praisethelord 😊), gone after different things I’ve wanted, had the courage to walk away and say  no  to different opportunities that were not God’s best for me, taken risks, made changes, improved, moved through challenges, endured disappointments, and crossed a lot of different goals off my list.  I’m actively living my best life and have been able to encourage other bachelorettes to do the same.  It’s exciting to have rich experiences and adventures to call your own, be able to grow through challenges, and increase your confidence and self-esteem. And if you’re a single woman, I encourage you to decide to live your best life too. Hold your head up high.  Don’t put your life on hold for anyone or anything.  Be unapologetically selfish.  Go out. Go out alone if you c...

Fear is a liar.  It’s false evidence appearing real. But it’s something that hinders a lot of people’s lives and causes them unwanted stress, pressure, and anxiety. And I don’t like it one bit. The thing about fear is that aside from the fact that it’s present at times, it’s something that can be moved through. Some things have scared me. Some things still do. And then there are other things that I’ve simply decided I’m not going to be afraid of anymore. Instead, I’ll move  through  them. I’ve moved through bullies that used to pick on me growing up. I’ve moved through insults and shade from internet trolls who have criticized my writing, I’ve moved through confrontations I was scared to have with certain family members, former friends, and different colleagues. And I’ve even moved through fears about different insecurities I’ve struggled with. You have to confront your fears head-on and move through them, or else you’ll have a hard time getting through...

Men are interesting.  Especially if and when they’re hitting on you. A few weekends ago when I was out with a friend, a random guy spotted me. We made eye contact. And then it happened. Another uninvited and borderline awkward and obnoxious pick up line. “Heeeeey, how cute are you?” I just smiled and kept walking.  I didn’t get his name but his friend that was next to him during our brief encounter started laughing and said something along the lines of, “Man, I told you…”  Being hit on and navigating the world of pick up lines can be funny, interesting, annoying, and sometimes, to my surprise, flattering. I’ve heard (and seen) handfuls of things… “Are you a model? You just have a different look…” “If you ever wanna hang with a real player sometime, hit me up.”  “Hey gorgeous, can I have a moment of your time? It won’t take long. I’m really into quickies.” (Gross, right?) “What up sexy?” (This guy was a clown. He even blew me...

I love a good brunch spot. Especially one that blasts the Red Hot Chili Peppers through their speakers and serves great drinks. And such was my dining experience while brunching at a familiar spot I enjoy called Citrus. I love the atmosphere, food, customer service, and of course the delicious mimosas this place provides. Their pancakes are definitely on point too and their prices aren’t bad either.  If you’re in the Hampton Roads area and looking for a chill place to have brunch, I highly recommend checking out Citrus sometime. Do something fun this weekend and enjoy yourself. TGIF!

Joanna Pascua-Colasito is a visionary woman who clearly knows what she’s doing. She is the founder of the Hampton Roads Women’s Empowerment Event, an event not only dedicated to honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month but also a platform to inspire, inform, and encourage women supporting and learning and growing with other women, by connecting female business owners and bringing together female speakers to share a wealth of knowledge about the importance of networking, healthy living, financial well-being, and career-building for women. I left this event feeling inspired, refreshed, and motivated to continue chasing all of my goals and dreams. I was in awe of all the different female business owners, vendors, authors, politicians, entrepreneurs, financiers, singles, wives, mothers, and breast cancer survivors I was able to encounter and connect with throughout the entirety of the event. There were different speakers and segments that occurred such as a Pink Table Talk – H...

As a woman, I don’t believe you should try to take on the role of being your guy’s savior.  I know this may be tough to address. Especially if you’re a woman currently involved or has been previously involved with a needy or emotionally draining guy, but I’m navigating this topic because upon close examination and because different women have expressed to me that they’re “tired of needy guys…” I knew this was important to write about.   I’ve had friends, family, and acquaintances express frustrations, fears, and disappointments about being with guys they’ve described as  needy . This is not a good thing. While I believe it’s okay to have realistic needs that can be met and to vocalize those needs, I believe it’s unhealthy and unrealistic for a guy to expect his woman to take on the role of being a therapist-like girlfriend/partner/fiancée/wife (depending on which category you fall under) and being the go-to for all of his emotional well-being and needs....

It’s that time of year. Cuffing season.  The time of year when those who’ve been single, maybe for longer than they imagined or anticipated, find themselves lucky or in some cases, unlucky in like or love, exploring the world of hookups and situationships, in an effort to be “cuffed” and have someone in their lives during the cool and crisp breezy fall through holiday season. This often picks up as the first fall leaves come down in October and those “I miss you” texts start coming in from someone you were once involved with. Then suddenly, things come to an abrupt end as the warmer months approach. I’m writing this for my bachelorette readers as a caution and warning: be careful while navigating cuffing season. You might find yourself single during this time of year, that is famous for reminding bachelorettes just how single they are, but this doesn’t mean you should be reckless and seeking to get cuffed with someone for the sake of being cuffed, nor should you ...

Lately, I’ve been thinking. We don’t always need to speak or share or post everything that’s on our minds. Especially on social media.  Certain things about our lives, relationships, major milestones, jobs, career opportunities, and moves, don’t always need to go public. Yet we live in a world that shares, announces, and sometimes even foolishly overshares certain things that, honestly, are no one else’s business but our own or best kept offline and only shared with those who can be trusted.  I can usually tell when a couple may be experiencing trouble in paradise. Mostly because one of the two parties involved will usually post cryptic or incredibly personal things about the state of their shaky relationship. I’ve watched other couples overcompensate with floods of emotional posts and pictures about how happy and lucky they are to be with their significant other, when truthfully, a breakup was approaching, their significant other wanted out of the relationshi...