Friendship - OohJulie

What a Year Can Hold, Hello 2026!

January 2, 2026January 5, 2026JuliaLeave a comment

It’s wild how quickly time moves when you’re living it. One year can hold so much, more than we realize while we’re in it. Looking back now, I see how full this past year truly was. Not just busy but lived.

I started the year celebrating my birthday in Tulum, Mexico. Sun-soaked days, sonata freshwater moments, and a quiet reminder to enjoy where I am. I ended the year somewhere entirely different. Accra, Ghana, travel blog loading.

In between, life unfolded in ways both expected and surprising.
I rode rollercoasters, danced to live music, partied until sunrise and witnessed beautiful wedding ceremonies filled with love and intention. I shared a family vacation at Disneyland, creating joyful lifelong moments.

This was also a year of transition

I drove across the country, moving back to the South.
I started a new job.
I rejoined an intramural sports team.
I was accepted into a fully funded fellowship.

There were beginnings and endings.
Relationships formed, relationships released.
I trained for a 10K, learning patience, discipline, and what it means to show up even when motivation fades.
This year stretched me. It grounded me. It reminded me that growth doesn’t always announce itself loudly. Sometimes it happens quietly, in the act of choosing and continuing to show up.

As the year came to a close, I felt deeply grateful. Grateful for my loved ones. Grateful for a career that aligns with my values. Grateful for health, curiosity, and the ability to explore both the world and myself. I’m blessed to see another year and as I step into 2026, I do so with gratitude in my heart and openness in my spirit. I am excited not just for what’s ahead, but for who I’m continuing to become.

Cheers to a happy New Year!🎊🥂

Accra, Ghana

Daily Prompt#7

November 16, 2025November 17, 2025JuliaLeave a comment

Is there an age in your life you would relive

If I could relive any age in my life, it would be 18.

I was finishing my senior year of high school, living in that rare space where responsibilities hadn’t fully arrived yet, but freedom was just starting to unfold. There’s something magical about being young enough to be naïve to the weight of adulthood, yet old enough to feel your world expanding. My days were simple…school, easy senior-year classes, weekend plans, and working at the local skating rink. I’d stay late after shifts just to spend extra time with my boyfriend or hang out with my bestfriend. My grandparents had finally loosened the reins a bit, so I was going out more, testing the edges of independence.

Why Being a Nice Guy Isn’t Enough

August 24, 2025October 12, 2025JuliaLeave a comment

Not too long ago, I was scrolling through a relationship forum when I saw someone post: “Women don’t really want nice guys.” I had to laugh, because I’ve heard that line so many times. The older I get, the more I realize how damaging that mindset actually is, both for men and for the women who end up dating them. Here’s the thing: being nice is important. It matters, but it’s not enough to keep a relationship healthy or fulfilling.

I’ve dated men who were very “nice” on paper—they opened doors, sent good morning texts, remembered birthdays, but when it came down to the deeper stuff, like being vulnerable, communicating their feelings, or showing up emotionally… they weren’t there.

A Thought That Once Was

April 29, 2025September 15, 2025JuliaLeave a comment

Entangled in the thought of what could be, a breathtaking connection filled with a sense of familiarity.

Comfort came so easily as time spent brought an overwhelming sense of happiness, laughter, and vulnerability.

Soul connection, is this meant to be?

Confusion in intensions with no sight of peace

Soul connection, is this meant to be?

Comfort in a bond draped in unhealthy attachment fueled in fears of intimacy and past trauma. Push and pull this instability breeds exhaustion within me.

Once plagued by the loss of what could have been, is now free to accept the peace that accompanies what was not meant to be.

What I Learned After Being Cheated On

May 1, 2019October 5, 2025JuliaLeave a comment

I have never really been the type of person who takes pleasure in dating multiple men simultaneously. I learned at an early age I was never good at it and frankly found it exhausting. It’s hard enough keeping up with the demands of one man let alone two, three or more lol. Plus, I would start to feel guilty knowing I was leading someone on. However, I learned early on not everyone viewed dating like this and witnessed the outcomes of unfaithfulness my loved ones experienced. To avoid similar experiences I ensured to date men who like myself believed in commitment and monogamy. Sadly, I later found myself falling into a statistic that our society has morphed into normality, cheating, and was cheated on. Going though that experience taught me a lot. Okay, okay yes, I could have done without the heartache, but I am thankful for my growth. The experience of being cheated on has taught me a few things which I would like to share.

Can Men And Women Just Be Friends

November 1, 2018Julia

Harry: Because no man can be friends with a woman that he finds attractive. He always wants to have sex with her.
Sally: So, you’re saying that a man can be friends with a woman he finds unattractive?
Harry: No, you pretty much want to nail ’em too.
Sally: What if they don’t want to have sex with you?
Harry: Doesn’t matter because the sex thing is already out there so the friendship is ultimately doomed and that is the end of the story.
Sally: Well, I guess we’re not going to be friends then.
Harry: Guess not.

If you don’t know where the above dialect comes from I suggest you get your life. No seriously, stop reading and get your life lol. Okay, I’ll give you a pass this time, but you get the side eye. The dialect is from the movie When Harry Met Sally one of my favorites❤ and an absolute romantic comedy classic.

Anyway, Harry had an interesting. If we remove religion from the discussion, to keep it neutral for argument purposes, and take on a science perspective he makes some interesting points.

Lost Summer Nights

October 8, 2018May 11, 2025Julia

He said he loves the way I taste
I arch my back and whisper “ I know”
His lips kiss my hidden lips
Ripples travel down my spine
One vertebra at a time
A familiar love of summer nights
Buried between my thighs
Brown butter glazed in coconut oil with a hint of lavender
How long can I endure this pleasure
Pure euphoria as my body loses control
Butterflies dance gracefully to the sound of my soul
I ask them to please never abandon me