Surviving High School 101

High School. 

To be honest, I don't remember much of it. 

(My friend Nyala and I, senior year)

I remember being insecure with my weight, making AWESOME friends that pushed me out of my comfort zone, and then keeping other friends that just let me be my boring-film-nerd self. I remember having the worst math teachers (except for maybe one) and somehow passing each class I endured. I remember car rides with boys that I probably shouldn't have been with and I remember trying so hard to make my high school experience be like Dazed and Confused, even though it would never come close. 

But I made it out, even if I chose to block out some of the non-movie-worthy parts. I morphed into a semi-confident girl who then morphed into a HEADSTRONG FEMALE via college who makes mistakes but is totally an a-okay person at the end of the day.

With that being said, I brought back some tips I gave about surviving high school from an old blog of mine- for those who still have to deal with it. Here we go: 

1. Find friends: Sounds easy, but sometimes it's not. You might not find Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants type friends, but be open to everyone - especially your first year.  Even if you don't find best friends, its nice to have people to be with on the weekends, to learn from them, to goof around. Introduce them to your interests. They just might like the same things as you.  If you can't find friends, lone wolf it.  It might suck, but you will get through it. 

2. Find a hobby: It can be a sport, painting, filmmaking, Youtube, WHATEVER! It doesn't even have to be a school related hobby. Having a hobby to preoccupy you is the best thing you can do, especially if you don't have many friends. I had to take an art class for a credit at my school and I found that I loved hanging out in the art room because the people were open minded and easy going (code for: GOOD VIBES).  With the help of some awesome teachers I did drawing and sculpture, eventually winning a national award for one of my pieces. Who knew that joining an art class for a measly credit would open a new world of understanding art, as well as understanding people? 

3. Actually study for your ACTs/SATs: Yes, society is messed up for judging you on your ability to take a test - but it's happening. Top colleges will hardly look at your applications if you don't meet a certain score.  As much as it makes me want to rip my hair out, PLEASE STUDY FOR THOSE STUPID TESTS. Even if you don't want to go to college, take them anyways as a backup. Take the tests early, and study for them as hard as it might be. If you don't do well, make up for it (see next tip).

4. Do good things: Volunteer, get a job, participate in things outside of school, etc.  Especially if you are a bad test taker (like me), having these things on your application will give you a great advantage over others. Make a resume, as daunting as the task might be! Don't be afraid to recognize all of the good things you've done. You will feel like an accomplished bad ass if you just do good things. 

5. Don't be an asshole: Do I need to say anything else? We all know those people who need some bad karma, or better yet, a punch to the face. Don't be those people. Be tolerant, don't make fun of the quiet ones, and don't act like a 5 year old. Enough said.

(Okay, not enough said. Obviously, traditional bullies suck. But what's even worse is when your own friend becomes a bully by emotionally manipulating you. DO NOT MESS UP A PERSON'S PSYCHE because you want to feel better. Just don't. )

6. Don't date for the sake of dating: You'll see that creepy senior eye your best friend, or your best friend might even hook up with a nasty frat-boy-to-be just to lose her V-card. Don't get me wrong - it's their body, their choices, etc - but it has NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU. The pressure of dating is huge in high school, but don't give into it if you aren't ready. Exploring your sexuality and having a good time is AWESOME, but if it doesn't feel right: don't do it.  I'm serious. Have you ever seen Never Been Kissed??? There IS a happy ending. Sometimes just not in high school.

7. Be smart: High school has always been a huge cliché for drinking and doing drugs. I say do what you want to do, but be smart. Take it easy on the red cups, DON'T drink and drive, and be with people that you trust. If you ever feel like you were taken advantage of - tell your friends. Heck, tell your TEACHER. You don't want people to get away with that type of bullshit for the rest of their lives. High school is a time to experiment, but remember to realize that in the real world - drinking and drugs are not everything. 

So there you go.
And as a special treat for all of you awesome weirdos out there, here is some 1990's cinematic GOLD. It's called "Dirty Girls", a documentary about teenage outcasts in a typical "All American" high school that I discovered last winter. Apparently they filmed a follow up documentary, when are we going to see it guys?

 LASTLY, I will bid you farewell with some tough words that you might not like. You know those people who say high school was the best time in their life? I'm going to explain that to you. And no, it's not the "they peaked to early" speech. 

You are young. When you reach 18 and your parents stop sheltering some of you, you are going to have to deal with things like bills, loans, apartment searching, careers, and LIFE. The reason why so many people look back at high school with nostalgia is because high school is a time when you don't have too many "real world" responsibilities. With that being said - you have to deal with a lot of other shit like hormones, heart breaks, and dillweed teachers.

So what. You don't like your life in high school? Make it an art project. Cherish each day, and realize that if it's a shitty day - your life will be IMMENSELY better once you get out of there. 

Keep it cool, 

Lauren Rose

CurbsideFashion 

Thrifting "Up North" + Haul! (Pt. 2)

As promised, here is a quick post about my thrifting adventures up north!
Check out my two new videos:
Road Trip "Up North" Vlog
and
Road Trip Thrifting + Haul 

COUNTRY THRIFT STORES. They rock. Sort of (see later). Like mentioned in my thrift haul video, I've always romanticized country thrift stores. What was that? You say thrift stores are all the same? NO! Country thrift stores are rare gems in themselves, because they house the weirdest shit that you'd never find within city limits. I always loved the scene in The Doom Generation where Rose McGowan storms into a cult-like store. AMAZING.

Unfortunately, because of timing issues I couldn't take as many photos as I wanted to. I did however take TONS of video, so check out the links above. Some things to note: this store had cats walking around, parrots in cages (warning: they bite), awesome Picnic at Hanging Rock -esque white gowns, and tons of American and Confederate (um) flags. 

 I also went to a flea market (see video), and didn't find much - but it was cool nonetheless. Here are my purchases! 

 Pine cone OVERKILL! I found some cool Harley Davidson pieces, first a cotton crop top and then a looser fitting tee. The big one reminded me of Ryan Gosling in The Place Beyond the Pines (favorite movie at the moment). Ugh, look at him. Spicy. Anyways, it makes me wonder, have I inherited a former road dawg's attire? What were they like? Would they approve of Lana Del Rey's aesthetic???? (har-har!)

As I was walking out, I noticed this. I didn't want to be a Debbie Downer in my video - but I feel like the bad vibes of it tainted my clothes, if you get me. I guess most people would just ignore it but to be honest, I NEVER encounter this stuff where I live (at least this visibly).  It sort of made my heart drop because I just gave $18 dollars to some bigots (hopefully you can zoom in on the left). They were nice to me, obviously, because I'm a blonde white girl. But the ignorance was crazy (muslim hate). It's one thing to be a hard core conservative but another to be a straight up racist/RIDICULE other cultures. I couldn't even imagine going into this store if I was a person of color. Barf. 

I guess there are nuts everywhere.

Keep it cool, 

Lauren Rose

Curbside Fashion

Road Trip "Up North" (Part 1)

Internet? Hello?

I have returned from my trip "Up North" to the Gunflint Trail in Minnesota. Being born and raised in Minneapolis, I've noticed that it's common for metro families to go anywhere north of the city limits in the summer and indulge in the 80 degree weather. Mostly because our weather is  unbearable 75% of the year.

("Oh, it's negative 15 degrees outside? Don't be late for school!")

 For those who aren't familiar with Minnesota's geography (it's o.k.), the Gunflint Trail is located in the "arrowhead" of Minnesota, a.k.a. almost Canada. Please, let this VERY ACCURATE map that I made help you. 

This first post is going to be about NATURE and digging deep into your subconscious (trippppy). My second post will share my thrifting adventures and purchases. For all of my video watchers, a two-parter video series will be coming your way on Sunday, so keep a look out. 

(Both photos above: Duluth, Minnesota rest stop/overlook)

Ah, Up North. A place where people actually look down on you if you use your cell phone. My dad and I caught a break by spending 5 days out in the wilderwood - plumbing not included. I popped in multiple Pearl Jam CDs (while my dad shifted uncomfortably during Eddie's hardcore and MANLY screams) while embarking on our 7 hour drive. It's interesting up here for sure. You have the hippies, the yuppies, old nice democrats, and future tea party members (I'm talking about you - Bachmann).

 (Twin Peaks-esque grocery store in Grand Marais)

 (Kendall's Smoke House on the highway up Lake Superior, christened by the one and only Andrew Zimmern - from the Travel Channel's show Bizarre Foods" )

I'm not going to lie. As the years have progressed, I've found myself becoming more of a "city girl" despite my roots. The real challenge here was not having the internet for 5 days. First world problems, truly. But really, I finished three books while staying up at our family/friend's cabin and I still found myself stir crazy. Yet after staying up here, I firmly believe in internet cleanses. When I came back and checked on all of my social media pages, I got this weird mind induced high. I became so much more grateful for ALL of your support - especially to the comments on my blog (shout out to y'all!).

(Old phone booth out of the Trail Center restaurant)

(Walleye fish and chips, YUM)

 (Every blogger's worst nightmare)

  Being without internet, without cell service, and without friends is ROUGH. But I learned more about myself. I know I sound totally new age but I realized how much the above has affected me throughout the years. As mentioned before in some of my posts, sometimes I get in these ruts. I find myself becoming horribly stagnant and bored, even though I could be doing so many creative and interesting things. I don't want to throw out the mental illness card, but anyone who has ever suffered from depression knows EXACTLY what I'm talking about. It sucks. It sucks because you can't even keep track of your own thoughts long enough to make progress. Being away from things that distract you FORCES you to be introspective. This trip honestly put things into perspective for me - school, Youtube, activism, etc.

It's incredible how when you tune out from all of your distractions, you start to notice the little things. Like a grasshopper blending into a pile of leaves, a changing leaf, or INCREDIBLY CUTE MUSHROOMS THAT YOU VERY WELL COULD HAVE STEPPED ON. We stayed on the Gunflint Trail, which is an area that sadly isn't unfamiliar to wild fires. It's a downer to see some of the burned out areas, but on the other hand - nature doesn't wait to fix itself, it just DOES. (deeeep)

 You don't have to travel 4,000 miles to get some peace of mind. If you are reading this right now, and you have been frustrated for a long time - GO OUTSIDE. And I don't mean that in a judgmental-parent way. I mean it in a friend-to-friend way. Go to your library, or a thrift store. Acquire books by or about people who interest you. Learn from them. And don't just think deeply for 2 minutes and then hop on Tumblr, get yourself a journal and write that shit down so you remember how good it feels to do something more with your brain then let it fizzle via pixels. 

 (This reminds me v. much of my childhood/my brother. I'd gladly drive this car around town.)

 (Both photos above are from Cascade River/Falls)

 It's not easy. To be too honest, I worry that I might slip into one of my ruts again. I'm worried that I'll get too comfortable and not experience the unfamiliar because of conveniences sake or anxiety. With that being said, I think I'm going to give myself mini internet breaks. If I ever find myself on the internet NOT being productive or NOT being inspired, like Lizzie -I'm outie. Queue the cliché, but life is too short to be stagnant. Even if the risks become greater when you venture out, at least you'll have the memories that you actually DID something with your time on this beautiful earth.

Stay tuned for my thrifting post and haul, coming TOMORROW!

Keep it cool, 

Lauren Rose

Curbside Fashion