A Letter to You

a sunset overlooking a boardwalk

Image by: Cal

Dear You,

I am writing this letter to you as April is National Letter Writing Month so it’s fitting.I know that you are struggling with piles and piles of homework as you slowly prepare yourself for the upcoming end of the semester with finals. Let me start off by saying thank you for reading. I want you to know that you as my readers, mean the absolute world to me. Having someone reading the words that I carefully pieced together to make a written masterpiece, an art piece…a way to somehow make sense of this crazy puzzle of life.

I can only hope that as you read my posts, no matter which one that it inspires you…that it gives you hope to be better…to always strive for success. I so often in life have wanted to quit on my dreams…to fold my cards in this game of life poker. Life is so unpredictable, the events that occur each day are often unknown or unexpected because nothing in life is ever fully guaranteed. And we must all deal with the cards that we have been dealt. I want to be able to offer hope to all those who have decided to take time out of their days to read my posts. I am optimistic that I can be a symbol of strength to help you through the daily struggles that you may be facing. I have challenged myself to be as honest as possible by sharing my personal journey. I know what it is like to question your self-worth…to frequently ponder what my meaning is in this world. I know how it feels to not fit in and to evoke the sense of being a pariah in all areas of your life

Though I graduated from college, there are a lot of necessary things that college didn’t educate me with and these are just day-to-day instances that readily occur. College doesn’t tell you how to get placed with the right job for you, ways to choose a job, finding a passion that you truly care about and wish to spend your life pursuing, or how to conquer the unforeseen circumstances that life brings you. Life is a difficult thing to persevere through at times, believe me, I can understand that. But upon finding my passion for baking, I have come to understand the meaning of purpose. We all have a purpose in this world and most of the time, we wonder what that purpose is and why our lives are meaningful in this world. We frequently question our value but I knew that I loved to make others happy by way of having a delicious pastry as well as educating others to become bakers themselves. And perhaps, that is my purpose in life…to bring happiness to others by way of my desserts. I enjoy baking so much for a variety of reasons, it is a very fulfilling experience but it has a special value to me. I have baked many desserts for celebrational purposes as well as for recreational fun but either way, it helps me to relax and remain calm from the chaos that is life. It relieves my stress and reminds me of the talents that I have hidden within me regardless of the difficult days that I have endured.

Remember this when you are battling through a rough day, that you are strong…that you have the power within you to be happy and to be successful. No matter what comes your way in this crazy rollercoaster of life, you have the opportunity to write your own story and you are always the hero. No one is as heroic as you in your life story as you are the one seeing the chances that you take and being brave enough to pursue your dreams. If you always dream big and strive to achieve your goals then you are your own hero because you continued to be successful for yourself.

I Want Candy

the economy candy marquee

Image by: Sabrina Vasquez

Do you remember how easy life was when you were a kid? How even though life may have seemed difficult then, it is even more complicated now? I miss that life. I miss the simplicity of life without worries or stress. As a child, the only thing that I worried about was school but as I got older, it became more about what my career goals were, who I am as a person, and making a mark in the world. It is exhausting to become so engulfed in what the future holds,  and in discovering what your place will be in that timeline.

Life is a roller coaster of emotions and the hectic scheduling of college does little to lessen those ever-changing emotions.If anything, it intensifies them. I believed that once my tedious routine naturally reached a lull, that my life would become calmer. But having graduated, my life has not necessarily gotten any more relaxed; I have simply completed the academic educational process but there is still so much that overwhelms me. But, I am realizing that life is something that you fight for each and every day in order to reach the life that you want to live, a life that you wish to pursue. Life should be about enjoyment and fulfillment… that is what we all are seeking in this world; it is what we all deserve. Life comes with its natural hardships but it is about always trying to connect to positivity in order to fully seek happiness.

candy for sale on a table inside economy candy

Image by: Sabrina Vasquez

There is a candy shop named Economy Candy which is located in lower Manhattan, just over the Williamsburg Bridge. This was only my third time coming to this shop but it always feels the same as the first. I swear that I transported wavelengths and millions of dimensions into a small child again. Seeing the array of candy and antique games, it allowed me to forget all my worries at once. I began to feel the simplicity of life again…no matter who you are and the tragic moments or struggles that you have endured, there were still small moments in which those faded away in order for complete serenity to take place. This shop brought those small positive moments back to life for me. I was overcome by the feeling of amusement. Most of us have a positive connection to certain candies that remind us of happier times in our childhood and that is what this shop did for me. There were chocolate candy bars of all varieties that you can purchase either individually or by the pound. There is even a nook in the back of the store where you can purchase individual popular flavors of jellybeans as well as individual colors of M&M’s. The staff is amazing in making sure that you find the candy that you intended to purchase as well as answering any impending questions that you may have or giving advice on certain candies that may pique your interest, based on your favorite candies. The store also carries a large selection of dried fruits aside from all the other sweet treats.

a lever to a jelly belly vendor

Image by: Sabrina Vasquez

green M&M's in a vendor

Image by: Sabrina Vasquez

This is definitely a place that I would recommend anyone to visit as it enables you to be able to be a kid all over again. My experience at Economy Candy is one that I will never forget…it was the most memorable time and it also satisfied my sweet tooth with all the candy that I devoured.

a retro toy for balloon modeling on a shelf

Image by: Sabrina Vasquez

Comment below on what are your favorite candies from positive childhood experiences.

My Love For Baking

purple fireworks

Image by: Jdmoar

Now that school’s out, I am able to offer myself to pursue the other events in my life that I was once too busy to enjoy. Yesterday was the fourth of July and it is usually celebrated with the union of family by way of food, barbecues, and fireworks to commemorate those who have served in the armed forces. As I watched the colorful fire burst into the air, I was amazed by the beauty of it, something as simple as a firework made me smile and I realized that the beginning of this week was the most I have smiled in a long time. My life has been an utter worldwind this year and I am just happy to know that things are finally looking better. With more time on my hands, I thought back on my blogging experience with “The Buzz” for the past two years. I have endured so much though I have chosen to only post about food themed topics because it is the only constant that has brought joy to my life. It is the only thing in my life that truly calms me and for anyone who is currently going through a rough time, I hope that you find the peace that you are seeking.

The truth is that life comes with obstacles and can be difficult to bear at times. But I have learned that in order to make it through the tough moments is to lean on other people that will be there to listen or offer any type of support. So many people have truly showed their support for me in ways I have never imagined and I cannot thoroughly express how much that truly means to me or how much it encouraged me to know that things will be better eventually. To those who are currently facing struggles in life, I can confidently say that the dust will settle and that life although it is a tumultuous rollercoaster will be fulfilling to an exponential amount. Yet, life has constantly proven to throw curveballs and surprise me in both respectively positive and negative ways. Many question why I blog specifically about food rather than the struggles that occur in my life on the daily basis. And the truth is that I do not wish to dwell on the things in my life that I unfortunately have no power to change, instead I share how I cope with my struggles.

three pie tins and whisk

Image by: Angela Bax

Baking is my therapy, it allows me to be able to escape to a world of paradise where the most stressful thing is to crack the eggs, measure the sugar correctly, or sift the flour. Nothing compares to my passion for baking because unlike anything else in life, the result of baked goods can be controlled by simply following the recipe. It brings me joy to make others happy by way of the desserts I have carefully taken time to create.

So I hope to encourage all my readers to enjoy life and when life gets tough, know that there will be better times. Someone very close to me shared this quote with me and now I will share it with all of you.

“Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” – A.A. Milne

Comment below on what you do as a hobby to calm yourself when life becomes difficult to handle.