I’m gonna reminisce about the nostalgic chapters from my college days. The phase helped me rediscover certain aspects of my childhood that I had forgotten and revive a few skills that evolved into something else. From exploring Gaia Online, the discovery of eBay, indulgence, and memories, all of these completed some missing parts of me.

Discovering eBay For The First Time

When I started my job as a waitress (and didn’t have so many economic responsibilities) I was going wild with these online transactions. I was looking for some vintage Polly Pocket and the Hello Kitty Dream World Flower Fairy (yep, she was the culprit of my endless spending) and ended up discovering the Re-ments series and Japanese Paper Clay. Besides that, with my first job, I started also to support my favorite artists by buying their merch.

College Days As A Misunderstood Artist

Yes, college was the place where I started to experiment with my freedom, create meaningful friendship circles, and learn about the chaotic sexual scene (people hook-ups, sexual gossip, and whatnot) that always felt foreign language to me. It became a fun place with a few hangouts, lots of complex but interesting hybrid classes, the best professors leaving the institution in masses, my bachelor’s degree getting delayed 1 more year, and lots of heartbreaks and complicated relationships (in general).

Yet, my frustration grew when I experienced my first stalking harassment by someone I used to be friends with and the constant dismissal/downplay of my creative skills. I was told continuously to tone down my art because “this is not what designers do. You are a graphic designer, not an artist, act like one”. I felt like a prisoner trying to mold myself into something I could no longer fit, yet I don’t regret ever walking away from the path of the Graphic Design field. To this day most agencies find my work “interesting” but not worth it.

Reviving My Childhood Nostalgic

Because I had to make extra money to invest in software and equipment, I plunged myself to rediscover my childhood via toys and build them up as jewelry. It was so fun and therapeutic, so many great memories. After graduation, I started to participate in local events and set up my first store at Storenvy selling hand-crafted jewelry and my art on stickers and prints. At this stage I was able to ask for help from my circle in college, since they had the equipment I needed, like a DLRS camera, to complete certain aspects of my business.

Memorable Road Trips

When technology wasn’t that complicated, more like community space and less invasive from 2010 till 2016, my grandfather and I used to go on several road trips to the West during summer and Christmas. There was always a place to visit some people (I barely knew) that were part of his circles, food never ceased to exist in each home (is part of our culture), and breathtaking destination. I was often glued to my notebook or laptop, just sketching away my fantasies. Also, playing around editing photos was a hobby.

I have many “nostalgic chapters” that I would love to relive in the future. I do miss the simplicity of things back then, but if I never made the decisions I did, I would’ve never had my autonomy and broken the chains of an abusive circle I was made to endure and fear as a child. To this day, I don’t regret anything…

If you like to immerse yourself in a more intimate phase of my college days, then I suggest you read Compilations of My Life. Beware, is an extensive journal.