Reintroducing myself in this friDIARY reintroduction post! Hi!
It’s been a hot minute since I’ve allowed myself to dedicate any sort of time to blogging. Ever since I started going back to school, I’ve been pushing myself (sometimes way too hard) to get my classes done, and I’ve been giving myself very little time to focus on anything else. In my heart, I knew I couldn’t stay away forever because I love blogging so much, and it’s been such a big part of my list for the past six years (say what?!), so here I am.
Thanks to everyone who still reads my blog and gets excited about new posts even though my blogging schedule has been out of whack. My hope with this reintroduction post is that whether you’re a new reader or you’ve been reading for years, or whether you know me in real life or just on the internet, we can find a way to connect. As a type 2, I’m all about making connections with people, which is why I love when people email me, leave comments on my posts, or reach out to me on social media for any reason because I will always respond. I’m so appreciative of every interaction we have, whether it’s a comment, share, or message, or even just a view on my analytics. Y’all are the best!
So here we go…
HI!! I’m Tiffany Khyla. I’m 29-years-old, and I’ll be turning 30 this year in December (which I genuinely can’t believe).
1. I’m a military brat.
I’ve moved around my entire life. When people ask me where I’m from, my answer is different every time. I was born in Germany, and the Air Force sent my family to Florida, Japan, and Arkansas before my dad retired and moved the family to South Carolina where his side of the family lives. I moved to Louisiana to live with my mom when I was 15 and stayed there for 12 years. I’m currently living in Ohio with my boyfriend.
2. My boyfriend, Kyle, and I have been together for over two years.
We met in Louisiana and were friends for awhile before we decided to give a relationship a shot. I’m so happy it worked out. He’s literally my favorite person, and he understands me in a way that no one else ever has. He’s an officer in the Air Force, which is how we ended up in Ohio. He’s currently going to the Air Force Institute of Technology for grad school, and once he graduates in March, we’ll be moving to a new home in April.
3. Kyle and I adopted a dog named Gunther in January.
Adopting Gunther has brought so much extra joy into our lives. He’s such a ham! He’s a dachshund mix (and we believe part of that mix is basset hound). He’s allegedly 7-years-old, and he was first found on the streets of Kentucky. He doesn’t understand how to play with toys, but he loves treats. He’s the best cuddler, and he whines every time Kyle leaves the house (not when I leave though – rude haha).
4. I graduated from Louisiana Tech University in 2012.
I have a Bachelor of Science in business management and entrepreneurship. I worked in hotel marketing for five years, and I had a love/hate relationship with it. I enjoyed what I was doing, and I was good at it, but it wasn’t my passion.
5. I’m working on becoming a teacher.
I’m currently going back to school online at Western Governors University to get my post-baccalaureate in elementary education. I’m so, so, so excited about this new path, and I genuinely think teaching is something I was meant to do. In college, I worked at a couple different summer camps, and I did a mentoring program. My first long-term, full-time job working with kids was when I worked for Carnival Cruise Lines as part of the youth staff. My experience there helped me get a job at a daycare working with 3- to 5-year-olds as a lead teacher. Now I work part-time at a childcare center with children that are 12 to 18 months. I’m so ready to be in my own classroom and start my teaching career. I can’t wait to see where this new journey takes me!
6. I have generalized anxiety disorder.
My therapist recently told me that I have GAD, and there’s still so much about it that I don’t understand. Everyone’s anxiety is different, but I’m working to recognize my symptoms and try to take control of it a little more. I started going to therapy this year, and it’s been the best thing I’ve done for myself. Kyle has been such a big cheerleader through it all (dating with anxiety is tough, y’all), and I’m so grateful that he is willing to work through it with me.
7. I’m black and Filipino.
Or Filipina, rather. My dad is black, and he met my mom when he was stationed overseas in the Philippines. I get asked allllll the time, “What are you?” (ummm…a female human..?) or “Where are you from?” (and they don’t actually want to know where I’m from) literally by strangers. I know what people are actually asking when they ask these questions, and I know they’re not trying to be rude. I just get baffled sometimes because I wonder why knowing my nationality is going to change their lives, especially if we’re never going to cross paths again. A lot of people will say “Ooooh, I thought you were Indian.” I get that a lot. But anyway, if you were ever wondering what my nationality is, I’m black and Filipino.
8. I’m obsessed with Harry Potter.
I actually didn’t start reading the books until maybe the third one was out. I was avoiding the hype, but I was so wrong to avoid it. As soon as my teacher lent me her copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, I read it in a day, and I was hooked. I went to all of the midnight movie releases, but my favorite was going to the midnight book releases at Barnes & Noble. I still have a pair of plastic Harry Potter glasses that I got from one of them. I reread or listen to the audio books for the series at least once a year, and of course I love the movies. I’ve been to the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London and to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando. I’m also proud Hufflepuff.
9. Speaking of obsessions, I lovelovelove Taylor Swift.
I’ve been a Swiftie since I first saw her music video for “Tim McGraw.” As a lover of both country and pop, I’ve loved seeing her evolution from her first album to where she is now. I’ve identified with so many of her songs during different points in my life, and she’s seriously gotten me through some of my worst heartaches. I’ve seen her in concert four times, the first when she was an opener for Rascal Flatts and also for her Fearless, 1989, and Reputation tours. Even more than her music, I love that she uses her platform to fight for equality for the LGBTQ+ community and women’s rights.
10. I’m an ESFJ, type 2w3, Sagittarius.
I love me some personality tests, and Meyers-Briggs and the Enneagram are my favorites. What all of those identities boil down is: I love people, and I want them to love me. I like being social, and I like being needed. I also enjoy bringing people together (hosting parties is my fave!), and I love helping people in the ways that I can. Sometimes my anxiety makes it seem like these things aren’t true, but when I get comfortable enough with a group of people, all of these things come out. I also threw Sagittarius in there because, while I don’t read or believe in daily horoscopes or anything like that, I do think that when you were born can say a lot about you. Birth Chart is my favorite website for astrology-related things.
Thanks so much for reading my reintroduction! I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit more about me. If you’d like to know even more and learn a little bit more about Endless Bliss as well, you can check out my about page π
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friDIARY is a weekly series where I share tidbits about my life along with [probably too many] unfiltered photos and random thoughts, including the not-so-happy ones. Check back every other Friday for a new post! Click here to read my friDIARY.
