#OceansApart: That Amazing Feeling After Being Reunited

I can't believe it has already been a month since I was in Australia! The high has barely worn off; I cannot describe to you just how much it has changed my life. 
Obviously, one of my favorite parts from the whole trip was getting to be with Darell again. It was worth waiting the last few months to finally get to hug him, kiss him, just to be around him again. 
As I've said in previous posts, the first few weeks of being long distance was really hard for me. It forced me to face some of my own personal issues head on and I really needed to lean on God to be my comfort. 
However, even though it was hard to be apart and be living completely different lives, it made the reunion all worth it. 
To be honest, I was a little nervous to see Darell because part of me was scared that things would feel so different because we both had been apart for a few months and it wouldn't be the same in a bad way. However, from the moment that I saw him with my cousin at the airport things fell right back into place like before, but we were both slightly better versions of ourselves which made our time together so amazing. 
All of this is to say that waiting is really hard when you're in a long distance relationship, but it is so worth it. 
The feeling of getting hug them and hold their hand again after kissing them through a screen is so amazing and so satisfying. 
So if you are in a long distance relationship, hold on! You can do it because when you do, you'll be glad you did. 

Left My Heart Down Under: Trip Recap!

Hi strangers. Haha, it's been almost 3 weeks since I last posted and I am so sorry about that! Other than being busy in Australia, I've been going crazy with work and school since I've been back home. I finally have a little window to write my first post of a few about my time down under. 
Because there were a lot of aspects about the trip (being reunited with Darell after 3 months #oceansapart, tons of adventures, traveling alone for the first time, etc) I'll divide it into a few different parts & spread out the posts over the next few weeks! So sorry if you get tired of hearing about Australia, but not sorry at the same time. I'll try to break up the posts with some other posts I've been wanting to do as well, but no guarantees. I'm 6 weeks away from being done with undergrad so that will be my first priority. 
ANYWAY, 
So I basically had the time of my life in Australia. From going to the beach, getting to catch up with my cousin I haven't seen in 10+ years, Hillsong Church, to adventuring around Australia with Darell and new + old friends, it was amazing. 
I'll spare unnecessary details for now, so here are a few photos to tell the story: 

Being reunited with Darell at the airport!

Hillsong Church: #SundaymeetsFriday

I have to take some time to talk about this girl! Her name is Fernanda, and two days after meeting her she had a birthday party to celebrate her turning 19! Little did I know how much of an impact on me in such a short time, but I have so much love for this girl! She's the girl that I stayed with while I was in Australia. She's Brazilian but is from Dubai with her parents. She is one of the best people you will ever meet, and since I've been back I've been in constant contact with her always telling each other how much we miss each other haha. Love you, Fern! #yallafrangos

Don't worry, we know the girl photobombing behind us! Haha.

Queen Victoria Building in Downtown Sydney

Coogee Beach

A couple days after I arrived, it started getting really hot, so of course we went to the beach! When we went to Coogee Beach, we were there for 8 hours, doing a combination of swimming, laying out, and jumping off rocks. It was pretty chill and I also got really dark. 

Darell took me out on a date in the city the Tuesday I was there. We visited the Sydney Opera House // Harbour Bridge and visited the Museum of Contemporary Art! It was fun having Darell plan the day out for me. I'll talk more about the dates & whatnot in a future post :)

On our way to finding a white sand beach on our daylong road trip, we came across some wallabies! So of course, we had to get photos or it didn't happen...

Squad.

I love this group. This was basically the group of people I spent most of my time with while in Australia. So thankful for these guys in different ways! We went on some pretty awesome adventures and I can't wait to go back hopefully soon for some more! Of course, other than Darell & Fernanda, the two other guys are basically Darell's best friends from school. They're pretty funny. Matt (the white guy) is American too & Andy (the one taking the selfie) is from Australia. Love these guys!

Darell & Abi (the girl in the front) also worked together to surprise me with a visit up to Northern Australia (Brisbane) to visit her & her family! Abi is a girl Darell & I were in a youth group with when we were in high school, but she was originally from Australia & moved back after living in the States for a couple years. We hadn't seen her in about 3 years I think, so it was a cute reunion to spend a little over a day with her! This was also mine & Darell's first trip together, so that was pretty great as well.

Of course, can't forget my last Sunday at Hillsong

I have to also give a special shoutout to my cousin (on the very right) for hanging out with Darell & I whenever we could & taking us out! This was unfortunately the only photo I got with him (and my aunt next to him) while I was there, but I'm hoping to take more photos next time I go over there :)

This post was long overdue so instead of going into intense detail I figured I'd just share a few photos right now then get into detail as I break down the trip into multiple posts about traveling solo, reuniting with a long distance love for a few days, visiting Australia, and more.

Australia has truly stolen my heart. These photos don't even do it justice! And as I continue to write about it over the next few weeks, I think you'll figure out why.

Until then, 

Oceans Apart: Let's Talk About It (Communication & Long Distance)

Regardless of whether or not you're in a long distance relationship (or LDR for short), communication is hands down the most important part of a relationship. And when you're away from your significant other, it becomes that much more important because if you two slack on communication, limit communication (as in how much you tell each other), or just don't do it at all, then your relationship is doomed for failure. In an LDR, communication becomes that much more important because most of the time you can't see or physically be with that person, so what you say (or don't say) makes that much more of a big deal. 
It has been almost 2 months since Darell has left to go down under, and I have to say that we've been pretty well lately! The first couple of weeks were tough because we weren't talking much mostly due to Darell adjusting to his new schedule and just being very busy, but now that he has settled into his new home and now that I am getting back into the swing of school and work, we both have developed our system when it comes to talking. 
Now while we don't have a set schedule for when to talk, we usually communicate throughout the day as we can like how we normally would. With the time difference I basically go through my mornings & sometimes afternoons with him sleeping while for him, it's his evenings that are when I'm sleeping. I have school and work to keep me busy while he's usually just hanging out with his friends at home or sometimes at church/school. 
My biggest recommendation for communication in long distance relationships: Don't get butthurt if your partner is too busy to talk every now and then. 
Now I say this for myself as well because there are definitely times when Darell's schedule is so busy or he goes long periods without wifi (we can only talk if he has it) and sometimes, being the person that I am, I overthink the situation way too much and I think the worst of it. 
I'll admit, sometimes it definitely is hard enough that I can't talk to him whenever I want because of the time difference, but because of international charges we are also even more limited when we talk. However, I think the biggest positive out of the situation is that when we do talk, our conversations are usually cute and fun! It's safe to say that we both appreciate them that much more. 
Some other tips for successful communication in LDR's:  - OPENNESS AND HONESTY. Darell and I make it a point to be open and honest about everything, even if it might hurt. We try our best to be transparent with each other, because we all know that hiding things even if its to protect that person usually does more harm than good in the end. 
- DON'T STRESS TOO MUCH ON EVERYTHING THAT CAN GO WRONG. This was me in the beginning right after Darell left. If you keep bugging that person and getting on their case about everything that could go wrong, it just doesn't make for healthy or productive conversation. It will most likely end in a fight and because of the distance, it's so much easier to ignore the other person. I'm not saying it's the best, healthiest, or right way to handle this kind of situation, but we are human and do things without thinking when we're mad sometimes. 
- TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA. I think I'm going to write a completely separate post detailing how much social media helps in long distance relationships. It's such a blessing for us to be living in this time where you can instantly talk to or even "see" someone on the other side of the world through a portable device. It's pretty great. Whether it's Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, or even Periscope, use these platforms to help your relationship not feel so far away. 
- KEEP ROMANCING YOUR S/O EVEN IF YOU'RE APART. For me, when Darell leaves me sweet messages to wake up to, that's his way of making me feel loved and it's a cute surprise to wake up to. For me, it's a little bit harder to speak his love language but when I do something for him here at home or keep him updated with everyone back home, he still feels very apart of life in the US, sorta. Haha. So whether it's surprising them with unexpected love posts on social media, or sending a care package, or whatever you know they will love and appreciate, do it. Don't just get comfortable, keep loving them and keep showing it too, because it's very easy to forget that when you're both apart and on completely different schedules. 
Those are my tips for now! The biggest struggle is just not being able to hug or kiss him when I want. Other than that, the open and constant communication makes us feel like we are both still apart of each others' lives, and that's how it should be in an LDR. They are still part of your life, they're just not physically there, and it's important to show them that they still mean something to you. 
Anything else about communication in LDR's I missed? Let me know! 

Making a Comeback... and Looking for Some Help

So I'm pretty freaking excited to get back into blogging. It's something that has remained on my mind every day even though I wasn't posting. This space was not only a place for me to express myself, but it allowed me to get creative, whether with posting, with writing, or just trying out new things in general. Being so drained physically, emotionally, and mentally from the changes in my life just really kept me from being able to commit and be consistent with my writing. 
However, now that my life is finally calming down a bit (with the exception of school starting in less than two weeks), I now feel like I am in a perfect place to be able to get back on board with blogging. 
That's when this post comes in. 
So I've never been afraid to ask for help, and I want to get some help from you now, if at all possible. 
I'm looking for people to collaborate with! With some things that I'm going to be doing on the blog soon, I wanna partner with others to get a great community going here of people who are just livin' and lovin' their lives. 
I'm looking for: 

• Bloggers currently in or have previously been in long distance relationships (LDRs) to share blog posts they've written about it to potentially be used in a future LDR post
• LDR stories from anyone, blogger or not!
• Asian American Bloggers, UNITE
• Brands to collaborate with, whether fashion, faith-related, beauty, or anything regarding relationships
• Local Southern California bloggers to meet up & collaborate with, either with a post or a video or a photoshoot, anything really! I'm down to just hang out haha. 
• Bloggers in general who want to collaborate or just talk! I am so extroverted & love meeting/getting to know new people! I might even just consider having a pen pal!
• Local LA/Orange County photographers looking to expand their portfolio. Let's get shooting!
• Even if you don't fit any of the other categories but wanna just talk, please reach out to me!

Whatever category you fit into or just want to talk, please shoot me an email! kriselle @ livinandlovin . com (take out the spaces). Or comment below if that is easier for you. Either way. I'm looking forward to collaborating with tons of people soon and getting this blog back up & running :)

Oceans Apart: What it's Like to Adjust to a Long Distance Relationship

This is my first official post on long distance relationships, or LDRs for short. I'm debating if I should create this as a series called Oceans Apart or not, especially because not all (probably most) LDRs are not oceans apart. We'll see how it goes. 
But anyway, it has been 4 weeks since Darell left me at the terminal when he left for Australia. So the past few weeks have been spent adjusting to him being gone, obviously. It's been pretty difficult for me in many areas, but it has also been quite refreshing as well. 

We have a large time difference.  In case you don't know, Sydney is 17 hours ahead from LA, at least when we're on Daylight Savings Time. This has been the biggest adjustment for me by far because it affects when I can talk to him. When I wake up in the morning, he's sleeping. When I get home from work & am free to talk to him, he's starting his morning so he's in class & can't talk much. Late at night around bedtime for me is the most convenient time for us to talk, unless he has a late afternoon/evening event. 
Despite the time difference however, it has managed to work for us so far. I'm pretty used to it already so it isn't such a big deal unless he's busy before I'm about to go to bed. 

Even when we're both awake, he can only talk to me through wifi.  Let's face it, international charges are ridiculous. Darell has a phone now with an Australian number that he can call/text with, but if he tries to contact me through it, we will both be charged with international fees (sorry mom for the few texts we exchanged before realizing this, woops). 
As a result, I can only talk to him when he has wifi, which is either when he is at home, school, or church. If he is out anywhere else or commuting, I usually can't talk to him. Again, I'm getting used to this which isn't too bad. As long as I can keep myself busy it's not an issue. 
I have a ton of free time! So this is probably the most positive thing for me since he has left, haha. Before he left in the months from his acceptance leading up to his departure, I spent almost every free second I could with him. Before that, on a normal basis when neither of us are preparing to move across an ocean, I usually would only see him on weekends and go a few days to a couple weeks without seeing him sometimes (this was before I had a car). 

However, since I spent the last 7 months trying to spend as much time with him as possible, now I have the freedom to do basically whatever I want, whether with myself or with friends. Darell probably would rather I go out & do stuff anyway, regardless of if he is in Sydney or here with me, but I just wanted to take advantage of my time with him before he left. 
I'm really enjoying this free time mostly to invest more in my friendships (can't you tell I'm an extrovert?). It's only been a month & it's been so nice. I'll probably write about this in another post in the future. 

I'm starting to see my insecurities come out, and are more amplified than ever.  Right after Darell left, I left for camp. It was the perfect distraction to start out this long distance thing because if it weren't for camp, I probably would've bawled my eyes out that whole week. 
However, when I came back, the reality of Darell not being around really start to hit me. Insecurities & fears that I have as a result of my past & other things in our relationship before began to fill my mind and it was driving me crazy. He and other people in my life reminded me and pointed me to Jesus. I'll be honest and say that it was hard because even though I knew that was what I needed, I didn't want to fully surrender because my fear was so bad. 
Since then, I have taken baby steps into focusing this time I have away from Darell on myself and my relationship with God. This will definitely be a whole other post in itself, but until then, just know that I am doing fine, and I'm being taken care of. 
-------------------------------- Just in these past few weeks alone, there has been a ton of growth in me personally, and I have really had to have faith. I'll go into detail in another post on all of that, but so far, being in a long distance relationship has been hard, but very good and healthy for me, actually. It sucks that I can't hug or hold hands with Darell when I feel like it, but it'll be worth it when I do see him (which will be soon (; )
We'll see where this takes us, and I'll do my best to document it!
Until then, give me tips for being in an LDR especially if you are as far apart as we are! I wanna hear your stories. 

Hey Guys, Are You Still There? It's Me, Kriselle--LDRs, Moving, & Jesus

Hello, there. 
Whether this is your first time on my blog or you've been waiting for me to post again, hey! I am still livin' and lovin' life, as my blog's name suggests. I am still alive, active, and breathing. 

So what has been happening with me since I've been gone? 
Moving-- I just moved into my new apartment last week! I'm still getting settled in but have been struggling because I've been having to unpack in between working 6 days a week. I don't have any good quality photos of my place yet, but I'm hoping to showcase a few once my apartment looks a little more like a home, especially my room. 

Right before Darell walked through the security line & had to leave me!

Long Distance Relationships-- If you follow me on any social media site at all (especially Instagram), you will see that I am now one half of a long distance relationship. The boyfriend has officially moved to Australia (it'll be one month since he left on Saturday!) and is living it up in one of the most wonderful cities in the world. The past few weeks have been such a rollercoaster, and don't worry, I can't be in a long distance relationship & not write about it. I have tons to say, so be on the lookout for that. 
Lots & lots of Jesus-- Kind of going back to the LDR, it has really shown me my need for my Savior. I've been slowly getting back into spending time with and relying on Jesus to sustain me. I've been taking baby steps to get back on track with my faith, and the little bits I've done have helped me so much. I'm excited to see where things go as I continue to choose Jesus every day. 
So, there's my life right now. You can probably expect that my future blog posts will feature a ton about these topics, and potentially college/job-related posts since I'm starting my final semester of college in just under 3 weeks. It's gonna be crazy but it's gonna be awesome. I can't guarantee a certain number of posts per week that I will be writing just yet, but I'll be making a comeback, just you watch me. 

Crazy Changes and Blessings

It's official! @hillsongcollege Thank you to @matthewansell for pushing me into taking a step into the unknown! My parents for supporting me on this crazy ride and @jaybastian1855 @duhhkrisellee for the crazy talks!! Oh and @ajc_93 for the overseas counsel ! so stoked for whats to come! Yeaaaaaaaaahp gofundme.com/darellgabriel #hillsongcollege #sydney #au #HILC2015

A photo posted by @darellgabriel on Jan 24, 2015 at 4:49pm PST

It seems that I haven't written a personal post in a while, and if you have been following me on Twitter or Instagram at all, then you may or may not already be aware of some things happening in my life. 
I've been going through a lot of changes and lots of things have been happening--all good things! It has just been such an intense past couple of weeks. 
I haven't posted on Instagram or Facebook yet, but on Twitter I mentioned it a few times--but Darell is moving to Australia! 
It's only for a year, but in July he'll be moving to go to school at Hillsong International Leadership College to study TV & Media. I am beyond excited for him and so proud of him for taking this step out of his comfort zone and being independent and pursuing his dream. The biggest struggle will definitely be the long distance relationship part, but we will definitely be working on that as time goes on, and thankfully Darell is so encouraging when I get sad or discouraged especially in that area. 
Darell has such a great heart and I'm so excited to see what's in store for him in Australia! If you feel led to do so, please feel free to donate to him as he fundraises for mostly his plane ticket! Even if it's a dollar, any little bit counts. AND, if you donate as a result of my blog, please email me and I'll send you a little gift as a thank you :] & Darell isn't making me do this, I'm just doing this because I love him and just want to support him in any way possible. You may donate through here. 
So that's what's happening with my boyfriend/relationship right now, and as for me...

I GOT A NEW JOB! 
I basically got the closest I can get to my dream job while still a full time student. I just got hired to work for Knotty, an accessories company, primarily to do wholesale sales with social media on the side. I've worked with them previously and have featured their accessories in a couple outfits before.   It's crazy how I started just as a blogger who spotlighted them in a couple posts and now I'm actually working for them! I only promote products or brands that I absolutely love and believe in, so when I feature Knotty on here in the future, please know that it is not because I was asked to feature them, but because I genuinely wanted to. Besides, if I didn't genuinely love this company after working with them as a blogger in the past, I probably wouldn't have applied to officially work for them, right?
My dream job would be to either work at a fashion/lifestyle magazine or work for some type of fashion/beauty/lifestyle brand doing social media/blogging. Even though that's not my primary job here, I still get to do it and I love it. 
In the meantime, we are having a Valentine's Day special at Knotty! From today until the end of February, use the code BEMINE15 at checkout to get 15% off your purchase! If you're unsure of Knotty, don't worry, you'll be seeing more of them on the blog soon [: 
Also, follow Knotty on social media if you haven't already! 
Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest
These next few months with this new job and Darell prepping to leave for a year is going to be such a difficult one, but it'll be worth it in the end. Please keep both of us in your prayers during this time of transition and change and growth! We'll definitely need it!