#NerdsUnite: The cost of "whatever it takes" ... is it actually worth it?

#NerdsUnite: The cost of "whatever it takes" ... is it actually worth it?

"So what has Jen Friel been up to?" she asked as we sat down for an impromptus happy hour (my office happens to be across the street from her building).

With a straight face, and little to no emotion I said, "I've experienced a fundamental shift in the last 30 days, I'm ready to get married and have babies."

YAY!! She said super excited.

My actions weren't mirrored, and without an actual mirror, I'll just have to assume that my face looked something like this ...

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#NerdsUnite: Getting attention is one thing, being called to attention is another

#NerdsUnite: Getting attention is one thing, being called to attention is another

You can read the story here, but when my brother was getting picked on in the 3rd grade (I was in 1st), I WWF style “off the top rope” threw myself into his bully and broke up the fight. (Hashtag: Learned behavior from Brett Hart, Yokozono, and Razor Ramon.) Even at that age, I never thought about it or batted an eye - I took care of the situation, and we take care of each other ... fiercely ... and always. </tangent>

Assisting in el brother-ino's success (in whatever means necessary), I made sure to look the part, making my dress a top priority.

There is no better marketing than a woman in a beautiful dress.

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#Fact: Paybacks aren't always a b!tch

#Fact: Paybacks aren't always a b!tch

"Someone is going to get hurt! S/he is chasing her through rush hour traffic!" The woman then pulled on more stopped car doors, but each one would speed away. (Can't say I blame them. Without the full picture, they wouldn't have known that the woman was truly in need.)

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#Fact: I may be a woman, but I don't have to roar

#Fact: I may be a woman, but I don't have to roar

My neighbor used to ask me if I was okay, and I would always take a moment to pause wondering if he had heard me listen to “Nobody wants to be lonely” on repeat. (I sincerely wish I was kidding.) Never trust someone you share a wall with - they know everything.

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#YesAllWomen: A male's perspective

#YesAllWomen: A male's perspective

Rarely are we judged on our sexual actions, rarely do we fear walking home in the dark, rarely do we have to suffer cat calls and beratements based on our attire. Men as a whole sex have no idea what a girl goes through on a daily basis. No matter what small inconvenience we may have suffered once. It is not something we have to live with everyday. We can’t wrap our heads around it, because it is not our reality. So we stay silent because we don’t know what to say. Some men will sympathize, but no man can empathize. It would seem the only time men have something to say is when it comes to defending their honor. Because we are all honorable aren’t we. When women make broad sweeping statements about all men being some way. We react in hostility saying

#NotallMen.

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#NerdsUnite: Just let it go, man

#NerdsUnite: Just let it go, man

Think of life like a coloring book. No matter what you are given x amount of pages in this book. The lines are there, the basic objects you are asked to color are presented but it is YOUR CHOICE what colors you choose, what tools to color, do you even want to color within the lines or are you someone who enjoys coloring outside of them? Life just is. Period end of sentence. These experiences you have, the experiences we all have - are just that ... experiences. If you let them define you you're going to be in a world of hurt.

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#RealDeal: What being a relationship blogger taught me about relationships

#RealDeal: What being a relationship blogger taught me about relationships

I briefly told him about certain projects, but the proudest moment was in telling him that I honestly don't know. I don’t know why I am living where I am, or why I am doing what I do. I don’t know much of anything anymore, but things keep seeming to work out and the fact that I'm dealing with politicians who have read this site and high fived me for just going for it made me laugh. I thought for sure once they read about me they'd run.

He laughed saying, that’s when you’re really being honest. None of us know, but it takes all those trials, errors, and successes to at least have a better idea of what you think will work.

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#OpenLetter: Barbie = less dream house, more little shop of horrors
Life Jen Friel Life Jen Friel

#OpenLetter: Barbie = less dream house, more little shop of horrors

All of that was great to hear, but by the time high school hit, I was still super short, slightly awkward looking, and often referred to as "cute/smart one." I didn't just want guys to see me as the cute/smart one, I wanted to be lusted after (whatever lust is defined as in the eyes of a naive 14 year old girl). My best friend at the time wore a lot of makeup and was considered "the hot one," so I casually started borrowing more and more of her clothes (in addition to some wardrobe additions that my parents weren't aware of), and slowly but surely I was shedding all shades of cute and introducing the sun to newly formed parts of my body.

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#RealDeal: Living on both ends of the spectrum (Bipolar Hallway)

#RealDeal: Living on both ends of the spectrum (Bipolar Hallway)

I’ve been depressed lately. But instead of sitting in my room and sulking, I’ve made a conscious effort to mingle with people, and be social. It’s not working per-se, but it has got me talking about my condition. A friend asked me to describe depression, saying that it seemed like just being sad all the time, and while that might describe general depression, it isn’t true to my experiences.

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