I stared at my computer screen for a significant amount of time before making this post. 

Even In the days leading up to typing this, I ran through numerous introductions in my head—erasing, re-wording, & over-analyzing how I wanted to express my online persona. Now, as I’m finally getting the words out, I’m still not sure of the direction this will go in. So let’s just start with the basics, yeah?  

Hi! As you can probably tell, name is Cristina. I’m currently living in the state of Hawaii–on the island of Oahu–and have been here since 2010. I’m originally from Kingston, Jamaica (hence “West Indian Girl“), but moved to the U.S. when I was about 9 years old. Brief backstory? We emigrated to Chicago, IL. for about 2 years before my parents made the decision to load up a U-Haul truck and relocate to Elk Grove, California. NorCal is where I spent the next 6 years of my life—completing middle school and high school—before I made the radical decision to move to Oahu for college. Mind you, I’d never visited Hawaii before, knew nothing about the culture, and not a soul from or living on the island… haha. My decision to apply to a school out here was all because I got a brochure in the mail; [hey, that recruitment strategy really works!] And here I am, 7 years later, still living on this beautiful rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I like to think that the reason I’ve stayed here for so long is because it reminds me of Jamaica—of home. 

Over the last 7 years, I have grown so, so, so much. The girl I was in high school would be proud of the girl… uh, I mean “woman” I am today. Sure, the college experience can be a pseudo-guide for becoming an “adult”. [Disclaimer: I am not discrediting anyone’s individual journey]. But going to a college you’ve never visited, that’s a 5-hour plane ride over the ocean, at least 3 times zones away from any of your family and friends, relying on public transportation to get anywhere, living with a roulette of complete strangers, and having to pay for your own food, rent, utility bills, etc. in one of America’s most expensive places to live was definitely a crash course to adulthood. I mean… the banks in Hawaii aren’t even the same as on the mainland, haha. What I’m trying to say is, I learned how to become Independent. Which I think is a much-needed value in becoming an adult.  

So back to this website! My intention behind creating this site is to use it as a creative outlet for both photography and personal expression posts, (like this one). Photography has always been a passion of mine. There’s just a feeling I get when I’m behind the camera; like time stops, and all I want to do is focus on capturing whatever beautiful scene is in front of me. And then there’s the thoughts that flow through my head! One thing I know about myself is that I’m a well-disguised introvert who gets anxious about chitchat. I hate small talk! Maybe it’s because I’m just not good at it? I’d be much more comfortable engaging in a 2-hour long conversation that allows me to learn more about how the other person thinks, or understanding their viewpoints on an issue. [Can you tell I was a psych major? Heh.] I plan on capturing some of my abstract daily thoughts in this Expressions section.   

Most of all, I wanted to create a space for myself that’s free from the internet’s social pressures. You know, that invisible pressure to get “likes” or “follows”, wondering who’s viewed your posts, or following unspoken-rules of only being able to post once a day. (Who decided on these norms anyway?) Instead, this will be my safe space, used to encourage, stimulate and inspire, while celebrating the person I am I becoming. 

If you got this far, thanks for reading!