I started doing this whole “internet thing” when I was 16 and I have been extremely fortunate to have a small, but extremely loyal audience, (for lack of a better term) for quite some time. Many of you have not only seen, but  have been a part of, me growing up to be the person I am today.

 As I’ve grown and evolved, so to have my interest; one of my biggest being skincare. It may seem odd, but there are a number of reasons I am a little more than slightly obsessed with skincare. It is certainly a well-covered topic, but in all of my reading and research, I’ve realized that there are very few skincare blogs written by guys. That’s why I have decided to start blogging about it.

 Before I go any further, it’s time for the disclaimers:

 I am by no means an expert: As I said, skincare is an interest. I do my best to be knowledgeable and stay up-to-date on the latest and the greatest, but I don’t know everything. I am learning every day and my goal is to share that process with you.

 One size (or product) does not fit all: Skin can be a moody mother… just because a product works for me, doesn’t mean that it’s right for you. Make sure you do your own research before you try a product. And please, if my miracle mask is nothing but a waste of money to you… don’t hate me… it may cause a wrinkle.

 With all of that out of the way, I will end with this… I am really excited to give this a shot. I know it may not interest all of you, but hopefully I can open the doors to an unexplored world of flawless skin and plump lips and maybe capture a few new eyeballs along the way.

 I have to go moisturize now.

 Until next time.

It is the 27th of March 2013, and the fight for marriage equality is back in the headlines.

 If you dig through the archives of this blog, you will see a number of posts that talk about same-sex marriage and equality, I’ve made it clear throughout the years that I feel no one should have to fight to be considered equal. I hesitated to write this post for days. I was afraid it would appear as though this issue is the only one that matters to me and that could not be further from the reality. 

 Yes, I am gay. But the truth is, I am far more than just a gay man. I am a son. I am a brother. I am friend. I am a college student who is trying to earn a degree; an intern who makes mistakes every day but is learning along the way. I am just a guy who is trying to find his way in the world; but that is exactly why I decided to write this. 

 As much as it saddens me, there is still a need for me to express my voice. It may or may not make a difference, but saying nothing just feels wrong. 

 I wake up every day with my only goal being to make it through that day and hope I have something to show for it. I’m just trying to live my life. 

 I will admit, I am someone who wants it all. I shoot for the stars, but secretly, I am hoping to be catapulted into the next galaxy. It’s a bad habit. -- I will also admit this; I am that guy who has dreamed about his wedding day. (There’s going to be white roses everywhere and an excessive amount of crystal.) 

 I want that day. I deserve that day.

 I understand that not everyone agrees with, or understands the idea of homosexuality. But homosexuals are not homosexuals... We are people. We are people who experience the same joys and sorrows of life that everyone else does. We do not choose this life. The only choice we make is to embrace who we are.

 My hope is that others will do the same.

Most places didn’t respond. Some turned me down. I turned a few down myself.

As December came around, I stared to accept the idea that my goal of finding an internship probably wasn’t going to become a reality. I wasn’t upset or angry. I felt more defeated than anything.

On the last day of the fall semester, I was stuck in traffic on my way home,  doing something on my phone when I opened my calendar. I glanced at it for a second.

“The year is not over,” I said to myself, "I have three weeks to find an internship."

On Wednesday of the following week, I was sitting at my desk, half awake... in my underwear, praying that the cup of coffee I had in my hand would help me feel alive. It was the perfect time to search for an internship. At some point, I stumped upon this very chic, minimalistic site.

I was browsing around the site, trying to learn as much about the firm as I could. On the "About" page, I saw very inconspicuous line of text that said:

“Interested in an internship? Take a number.”

  I stopped looking at the site and immediately started writing an email with my resumé attached. 

  I took my number and I’m now interning with Exposed PR.  

I feel extremely fortunate to have this opportunity. I am learning new things every day, and I work with 3 ridiculously beautiful girls. They are just as smart as they are pretty, which is kind of intimidating.

 We have cool clients too.

I know it’s not nice to play favorites, but... there’s this woman. Angela Lutin. 

She’s a dating guru/relationship expert/straight-up badass. Right now, her life mission is to write a weekly column for Ask Men. We have come up with a Twitter campaign/assault to capture the attention of our favorite Canadian publication.

It’s become my mission in life as well. (FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN HELP.)

 I really do love interning there. That said, I do have a few reservations.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to talk about them, taking into account the possibility that my boss may see this post. But I’ve always been brutally honest on my blog and continuing that trend is the only thing that feels right.

 My biggest concern at the moment is that I feel like I’m not contributing as much as I should be. I have this anxiety that I am not meeting the expectations of the others in the office.  I could be wrong. I hope I’m wrong. But I don’t really know if I’m wrong.

  I also feel like I don’t fit in, in a way.  It has nothing to do with the people there... I can’t really describe it. It’s kind of like that feeling you have when you’re a kindergardener and you walk into a room of 5th graders and think...

  “Wow! I want to be a big boy one day!”

Everyone just seems so polish and well-put-together. And then there’s me.

 Hopefully these things will work themselves out. But even if they don’t, I can say with certainty that this will be an experience I’ll remember forever. 

 I wake up every day, and for 16+ hours a day, I am confined to a wheelchair. That isn’t something that is normal for the majority, but it is for me.  Being attracted to someone of the same gender is probably another thing that is not normal for most of you; but 24 hours a day, 7 days a week... I am attracted to men. That is my normal... And I am more than okay with that. 

 Chick-fil-A isn’t though.

 In case you’ve been living under a rock, let me get you up to speed. In an interview with Baptist Press, the president of Chick-fil-A, Dan Cathy said, the company is “very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit.” He continues, “We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles.” He’s right. 

  Chick-fil-A is a privately owed company. That means its employees are free to say and do as they please. To be perfectly honest, my issue is not with Chick-fil-A’s stance. They can say whatever they want. I don’t have to like it. Cathy himself said that Chick-fil-A chooses to operate on “biblical principles”, which (debatably) condemns homosexuality. 

 Knowing that, I, being a homosexual, can choose not to give them my business. 

 To be honest, what bothers me most about this whole debacle is not Chick-fil-A’s stance. It’s the people who support Chick-fil-A that I take issue with. They are the reason I am writing this blog. 

 It turns out, that today is “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day” where individuals who support Chic-fil-A’s principles are coming out in droves to buy a chicken sandwich. As you would expect with something of this nature; people have taken to social media to voice their opinion on the matter. As I was scrolling through my Facebook feed, I saw a post (from a good friend) which bothered me greatly.

 As I said, this person is a good friend of mine, but the wording and psychology of this post, infuriates me. 

 Clearly this individual supports and agrees with the principles of Chic-fil-A, and that’s fine. But let’s focus on tolerance being a two way street. I assume they are referring to Chick-fil-A’s First Amendment right to free speech. Did someone say Dan Cathy can’t say the things he did? Is he behind bars now? I don’t believe he is. The real question is: Where is Mr. Cathy’s tolerance? He is the president of a large, influential fast-food chain and he has condemned a way of life because it is not his own; the company which he represents, has donated millions of dollars to organizations that are against same-sex marriage. At this point, I would like to remind all of you that marriage in 2012 is a legal right, not a religious one. A fact that Dan Cathy is seemingly unaware of.

 By choosing to support Chick-fil-A, a company who supports closed-minded suppression justified by religion, you are choosing to promote injustice and deny basic human rights. That is the only intolerance in this entire situation.

 I think I’ll find a KFC for dinner tonight.

The truth is, life has been keeping me busy. Not that I'm complaining. Unfortunately, it's nothing new or exciting. More of the same really… school, school, school and school. That accounts for my lack of blogging/video making to be honest. I am not suggesting that I have been so busy that I just haven't had time to write a thing. It's more, have I done anything significant enough to write about? My silence pretty much answers that one.

 Things have been good though. It's November, which means the holidays are right around the corner and if you know anything about me, you know that Christmas is a big deal. I mean, a big deal. It kind of sickening actually… but I'm looking forward to it nonetheless. 

 Come January, I am transferring to FIU to get a degree in Public Relations. I'm not someone who dislikes change, but I'm still nervous. I don't know why, but I always feel like I am ill-prepared for everything I do in my life. It's as though I've skipped every step prior to the one I'm currently taking. I don't know how to describe it, but it's a thing.

 When summer rolls around, I am hoping to get some sort of PR internship, somewhere. My dream is to intern in New York City. We'll see how that goes. I just want to make it to Christmas first.

 That has been and is, my life… give or take a few dinners and/or unnecessary shopping trips.

 Anyway!

 I know I have said this before… but I am going to try and do this more regularly. I miss it.

 Hope you all are doing well!