Teena Merlan | Writer

Quote

Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.
Gloria Steinem

The Game-Changing Language Learning Advice That Eased the Pressure

My first post about learning Japanese talked about how I switched schools to earn an associate’s degree in Japanese, but I don’t think I mentioned that the new school term starts a month later than the original one. I was excited to use the extra time to focus on what I need to improve the […]

Japanese

How to Watch Japanese Dubs on Netflix to Practice Listening Comprehension

Even though I’m still a beginner, I like to practice my listening comprehension as much as possible. One of my favorite things to do is watch Japanese television; it’s great for when I don’t feel like actively studying but still want to expose myself to the language. A lot of people caution against watching anime […]

Japanese

Welcome to My Japanese Learning Journey

I’ve always had great appreciation for language. I deeply admire anyone who speaks more than one language and have always wanted to count myself among them. I’ve wanted to learn Japanese since about the 7th grade — or at least that’s my earliest memory of wanting to learn. I’ve made multiple attempts over the last […]

Journaling

Why and How I Switched to Digital Journaling

Since I discovered it around the tender age of 9ish, journaling has been an important outlet for me to be creative, process life, and sort things out. As a result, I have amassed two sizeable boxes filled with every blank book I’ve ever filled with my thoughts: diaries from elementary school with useless little locks, […]

Guides & Reviews

3 Things I Changed About My Hair Care Routine For Healthier Hair

My hair has always been a point of pride for me. As soon as hairstyle was my choice (not my mom’s), I chose to grow it out long to copy one of my heroes, Sailor Mars. I kept it long for over 10 years, and in high school, people referred to me as “Teena with […]

Job Search

How I Landed My First Technical Writing Job

At my first job out of college, I created internal process documentation to help myself remember my responsibilities and how to perform them. When the company was audited months later, the auditors asked me to walk them through my process and were impressed when I handed them my written procedures. That was my first unwitting […]

Life Lessons, Minimalism

Letting Go of Old Wants and Beliefs

I’ve always wanted a library, so when I started my journey towards intentional living, I assumed I’d be one of those minimal-ish people who lived with generally less but still had a lot of books. The room I envisioned had enough windows to provide plenty of sunlight. A cushy chaise lounge nestled under the biggest […]

Life Lessons

Recovering From Shopping Addiction: Relapse and Forgiveness

This is a follow-up post to How I Treated My Shopping Compulsion. Complete recovery — both emotionally and financially — from my compulsive shopping disorder took many years. Recognizing the problem was the first of many steps on the road to recovery, but one I didn’t anticipate was relapse. Every time I relapsed and made […]

Guides & Reviews

My Most Important Thing to Check When Looking For a New Home

Whether you’re looking for a new home to rent or buy, if you’re not familiar with the area, you’ll need a reliable way to gauge the neighborhood. Of course I follow the traditional advice to check the school ratings, crime reports, and all that. I also check the social media presence of the police department. One […]