EP 25: Us, The Evolution

With the last person of the friend group finally turning 30, we are all now officially in a new decade as we continue through life. In this episode, we go through memory lane, talking about our own dreams and goals and how the events around us has shaped the paths we are currently taking. Lastly, we reflect on ourselves and our own evolution: how do we feel about it, what are we going to do about it and more. What about you? Have you looked into your own evolution lately? Has your goals changed from when you were a child to now or has it stayed the same? Join in on the conversation on our social media pages!

Transcript

Us the evolution

Hey, y'all welcome to United AF. As friends podcast, a show where we try to unravel the complexities of our multicultural friendship and existing because millennials in today's world every other week, we'll get us together for a deep dive into how our friendship has survived and have some laughs while doing it.

We're your hosts, Amanda Justine and Taylor. 

[00:00:23] Justine: So welcome back world. We're almost done with the first season of. United AF. How exciting. 

[00:00:30] Taylor: of, kind of crazy. 

[00:00:32] Justine: Yes, we're almost over. The season's almost over and then we'll get to take a lovely break and then come back. But before we do that, we are going to talk about the evolution of us as people. Individually, because. We have entered a new decade and Taylor is brand new to this decade and Amanda's a few months old and I'm legit excited to turn 31. 

[00:01:03] Taylor: Okay. Words. You never thought you'd ever say I am getting excited. So be out of this 

[00:01:10] Justine: So we are, entering a new decade. So I think it's a great time to reflect on our self Evolution. And we talked about our evolution of our friendship and that was way back in. How in the hell did we become friends? So if you didn't get to listen to that, Make sure you do. It's got a great intro. I love the intro to that episode. 

We talked, talked talked about our beauty evolution. As well. We do have two parts to that episode, so you can listen to part one and part two. But of course, then we need to talk about our own personal evolution since we are growing and learning and changing throughout the years. And I feel like if you're not changing throughout the years or growing, you're a boring person, sorry, not 

sorry. 

[00:02:00] Taylor: those as fighting words sometimes. 

[00:02:03] Justine: Yeah. I thought like somebody would get really upset about that. 

[00:02:07] Taylor: Yeah. It's going to be me. 

[00:02:12] Justine: Okay. Do you want to say something about it? 

[00:02:14] Taylor: No continue, but I'm not going to defend myself yet until you get into the meat and potatoes of this. But I, I, sometimes I think other people would then some of the stuff I like to do as boring. Oh, no. Okay. Let's talk about it. I did get a call from my sister, my younger sister on my birthday. And she was like, why aren't you doing anything? That's and then when I told her, why did she said, that sounds a little bit boring, you did what you wanted to do. I'm like, okay, thank you. She got, she got to the point in the end, but I'm like, I know, I know you see me as boring, but everybody will get over it at the end of the day. And actually no one of our friends, Jeff who's shares a birthday with us. He turned 34 and I turned 30 and he's like, you're turning 30. Why aren't you doing something big? He's like, you just need to, go home and put on your freak 'em dress and just go out and start feeling yourself. And I'm like, do I look like the freak 'em dress person? And he just kind of gave me one of those leveled gazes. And he's like, look what you think of as a freak them dress is different than what I think of as a freak 'em with anybody else. Those just do what you want to do. I'm going to do what I want to do and I'm going to go home and sleep. 

[00:03:27] Justine: Yes. I don't think that as boring. I'm just saying if you're not growing and learning and changing and acknowledging that you're changing throughout the years that's a bit boring. 

[00:03:38] Taylor: Okay. 

[00:03:39] Justine: There are times when I just want to sit at home and do nothing. 

and. 

[00:03:44] Taylor: you. 

[00:03:45] Justine: And that's completely fine. As long as you do what you, whatever you want to do. 

And you're having fun, even if it's not doing anything. 

[00:03:53] Amanda: Yes. Listen. Sometimes when you sleep, it's like the best thing in the whole wide world. 

[00:04:01] Taylor: somebody should have told me about naps when I was younger, because I refuse to nap as a child and I regret it as an adult. 

[00:04:09] Justine: Back to the program. So let's look back. At our younger selves and share. What our dreams and goals were. And what we wanted to achieve as adults. I didn't really think about a specific age that we should be talking about for this evolution. But if you want to share, if you had different dreams and goals, like throughout life, such as, in your childhood throughout. Elementary slash high school college. Like if you had if your goals changed every few years, you can definitely share that, but if they stayed the same. Pretty much throughout. That's fine too. Again, the question is what were your dreams or goals that you wanted to achieve as an adult. Okay.

[00:04:56] Amanda: So I want to say when I was younger, like elementary school, younger, what I thought was, what it meant to be an adult. It was basically, oh, have a car, have a house, have all this things. And that means you're an adult. So that will kind the goal, always just to get certain things and that way, just being able to get my own things, I guess. And then also career wise, oh God, I wanted to be in the very beginning a vet. And I would have loved that also, but also, cause that was I want to say around kindergarten because we know when they always ask, what do you want to be when you have those little, little things you put on the board. But then by was, I want to say in fourth, fifth grade, I wanted to be a librarian 

[00:05:50] Justine: Oh, 

[00:05:51] Taylor: now that I can definitely see that I could definitely see.

 And then 

[00:06:01] Amanda: I want to say by the time middle school, high school, I was like, all right, I need something that's realistic. And it's going to be like quick 

[00:06:10] Taylor: high returns. I need a lucrative investment of my education. And I want returns in the first three fiscal quarters. Let's go now. 

[00:06:20] Amanda: And so I think. Definitely in middle school, I was contemplating becoming a teacher. But then by high school was like F that I hate people. People and children, especially. know. Right. And then by a high school, I was just like, at this point, I just want something that's going to give me benefits. So yeah. But yeah, dreams, goals. I really, I couldn't really think of careers so much. Like dreams goals were really just being able to afford my own shit. 

[00:06:50] Justine: And so since you wanted that was there a particular career or yeah. Career field that you thought that would bring you there as fast as you want it.

[00:07:02] Amanda: Now when I was it. was more of a, oh, what about like to do, like when know, I liked animals and really liked books and teaching. I, I don't even know why the hell I thought could. I be a teacher one day, but I, I want to say, I never really thought I didn't really think. That through that, like, I didn't connect to the careers and the goals essentially that wasn't until like a much older, 

[00:07:35] Justine: okay. 

[00:07:36] Taylor: Awesome. 

[00:07:37] Justine: I do want to get into the whole asking kindergarteners, what do they want to be when they grow up? Like, why do we ask that question at such a young age? 

[00:07:50] Taylor: Okay. Can we talk? I don't think I ever got asked that question or if I did, I don't remember having an answer. I don't remember that all anybody ever asking in a classroom setting, it might've happened. I just don't remember it because I don't ever think I had an, I don't think I ever had an answer for it of what did you, what do you want to be when you grow up?

And I'm like, yeah. 

[00:08:16] Justine: I don't remember that personal either, but I know I've seen a lot of people do it. A lot of adults asking younger kids. What do you want to be when you grow up? And it's they haven't been exposed to the whole world. They only know what mommy and daddy do. And that's it. 

[00:08:32] Taylor: Agreed, 

[00:08:33] Justine: Like why would you ask a kid that. 

[00:08:35] Taylor: great. Shoot. Even ask them, where do you want to go to college? And he got older. I have no idea. No idea. 

[00:08:43] Amanda: Cause I don't know what I want to do. So know what college is best for me. 

[00:08:47] Justine: Yeah. exactly. Okay. Taylor. Do you want to share your dreams and goals that you wanted 

[00:08:54] Taylor: Dreams. Oh, yeah. So to go to piggyback off Amanda, like yeah. I said, I don't remember that being a part of a conversation of anybody ever asks me what all I want to be when I grow up, especially when I was younger. It wasn't until I got to elementary and middle school I wanted to, at first I wanted to go into a science research because of my mom dying young. I wanted to know, I need to find out how to fix this, how to make sure that it doesn't happen to other people. The, and then I got older, got exposed to more things. And then I was fascinated with plastic and cosmetic and reconstruction surgery. So for a good seven years, my goal was I'm going to go to college. I'm going to be a reconstructive surgeon, because when we were younger, plastic surgery was really. The new, it was like really getting developed. It was still new. And these people were coming out looking a hot mess. I know it doesn't feel like that. 

[00:09:55] Justine: I know I 

[00:09:56] Taylor: going, cause it's like the eighties to the early two thousands. Was that real development in that field 

[00:10:02] Justine: Does that age, us that it's like the plastic surgery was so new. When we were growing up. 

[00:10:11] Taylor: Okay. It, it, it, it, it really sad it like we grew up when they moved away, when they moved from silicone implants to saline. Because they, they were popping and people's things, they stay moved back that shift. 

[00:10:27] Justine: I still remember the first contact and having a, still, I forget which celebrity, but a celebrity was like an infomercial and talking about this contact and it was like this really new thing. And I'm just like, whoa, that's really cool. And all of that stuff. And I would just remember like that one wasn't there Yes,

[00:10:44] Taylor: no, because before that they were hard contacts. Like we have soft contacts, they were hard contacts they've moved, and this is all that like, okay. To get me for two seconds on myself. So box about immunizations and how people don't understand how fast things go. But we also have done a lot in a very small amount of time. We grew up before the, yeah, 

[00:11:08] Justine: Fucking 30 years. 

[00:11:11] Taylor: we went to college and that was when they first started or offering the HPV vaccine and they were doing it for kids our age. And that was a brand new thing where they were doing it and the girls were coming out and passing out and then they had to change the way that they did it. So they changed. That was a new vaccine in that time, which is not. Decades and decades ago was a decade ago, but people really forget that we did that really quick and it was something new and people just go out and like, the commercials are fine or everyone's just like, oh yeah, duh, I'm going to get my daughter or my son vaccinated for that. Because when they first started it, they were only giving it to girls. Like all these things have really changed. Even meningitis, that vaccine difference from my sister, going to college, to me, going to college, we had a decade between us. And then that's just a thing. And since we've done that, they've changed it. That you get that in before you start sixth grade in the state of New Jersey, you have to get the meningitis vaccine. All of these different things have happened in our lifespan. There have been such great changes in music we've gone from VHS. No, we've gone from cassette tapes to CDs, to MP3 players, to just nothing to the streaming services. 

[00:12:36] Justine: I collected so many CDs. I saved up my money so that I could buy one CD because a CD costs $19.99. And when I was cleaning. Out my room when we were selling the house, I had a tower that like was a carousel that I think it held 80 CDs and it definitely had a CD player that, you would also have these little pockets to put the CDs in cause obviously you're not going to bring the full album because then that can break and you need more space. So it's just Going down memory lane too. Didn't think we were going to do that, but I'm happy we are. 

[00:13:12] Taylor: Yeah, no. Cause if we're talking about the evolution of us, yes. Like I should focus on like career-wise and stuff. And I do know that you 

say, okay, all right. 

[00:13:31] Taylor: So within our 30 years we have had such massive changes in everything. And then like, when people talk about, oh, your parents don't understand, you grew up in a different time.

Yes. That is always going to be a thing because not only are we evolving, the world is always evolving around us and it's just crazy. Like we have, did you ever think that they would actually start commercial flights to outer space? Cause like there were in, it was in literature for years. It's like, oh yeah, eventually it's gonna be like, yeah, you can just hop on a ship and go to Mars or go to a different universe.

But even just, we made it to the moon with extremely skilled people. That, that was what they studied to do. And the rest of us are like, okay, that makes sense. The people who study this stuff should go to the moon. They're ready for it. Now we got just billionaires. Like, Hey, I bought a ship, a rocket or whatever. Let's go bank. You that's the word? I couldn't think of a shuttle. I bought a shuttle. and I'm just going to take six of my friends and let's go 

[00:14:50] Justine: Yeah, cause they can hire a team to do that for them. They have obviously the money and there's. The everyone can get that knowledge 

[00:15:00] Taylor: Yeah, but it wasn't even a thing to think about when the challenge, it was like 1988. That's not too long before we were born where those were very skilled people that. lost their lives. People still weren't thinking, oh, well, it's okay. There we'll be able to do that. No, you're just like, oh my God, it's a tragedy. But they've worked in those 30 years. They've worked all the kinks out. Now we can just Willy nilly send people like everything is fascinating. Like contact lenses, differences in cosmetic surgery, cars that drive themselves, google 

[00:15:41] Justine: Even just, having a backup camera. In the car. We, when we first started driving, there's no cameras in the cars. 

And, you had to look back and and you would be a really skilled driver. If you can, look back and drive and reverse. And all of that stuff has how I go into your street. Every single time I pick you up. But God, I love having the rear view camera because it's just it's so helpful. 

And yeah. And that way you don't end up just like, all right, I'm just going to wait until I hit the sidewalk and that'll be my little notification.

[00:16:18] Taylor: Yeah. 

[00:16:19] Justine: too close already. Yeah. And then. Just even the internet itself. So we grew up without the internet and then the internet came. And, but even just like with that, with encyclopedias, when we had to do research. For our projects. We went to, I remember going to the library, I forget which grade it was, but like a number of us. 

[00:16:42] Taylor: It was somewhere in middle school where we were 

[00:16:43] Justine: yeah, 

[00:16:44] Taylor: there for like 

[00:16:45] Justine: went. Yeah. And we were looking through encyclopedias Yeah. The internet, I don't did it. Exists. I have 

[00:16:53] Taylor: no 

it was dial up back then. Okay. So that's 

even, 

giant, 

Leap in the 

past 25 

[00:17:01] Justine: Yeah. Encyclopedias and watching, these YouTube channels where they're showing kids. Oh, here's an encyclopedia. Do you know how to use this? And it's like, gosh, what are we going to do when we don't have the internet? Do they understand how to look up things in a system like the Dewey decimal system. Right? If you're, if you have a library of stuff, And your internet goes out or, Your files on the computer are gone. How are you going to look that up in, in the hard copy? And I don't think they, I don't know if people know how to do that nowadays. 

So it's just very interesting. 

[00:17:42] Amanda: Yeah. tell you, took me back with that Dewey decimal system. 

[00:17:51] Taylor: Remember we 

[00:17:52] Justine: librarian? 

[00:17:53] Taylor: Yeah, I know. But think about it You had a library class where you had to learn what was in what section? Remember what section do you go to for biographies? What do you go do for art? What do you go for science? Where's your fiction? Where's your realistic fiction?

All of that. And you're like, I really need to know all 999 numbers, even though it's. Tend to 

[00:18:17] Justine: But I loved checking in and out and putting Your name

in and your 

[00:18:21] Taylor: on that? Yes. That was the best

[00:18:23] Justine: That was yeah. And then if you're renting that the same thing out again, and then you see your name again, you're like, oh my God. 

[00:18:32] Taylor: until you get to a point where it's like a Harry Potter book and they're like, look, you can not take it at another time. There was a list of people who need it. Oh man. No. Yeah. But no, the internet going from dial up to DSL then to wifi, that wasn't even a 20 year thing. 

[00:18:55] Justine: not at all.

[00:18:56] Taylor: That happened. Very, everything kept turning and then it's like, oh, you still have a dial up line. You still have a DSL. Oh, you're not on a wifi yet. You don't have a router in your house. 

[00:19:07] Justine: But even the massive sizes of the computers back in the day. To this flat screen that does that barely takes up any space. Oh, my gosh. I just remember, even with TVs too. It's the same thing with TVs and you're trying to carry that shit. Oh, my God. It's. Like carrying an air conditioner. 

[00:19:30] Taylor: Pretty 

[00:19:31] Justine: lighter, but like still, it's pretty happy. 

[00:19:34] Taylor: In theory, I get where you're going. 

[00:19:36] Justine: For those people who, who have never held. a, a massive computer screen or even a TV screen who have only held those flat screens. 

[00:19:47] Taylor: How about the people who just don't know what towers are? 

[00:19:49] Justine: Oh, my gosh. 

[00:19:53] Taylor: Yeah. So like, so this is our version of O tripping down memory lane. and then the kids who are just like a decade younger than us are like, wow, you guys are so old. You had this like cell phones. These kids are getting cell phones at three and four years old, yeah. And it's really 

[00:20:19] Justine: And we had the flip phones and we thought it was so cool.

[00:20:23] Taylor: that if you had a Nokia on you were cool. 

[00:20:27] Justine: Hi. Yes. 

[00:20:28] Taylor: that phone, the best phone ever. 

[00:20:32] Justine: It's funny. Cause you'll say you love. This game like snake, but haven't downloaded snake to, play it on my phone. 

[00:20:39] Taylor: Cause we'd never get anything accomplished if we did. 

[00:20:43] Justine: But I feel like that's the. If you get a Nokia, that's the only game you play. But at the. same time, there weren't a lot of games back in the day. Either there wasn't like a frickin, app store for that shit. So 

[00:20:53] Taylor: No. So like we had cell phones, 

[00:20:57] Justine: With the T9. Is it the T Nine?

[00:20:59] Taylor: Yeah. With a T9 where you had to memorize all the different letters. So you can do it where you're talking to somebody 

[00:21:05] Justine: Driving 

[00:21:07] Taylor: while you're not driving well, like driving now is different where you can still do that. We get a full keyboard, but back in the days where like I'm walking home and I'm talking to somebody, but I also need to text my mom, like, Hey, I'm doing this dah, dah, dah, you have to predict, you have to remember which letters were, which yeah. Cause it was three letters per number, except for 

[00:21:26] Justine: for four. 

[00:21:27] Taylor: LMNO or together and w X, Y, 

Z we're together. Let's see. 

Yeah. 

[00:21:33] Justine: And 

then. 

[00:21:34] Taylor: knowing that, 

[00:21:34] Justine: Every. Text message was about 10 cents each. 

[00:21:38] Taylor: yes. Dope. So we went from you could only call people 

[00:21:43] Justine: yes. after 

nine, 

[00:21:45] Taylor: after nine. 

[00:21:46] Justine: was free. 

[00:21:47] Taylor: Yeah. You gotta call people after nine. You could only text so many times a month because if you went over it, it was charges were. So I, I remember what the first time I went over and I felt bad. 

[00:22:03] Justine: Oh shit. 

[00:22:05] Taylor: Yeah. And 

[00:22:06] Justine: over.

[00:22:08] Taylor: was a big, was a big map because I did it.

That was text messaging, but then text messaging eventually rolled up. 

[00:22:15] Justine: Yes. 

[00:22:16] Taylor: And then I got, I was like, okay, if I can space myself out and only do like, and that's why I do really long text messages with like semi-colons and stuff. When people get mad at me still. And I'm like, I remember when I had to pay for these.

So we're not doing that again. And then even why not wifi having what is that stuff called? Data, data 

on your phone. 

It was hella expensive. 

[00:22:39] Justine: Yes. it's still, it was expensive, but like people still have, I think when I was back in the states, I did limit to, I think, two gigs a month just because I was always connected to the wifi. So if I'm connected to the wifi, why do I need to pay for more gigs? And. If you're, if I'm commuting into the city and I want to listen to music, I just download the music and that way again, I'm not using data and and you put it on offline mode. So for cheaper plan,

[00:23:08] Taylor: You learn the hacks. 

[00:23:09] Justine: Exactly. But now you're just like, huh? If I can get unlimited data, then I might as well pay for that. 

[00:23:17] Taylor: Right. Right. So, yeah, that was a complete off the topic from your initial question, but it sparked all around. 

[00:23:34] Taylor: So yeah. I wanted to be a reconstructive surgeon and I was 

[00:23:40] Justine: By the way, sorry. 

I love how w this is. We get from re constructive surgeon to, like all these other things that just went by really fast. 

Throughout The years when we were growing up to what did we just to data.

and all of the internet and shit like that. And I was just like, I just it's. So it's always great to see how he jumped from one thing to another thing. And it was like, oh wait, we need to get back to the first topic. 

[00:24:04] Taylor: to the actual question. Yeah, so I did that. That was the impetus of me throughout middle And high school. I was like, this is what I'm going to do. This is on it. It helped me with deciding, okay, these are the colleges I want to go to. This is what I need to do. Dah, dah, dah. I'm going to go to med school and go to med school, med school.

Then I got to college and I took chemistry. I did the chemistry group, started taking bio. And then I realized, you know what? I don't need to stress myself out because a lot of other factors came into my life in that point. And I was like, I can't stress myself out to the point where I'm going to be miserable. It was still my goal then, but I put down the rush of doing everything. I need to get it done. I needed to get it done. I need to get it done. I needed to get it done. I needed to get it done because I realized, and this is part of the growing about yourself. I realized I didn't want to be like the people my classes, 

[00:25:08] Justine: And how were they? 

[00:25:09] Taylor: like, nitpicking for grades.

And like, I understand if you feel like something's been wrong, like being wrong, tiller that being annoying about stuff in class and nitpicking, tiny things that are subjective to start with. I don't have the energy to do that right now. It's not worth it. I don't want to be with people like that where I'm working.

And I think that's what it is because those become adults that nitpick about things that don't matter when you look at the overall picture and that's something I don't need in my life. So I'm like, I'm gonna get my degree. I switched over to anthropology. Really loved it. Enjoyed those classes that might agree. It learned there didn't learn until I was graduating that it's not really a lucrative, like I wasn't focused like Amanda and like, I need to make money.

It's not a lucrative field, unless you've had a master's degree minimum, and then you're fighting for like you can work. You can make it work for you in other fields, like learn a HR and anthropology go well together because of the understanding how environments work, people, environments. how I've always been good. I can flow between groups and I know how to fall in and I can see like, what are the hierarchies and who works well with this? I'm good at that. So it's about turning that into it. But my issue was, I didn't have any working experience in office settings and stuff, because I worked in a bakery.

My schedule didn't work where I could have an internship that was six hours a day and not get paid. My situation, I need to be working and getting paid. I can't dedicate myself to this time. I'd have an unpaid internship in order to get a job later when I need money now. 

And when I was going out to interviews and stuff like that. I am great when I'm talking to you, but on paper, I have no experience. So who's going to hire me. And these are, and it's like entry level positions that want two years experience that make no, no sense 

[00:27:23] Justine: we talked about that in the previous episode too. I was In the continuing. Education. 

[00:27:30] Taylor: Yeah. So I'm like, all of this makes no sense. You know what I'm going to, I'm putting my dreams on hold. And then I grew and I grew and I'm like, that's not what I want to do anymore. So then I've switched over to law because I see that with my skillset and what I like to do and what I'm good at, I'd be better in the law field than I would be in medicine. I could be a lawyer for, for, in the medical department like that I could still do, because that is something I'm still, I still love. I still love science and everything, but I'm not the person that needs to be in a lab. I don't think I do well in a hierarchy of a hospital.

[00:28:08] Justine: And that's another thing too even though we think of lawyers or doctors, or, any of these career fields or even finance actually we think of one particular sector and you're like, okay, I need to lawyers are there to. Defend people whenever like divorce cases, whatever it is, 

but you do need. The legal department. In some other sectors. 

[00:28:33] Taylor: other field. Every other 

[00:28:35] Justine: There you go every other sector and one. we're not exposed to that two. We don't even think about that. So you don't even think it's like, again you're picking one specific path. That's going to bring you all the way to that specific sector when, Hey, you could have done this. And combined somewhat your interest and also, what you've studied for. So like you were saying with the medical, you can be, you can do legal for that. Like for, in hospitality, they have a legal department as well. And then you. get the same perks as people who work in hospitality, operations, which is nice too. 

[00:29:06] Taylor: exactly. 

[00:29:08] Justine: So. You too, Amanda, if you ever want to get out of your sector, your industry go to hospitality. And that way you can get some nice perks, too. 

[00:29:18] Taylor: Justine's got that all the hookups. 

[00:29:20] Justine: Yeah, I guess. 

Just different recommendations. 

[00:29:26] Taylor: Yeah. And I think that's part of what's lacking in this country and that we had, I know we've talked about it before, where we had the career day thing that they did our junior and senior years or senior year, but I think that they didn't ask for enough diverse things. So they had a doctor, they had an osteopath, but they're still other things like knowing that the difference between an osteopath and a chiropractor. Because I thought they were the same thing. They're not like all these different knowing the differences within the, the each sector, knowing the difference between a forensic accountant and a standard accountant, knowing the difference between somebody who works in HR versus somebody who is just in 

[00:30:17] Justine: There's 

[00:30:17] Taylor: just the in help me out. Yes. There's different levels to everything, but we just see the dress-up versions. Like I want to be a pilot. I want like, yes, you can like aeronautics. If you want to be a pilot, if you wear glasses, you're already at a disadvantage because they want you to have perfect vision. But you could still love aeronautics and go into the different parts of it. You can develop planes, you can be an aeronautics 

engineer. You can work in aircraft control. You could be a flight attendant. 

[00:30:48] Justine: Oh, yeah. And. Me. if I really wanted to pursue being in, theater or on Broadway. I could have been more behind the scenes versus an actress. 

[00:30:57] Taylor: You could have been a stage manager. 

[00:30:58] Justine: you go. 

[00:30:59] Taylor: Just. 

[00:31:00] Justine: yeah my dreams. They were in the fashion industry. I had an interest in fashion, I think, later on, in elementary school. And I really wanted to be fashion designer. I was actually drawing things that drawing dresses and stuff like that. But I also knew that was one hard to get into. And two probably wouldn't make me a lot of money either. But I was also interested in journalism and I really liked. 

One of my favorite magazines back in the day was glamour. And I wanted to write for glamour too. And so it was like, okay, so how do we combine the two? And so I did. want to work in the fashion industry. And I wanted to do fashion journalism. But then when I got to FIT. I ended up doing PR, but that's because I was also like, I ended up working with one of like my so I worked for an internship. Left and then, helped out again. Later on, and then that's how I was connected with the, PR firm or the startup PR firm. And and started working in PR. 

And then why am I doing this whole thing? Hold on. Sorry. I 

[00:32:04] Taylor: your dreams. You were, you went to fashion, you ended up in PR, you were telling us how you and why you were in PR 

[00:32:10] Justine: Yeah, but that's a, so my, but the question is about my dreams and my goals. like going into how 

[00:32:16] Taylor: fashion. You were there at 

fashion. It's it's we started, we were still at we're starting at fashion. We did fashion journalism and said no. Now we were at PR 

[00:32:26] Justine: Yeah, but the thing is that was the dream. That was the goal to be, in the fashion industry. And working in fashion journalism clearly that changed, because I'm no longer in that and I'm in human resources. But the other goal that I had when I was younger and especially starting at 13, and this is when my parents got divorced as well. 

Was that I need to grow up fast. I need to become adult as soon as possible, and I need to be as independent. As possible because I felt like I needed to do that since my parents got divorced and my mom needed to take care of two people and I didn't want to be such a burden to her. So for me, like my goal was to become an adult. 

As quick as possible. And it wasn't even just it was just making sure that I don't know, just. Reach into be an adult. Like as soon as I can, even though my family never viewed me, I felt like my family never viewed me as an adult, but yeah, that was. the, Those were my dreams and my goals back in the day. 

[00:33:24] Taylor: I just related to that. So what did being an adult look like? 

[00:33:30] Justine: What did I was hoping to move out of my mom's house, but I didn't until I was 28, but that's because I moved to LA, but with working. at a startup for, I think like three, four years. I didn't really have enough money to do that. So I really couldn't do that anyway. But it was just, it was also getting a job and like Amanda being able to pay for my own things. And yeah, and go shopping a lot and not have to rely on mom or my aunts to go on shopping sprees. And I did buy a lot of things for myself. 

[00:34:12] Justine: Alrighty. So let's move on to the next. Question. And talking about personalities, because I remember even when we were talking about first impressions and Taylor, I remember you were saying you had a description of me. That kind of seemed pretty similar to what I am now. So. Just looking at your own selves. What was. Your personality, like when you were younger. If you even want to think about your Myers-Briggs or if you want to recall which, which personality type you, where you can share that, or even Enneagrams do you think you ha you would have had the same result if you took that test? 

When you were younger, whether that was in high school or college. So yeah. What are your thoughts on your personality back in the day? 

[00:34:55] Amanda: When I was younger, I would say I was a people pleaser. I was very much the type to follow and do what anyone else like when anyone kind of wanted me to do, I want people to like me, so yeah, I did whatever. 

[00:35:09] Justine: where, 

[00:35:10] Amanda: changed. 

[00:35:10] Justine: Before you get into that. Even with a thing, like being a people pleaser. Did you like to do any of the things that. People would want you to do as well? Or did you just not 

[00:35:21] Amanda: trying to think. So when I was younger, there were these other kids in the classroom who were like the cool kids outside. If they didn't like someone, then I was like, okay, I'm not going to like that person because 

[00:35:36] Justine: Mm. 

[00:35:37] Amanda: hanging out on them type of thing. 

[00:35:38] Justine: I

see. Okay. 

[00:35:40] Amanda: issues with the people they do.

[00:35:41] Taylor: Like but as a kid, you don't want to be ostracized get it, Amanda. 

[00:35:47] Justine: Yeah. 

[00:35:47] Amanda: But the thing is, they, they weren't ostracized because it was like three people. Right. Who kind of pushed out like four other people. And then I was kind of like in the middle. So it was like, okay, I'm just gonna move over this way type of thing. Like, I wouldn't have been ostracized that like I would have had, I could have just gone with these other group, but I just wanted to follow the cool kids type of thing. When I would there was a time when I think I went out and hung out with them after school and my parents gave me rules.

Like, you need to call, you need to tell me where you're going, blah, blah, blah. I didn't do any of that because none of them did it. It was, shit liked that, that, obviously that's not the case. Now I can give two shits. We can think about me and listen to you. They're like me, you don't, problem, not mine. But I don't even really know when that starts to change. Well, no, I do know it was in middle school when I started to change, because obviously you see the way our school worked. Our school system worked, there was a bunch of different elementary schools, one middle school. So we all went in there and Just brand new people.

And the people that I went to school with originally never saw at all throughout middle school. even saw them in high school too.

[00:37:01] Justine: so just to give a little bit of. a background for for our school system, all of us went to 3 different elementary schools except Taylor joined my school when it was fourth grade, because it was the academically talented program, but we all, how many schools did we have in our district? 

[00:37:20] Taylor: There seven elementary schools 

[00:37:21] Justine: Okay. seven elementary schools And then all of those schools. merged when. You were in middle school. and high school. 

[00:37:31] Taylor: For us, it was only seventh and eighth grade in middle school, but they have since moved it to six, seven and eighth 

[00:37:37] Justine: Oh shit. Okay. 

[00:37:39] Taylor: know that. Okay. 

[00:37:40] Justine: And then obviously high school. is 9, 10, 11, 12. Yeah. So. Go ahead, 

[00:37:47] Amanda: Yeah, it changed the middle school because I didn't see any of those people again. So it was more of a all right. I got to figure out who, my figure out my person, I do me. Yeah. And then, and, you know, kinda got supported was like, no matter what I did, people either like me or didn't like me. So I was like, all right, by the time I got to high school, it's like, fuck y'all 

[00:38:06] Justine: Okay. 

[00:38:07] Amanda: and I can see you saying exactly. I know I had such attitude in high school and the Lord 

[00:38:15] Justine: And yet I wanted

to 

be 

[00:38:16] Amanda: changed. I know, you know what it was though. I feel like in my attitude, it wasn't as bad if I enjoyed the classroom. If I enjoyed the class and I liked who I was around, it wasn't like most of the time people didn't even know I had an attitude because I was just quiet.

I not going to say anything. I there's no need for me to say anything. And so. Choir was one of those classrooms, 

[00:38:45] Justine: yeah, 

[00:38:46] Taylor: yeah, you enjoyed government and politics. 

[00:38:49] Amanda: No. was one of the ones where it's like half the classroom. I couldn't stand. And so that was when the attitude came out full force. 

[00:39:05] Justine: I would say I would. I'm A little bit Similar to Amanda where those classes that I didn't like, or didn't know anyone, I was quiet as hell. I didn't even talk. And I loved it. I lost my voice at some point in high school. No, I guess I was senior year because we were doing 

announcements 

[00:39:22] Taylor: year. 

[00:39:23] Justine: It gave me an excuse not to even participate in class either. So that was great. But obviously in the other classes, Where I had friends, I was more outgoing. I feel like I was probably, and that's why you guys think I'm more extroverted than introverted. I think that's where I was like it probably Back then I was a little bit more extroverted. and, and I feel like I was too high maintenance. And trying too hard to be an adult. But trying to also find my fashion sense at the same time. Cause I was wearing heels in high school too.

[00:39:58] Taylor: Yes, 

[00:39:59] Justine: Yeah. It's I don't even wear anymore. So sad. But yeah, I feel like I was just. too high maintenance and. I didn't want to be part of the group. 

[00:40:11] Taylor: You were always trendy. I 

[00:40:12] Justine: Yeah, There you go. Let's just, let's. Say that let's just say I was trendy Okay. Apparently I was a bitch at times, but that's fine. 

[00:40:23] Taylor: not to us. I

[00:40:24] Justine: know. I was like, what? why I'm saying at Times. All right, Taylor, how w. How was your personality when you were younger? Same difference.

[00:40:33] Taylor: I don't know because I don't remember being a shy child. I started out shy. No. Okay. Now I was really shy, but my mom said I was clingy, but like I was always going to go out and yeah. Talk to people. When I was little, I feel like I kept that until I got to college. And then I was like, I don't have to be that person anymore. I don't have to be the first one to walk up to you and say, Hey, how are you? What's the weather? Like, even though they still want you to like network and stuff, but I think I've always been an extroverted person. So I've always been an extroverted person because I am old because I've always been aware that I can like, Justine you said that you were a bitch. I look intimidating sometimes not by the other thing, but like when I'm in complete neutral face mode, I look angry. I will admit. I've seen myself. No, but it's not, it's not even resting bitch face. it's I look like I can beat you up. 

[00:41:40] Justine: Okay. 

[00:41:41] Taylor: Okay. Because no, cause guys think about what, what is my go-to thing? Jeans t-shirt and a hoodie. And then I don't stand up straight. I'm crouched over a little bit. 

[00:41:55] Justine: Yeah, you have your. Hands in your pockets, especially if the 

[00:41:58] Taylor: I look 

like, 

[00:42:00] Justine: Yep. 

[00:42:01] Taylor: I look like I'm ready for a fight. And when my face is in neutral mode, it looks very intimidating. I'm like I'm wearing a, if I have a hat on, it's a whole thing I've always known. I need to exude oh, warm and safe environment when I'm talking to people. So I've pulled back on doing that because I'm sick of being the person to initiate stuff and that I've become more reclusive. As an adult, my mom thinks I have. I'm one of those persons that whenever I'm invited out to stuff, I do it. I don't a lot of times, a lot of times I don't, because I'm like, I don't have the mental capacity to deal with other people today. And that's the thing I had to learn because of y'all know, I have a history of burnouts. Like I get to the, it would be, I get to the end of the school year. I'd go to everything that needed to happen. And then as soon as I could turn my adrenaline rush off, I'd be sick. I had to learn that, putting myself out there for other people and making sure that, you know, I was there, you invited me to something. I go, I had to learn to say no. And that is something that I have this past decade it's taken me so long to. And that's what I'm hoping 30 is where I learned to put myself before other people, because I tell people I'm selfish and they don't believe me. Yeah, exactly. You're like Buster, you're not. And I'm like, but I am at the end of the day. Cause a lot of times I can just, I don't want to do something. I really don't like, I know I don't want to do it. 

[00:43:44] Justine: that's more of out of exhaustion, not because you're doing. it Like taking time. For yourself or like self care.

[00:43:53] Taylor: Oh, I love self care man. Just give me a time. I need to get back to being the person who took care of herself like that. My days where I would sit and I would do my nails or I give myself a pedicure. I just not do anything. I need to get back to that. 

[00:44:10] Justine: I feel. like Also just being in a different city. Changes my personality a little bit, because I Have to be more like inviting what you were saying Taylor. You used to do that and now you don't, but now I'm acknowledging, I need to put on a more friendlier face because my rest. bitch face is not a welcoming face. And so if I want to be approachable or seem approachable, I need to put on, a nicer face or whatever, welcoming vibe, because my vibe is fuck off. Don't even get near me, being in a different country where I don't know many people. I'm going to have to be a little bit like, okay. I have to be more aware and okay. Let's look. Friendly. I couldn't think of the word. 

[00:45:05] Taylor: Not scared. The people 

[00:45:07] Justine: Yeah, and I feel like I still need to work on that, but it's getting there. 

[00:45:13] Taylor: we're all works in progress. We have at least a good 50 years on us. And anything after that is gravy. Huh? 

[00:45:29] Justine: Alrighty. Clearly our dreams and goals have changed since we were younger and let's change because of so many different factors of our lives. And we were just, talking about it throughout the conversation. I won't name everything, but. Hopefully, if you were actively listening, but for the next decade, Ooh, 10 years. 

 What are your goals for the next decade and what are you most excited about for, I think maybe this is two parts. So your goals for the next decade and what are you most excited about for the next few decades in your of 

[00:46:04] Amanda: Hmm. Okay. Well, definitely want to take the CPA exam. I want to at least take all four parts I would like to I wouldn't feel too horribly if I didn't pass only because I know that's a real hard exam that not a lot of people pass it to begin with. So you got it though. We have faith in you, Amanda. I would like to get a house. And I also want out, I want a specific, I want a house with a large enough backyard so that I can get dogs. So they have a place to roam around 

[00:46:36] Justine: Are you going to foster or adopt?

or both?

[00:46:39] Taylor: farm both. I'm thinking both. 

[00:46:42] Justine: Okay, nice. 

[00:46:44] Taylor: rescues.

[00:46:46] Justine: Oh.

[00:46:49] Taylor: I'm excited. Amanda puppies. I can imagine it all for it. 

[00:46:57] Justine: Yeah. And then you leave your finance job. And then you create this whole Amanda's rescues. 

[00:47:05] Taylor: Geez. And it's no, cause there are state grants to do that stuff. You just have to look them up and take the time to fill out the paperwork you can make it happen. There's all, there's always a way. There's a ways away. 

[00:47:23] Justine: Okay, so you want a big house with a backyard or sorry, a House with a big backyard. So you can have a bunch of dogs. To foster. and adopt. 

[00:47:31] Amanda: Definitely don't want the kids or the marriage. I'm good with the out. 

[00:47:34] Justine: Yes. Very nice. Same here. 

Okay. 

[00:47:39] Amanda: I would like to one day hold the title of either or CFO. 

Yes.

[00:47:47] Justine: Yes. 

[00:47:49] Taylor: That's what we want. So hopefully by the end of this decade, I'll have that 

that's right. 

[00:47:59] Justine: Very nice. 

[00:48:00] Taylor: I like that. 

[00:48:01] Justine: Me too. 

[00:48:02] Taylor: Gonzalez, 

[00:48:04] Justine: C F O Bitchez man, that's going to be great. Taylor.

[00:48:13] Taylor: agreed. Get into and finish law school by the time I'm 40. I really haven't thought past there really a new job. That's it? Short term goals, a new job in the next year. 

Long-term okay. Long-term for 30 to 40 is Yeah, Loss loss. Well, it's gonna be a big chunk of that. Moving forward in my life, I want to own my own business or law firm consulting, consulting, firm, law firm, business, whatever I want to do that.

Not so much, not so much on the marriage, but the plan is still to adopt children in my forties because I'll be ready for them then. Yeah, that's, that's pretty much it. Oh, I will. Okay. So I want to Backyardigans type cul de sac. I want to be that rich by the time I'm in my sixties.

So my F the backyard again is, were Backyardigans were kids.

It was a kids' TV show after we were kids. And it was, they lived in a cul de sac and , all their houses were right next to it. So it was the dead end cul de sac type thing. I want cul de sac house where it like, it's like Malori is in one house. I'm in another. 

[00:49:23] Justine: Amanda's in another, 

[00:49:24] Taylor: Yeah. Only. 

[00:49:26] Justine: in another. 

[00:49:28] Taylor: Exactly. Like what my cousins are there and like, that's it. Like my sister, my other sister is like, if she wants to, she can be there too. Cause I know she wants to live in California, but I will want that type of thing. I want a place. Oh, I want a house where that has multiple bathrooms. And No more difficult neighbors.

Those are my type of goals. No restaurant on my street. No nothing, no railroad tracks that I'm living on. No businesses next door. I 

want either 

[00:50:01] Justine: street. 

[00:50:02] Taylor: Yeah. No it's not.

[00:50:03] Justine: But like with the P yeah, dead. 

[00:50:05] Taylor: Yeah. 

[00:50:06] Justine: parking on both sides it's pretty much. a one way. 

[00:50:09] Taylor: Yeah. Like I have very middle-class or gated community type dreams. 

[00:50:17] Justine: Okay. 

[00:50:18] Taylor: what I want to live in. And I want to be making a substantial amount of money to be able to afford that those are my goals. So that's like, that's a long, that's a long that's playing the long game. That's like in my fifties, I will have achieved that.

I'll be able to live where I want to and do what I want and possibly retire before I'm 65 and still travel 

[00:50:41] Justine: Okay. Very Nice. 

[00:50:46] Taylor: dreams, champagne dreams. 

[00:50:49] Justine: So I didn't really think about the goals either too 

[00:50:52] Taylor: you created the 

[00:50:53] Justine: I know, but. I don't think about it. But I. The goals. For the. Next decade would be pertaining to trying to stay Here for a stay in London. For as long. 

As possible. So it's, trying to get the An 

[00:51:09] Taylor: dual citizenship. 

[00:51:10] Justine: Yeah. An Employer to To sponsor. my visa. And that way I can work towards a citizenship and all of that. Stuff. Like you guys, I really don't want to get married, but if all else fails, That is the only way that will, get me to stay in London. So unfortunately I would have to get married. 

If I don't find an employer. So to sponsor. My visa. 

[00:51:33] Taylor: Amen. Well, marriages are lucrative business, so 

[00:51:37] Justine: I wouldn't. pay somebody for it. I At least I don't think I would, but who knows how desperate I will be in the future. Um, but I definitely don't want kids either. I don't think I would be that desperate though. I probably would just move back to, to the states, if I don't succeed. Which is fine because then it's like, all right, which state do I want? To live in then. 

So that's plenty of options there too. Yeah, I don't want kids. Don't really want to get married. I think, yeah, my goals would mainly just. Try to trying to stay. In London for as long as. Possible. I haven't really thought past. That because it's, that's been the concern for such a long time. 

[00:52:18] Taylor: would you move to a different country? How about France? If you can't get it in England, would you France and to learn French or learn French and then move to 

[00:52:26] Justine: I'm sure it's harder to Get a visa over there. I would have to look at the visa requirements, but yeah. If there's another place that will allow me to work there. Easier then sure. 

[00:52:47] Justine: So how are you feeling about yourself evolution? Okay.

[00:52:55] Amanda: I'd say there's room for it. Well, no, not improvement. There's room to grow. I think I need to focus on trying to build myself confidence, have a little faith in myself. I'm pretty bad at that. 

[00:53:07] Taylor: You're working on it. 

[00:53:07] Amanda: But yeah, I think that's really all that I need to work on. There's probably is more, but that's all I'm seeing. 

[00:53:19] Taylor: Like we said we're work in progress is I'm not where I wanted to be, but there's nothing I can do about it now because I'm already here. So I'm come to terms with it and I'm working towards it. I just need to stop listening. I need to stop letting other people get in my head or stop staying so much in my head. That's the only issue I have with my, my evolution? but I think I'm Okay. I'm not on. I'm roof under, over my head. Not in jail. Haven't tried to kill anybody. So I'm ahead of the game. 

[00:53:53] Justine: That's a really good,

[00:53:57] Taylor: Bare minimum. How about yourself? 

[00:54:01] Justine: Yeah, no, I, like I said I'm excited to turn 31 excited for this decade. And I had an epiphany about myself earlier this week. yeah. And it's a good one because it's I said to myself. I'm like, wow I'm a really good catch. Like I am smart in certain topics I've worked on, the whole acne issue.

I can feel, I feel pretty good. Let's say, I work out, I can do some sports. I like arts and culture. And then I've worked on a lot of emotional aspects. The, like the mental issues and things like that. That can still be worked on, but like it's an overall, I feel like it's an overall good package.

The main issues that, Yeah, I can't find a partner, but at the same time, I'm like independent as fuck that I don't need a partner. I'm happy just doing what I'm doing. So I. think, just acknowledging that has made me love myself even more and really enjoying, where I am and what I'm doing.

And, starting the decade in this type of mindset,

[00:55:08] Taylor: snaps up. Justine is a catch. 

[00:55:13] Justine: I'm a catch. I'm a fucking catch man.

Oh man. 

[00:55:21] Taylor: You just gotta make sure you're using the right bait. 

[00:55:22] Justine: Am like how should I,

[00:55:25] Taylor: Not you, I'm talking about the other people 

get to make sure they're using the right bait to 

get you. Cause you are the catch. 

[00:55:32] Justine: see. I see. I see. what you mean 

[00:55:34] Taylor: See all the stuff together. 

[00:55:35] Justine: Okay. Last thing. Do you guys have any advice or last minute thoughts that you want to share with the rest of the world? With going into, through your thirties or even going into a whole new decade?

[00:55:52] Amanda: I would say no matter where you're at, don't compare yourself to others. We're all at our own pace. Just because someone, by the time they're 30 has the whole family and house and all that crap don't mean. Something's wrong with you. You just, you got your own way of doing things 

[00:56:09] Justine: yes. Yes, Amanda.

[00:56:12] Taylor: snaps up on Amanda. All right. I can only snap a one hand right now. 

[00:56:17] Justine: Do you snap with two? I'm only I'm doing two hands, 

but 

[00:56:20] Amanda: you know what, look, I can't, I can only do my left. I right. 

do 

the 

[00:56:26] Justine: my left, but I could 

do 

[00:56:27] Taylor: do the left. the only person who can snap with two fingers, 

[00:56:34] Justine: So I don't think I'm really 

even 

[00:56:35] Taylor: Left right left

Right left. Right. left

[00:56:41] Justine: because I 

[00:56:41] Taylor: my left. 

[00:56:42] Justine: put 

enough. 

[00:56:43] Taylor: before you're 40 that's yeah, a marathon. Take your time to enjoy cliche as it is, take your time to enjoy the view of life, because it's going to be over before. You know it like, I can't believe I'm 30. I just turned 20. No, I just turned 18. Let's be real. And I'm still looking for the adult in the room when I walk in and forget that it's me. So don't take yourself for granted, you know, more than you think you do. Your experiences in life are valid. Don't let anybody tell you that what you've experienced doesn't mean that you can have a place at the table. You, there is always a place at the table for you fight for it. Just don't let anybody talk down to you. As long as they're keeping, make, always make sure you're respected. That's my advice. Make sure that there is always respect around you because if you don't show it and make sure you respect yourself. Cause if you don't respect yourself, no, one's going to do it for you. That's my, that's my thing. Now I'm gonna shut up. 

[00:58:03] Justine: all right. That's wonderful. That's great advice. Both of you. Thank you for sharing. And I agree with both of you. That's why I'm not going to say anything because I think you gave great advice for everyone and I'm totally on the same page. So thank you all for listening to us, the evolution. I hope you enjoyed this episode and hope you join us next time.

 Thanks for listening to United AF as friends with us.

[00:58:34] Taylor: If you enjoyed today's episode, please like comment and share our conversation with your friends and family on our social media pages. Join us next time. As we celebrate our first anniversary of United AF, you, my God. We guys, we committed for a full 

year. I know 

[00:58:52] Justine: one year. Woo.

[00:58:55] Taylor: is allowed after six weeks, but we.