Girlfriend Material by: Nina Liza

They say I am girlfriend material—
that I can hold a man’s heart
in the palm of my hands
and keep it safe.

They say I am girlfriend material
because I think like the boys,
listen to Linkin Park,
wait patiently on the sidelines.

They say I am girlfriend material
because I laugh at green jokes,
don’t bruise easily,
learn when to soften my words.

They say I am girlfriend material
because I have the face to please,
the mind to challenge,
and a smile that never quits.

They say I am girlfriend material—
I go where I am invited,
speak when it is welcome,
try everything, as long as it costs nothing.

But no one asks
what I want to be
when I am not useful,
not agreeable,

not theirs. 

Math by: Nina Liza

If Math were a person,

he would be a complicated one.

He owns too many numbers,

and still, he calls no one.

If Math were a thing,

it would be a complicated one.

Admired by thousands,

and still, touched by no one.

If Math were a place,

it would be a complicated one.

Populated by many,

and still, visited by no one.

But Math is only a subject—

a very complicated one.

Taken by many,

and still, loved by no one. 

I’d like to think in the end it’s “Us” by Nina Liza

I imagine that we have built the house of our dreams, it has the front yard and backyard. We have three kids and a dog. The kitchen is all pink because I asked for it. The living room is all white, and we have this big white couch that is kind of a nuisance, since the kids stay in it so much and they make it dirty. We have a wall of books, with picture frames of exotic places and happy faces. Valentine’s Day, anniversaries and birthdays are immortalized with vases of Lego flowers because I do not accept fresh flowers and dried. 

In the Summers we have barbecues in the backyard and we will invite family and friends over and talk about life, while our kids run around and play with the other kids. Our Christmases have this big tree in the middle of our living room with tons of gifts under it. And when we’re older, our kids will still visit us every summer and Christmas. Because we have made them that way, they will bring the grandkids and the husbands and wives. And we will laugh with each other because we know we have made it. We will think to ourselves that this is the life that we have been dreaming of when we were younger. when we knew nothing about life or love. I hope that someday all of this will become our reality, and that you will be my endgame.

Orange Shorts by: Nina Liza

When I was a teenager I had these bright orange shorts, not neon, but it was bright

There was nothing special about the shorts, but it fit me really good

It even had a little hole at the back that I fixed with a dark orange thread

I used that short every chance I get, after every wash, that’s how much I like it

My favorite outfit combo is a dark blue Looney Tunes T-shirt and that orange shorts

I don’t feel particularly pretty in that outfit, but I feel very comfortable in it

I am so sure of that outfit, I can go out in it and I can certainly stay at home in it

Now, I don’t know where that shorts is, but I’m sure it doesn’t fit me anymore

Now, at nearly 28, I am wondering where the hell those shorts are

I am definitely wondering if they are giving someone the same comfort it gave me

If the bright orange has faded or if it is still as bright as the day I first got it

Well, these are just questions I thought of on a random Thursday

January 5th by: Nina Liza

Today is January 5th, 2026

I just got off FaceTime with my nephew

Before our call, I talked to my landlady

I paid her my rent and utilities for the month

Over my 4 years of stay in my apartment

We have bonded over sharing stories

And talking about public affairs

She shared, if she knew then what she knew now,

She will not get married, she will not have children

And she will spend all her life earnings 

Traveling the world and creating memories

And she will not regret one bit of it

I have been sitting with her words - pondering

I am approaching my 28th year in this world

I am unmarried, I do not have any children

I am in my 4th year of law school

I have a good job that pays well and

I have travelled to some parts of the world

In contrast, I am living the life she yearns for

And she is right, if she had my life 

She will not regret one bit of it, because I do not

Sure, there are tons of bad decisions 

I have made along the way, but it is part of life

Those decisions helped me understand “me”

However, the Universe has a funny way

Of showing us our path and where we end up

Maybe if she knew then what she knew now

And she had my life, she will resent it too

Hyper-independence is exhausting

And can eventually drive you to burnout

Maybe if she had my life, she will wish to get married

Have children, then grandchildren, and then more

I sure do, I wish that for myself, so badly

Maybe because I have pondered over what she said

I want the domesticated life, a husband who loves me

And the cute, adorable children running around

Life is messy, complicated and cruel

But it is yours, it is yours to do as you please

You can wish for things or work hard for it

Then imagine scenarios that fits your vision

Curate the life you want, one pink plate at a time

Schedule flights to places you have only seen on TV

Eat the food you can barely even pronounce

Sunbathe in the equator without sunscreen

Ice bath in the arctic with the polar bears

Learn to play a musical instrument in your 30s

Learn a new language or learn sign language

You have to understand, communication is a love language

Now, whatever you do with your life

Do yourself a favor and make sure 

It is something that your older self

Will definitely thank you for…

An Open Letter to my Readers

Dear Readers,

I really don’t know what to write in this blog, but I do know one thing and that is I want to make a blog- a productive one of sorts. Filled with ideas, inspirations, and imaginations that can hopefully mold the world into something better. 

I am just an ordinary eighteen year-old girl with an extraordinary amount of perseverance. I have tons of insecurities, and I can say that I am doing a pretty good job in denying that I have insecurities. People see me as the tough kid who can endure everything and can talk her way out of hell. I change my hair color drastically every moment that I grew tired of looking at myself in the mirror, I am even sporting a blue ombre hair as I am writing this. I admit that I do not own the prettiest face in the whole vastness of the universe, nor do I have the perfect body defined by society. My weight is always fluctuating and I really do wish I weigh lighter than I do right now. 

I love makeup, but I hide in the four corners of my bedroom wall when I am putting it on my face because I don’t want to be judge by other people, because to them it is either too much or too little and there is no in between. I like being the subject of any photography or appearing in any film, call it vain but I like it, because it gives me the freedom to tell people that I love myself in the face of the world that told me not to. I am an aspiring writer who desire to inspire the world with the words that I have weaved into poetry, letters, articles, recommendations, and even with my simple comment in the suggestion box on the counters of any coffee shop. I am still a work in progress and I have no authority over anyone yet but myself, and I gave myself the right to dream big and aim high when I realized that nothing and no one is capable of holding me captive. 

Above everything else, I wish to inspire young girls to get to know their selves better than they do right now, invest in their selves, help other girls who are in need, make their voice count and become the person that they want to be. Because the world is trying so hard to make every girl in the world doubt their worth, as well as doubt their selves and their capabilities, and it is the duty of every girl in the world to help change it in any way that they can.

Now that I have established what people thought of me, my insecurities, the things that I like to do, who I want to become, and the things that I want to accomplish in my lifetime, I figured I now have some ideas on what to write in this blog. I just hope that a great number of people will get it, because I know from the very beginning of this journey that I will never be everybody’s cup of tea. To the people who get the idea on why I want to do this, you have my sincerest gratitude, and I hope that every single one of you will muster a great courage and do a courageous act of changing the world for the better.

Love,

Niña Liza