Cristina, Cristy, Crissy, Cris, but never Tina (!)—many facets, many roles, but always me. I am the daughter of divorced parents, the oldest of two, a first-generation college graduate, born and raised in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage but more Mexican in my mannerisms and traditions (growing up with posadas rather than parrandas), Spanish is my first language but I move in circles of English, these days speaking more English than Spanish, sometimes forgetting how to say things in Spanish, but I feel en español…do I make sense?

A Libra, through and through, I have a logical brain and a creative heart, or maybe the other way around and a love for creativity—art, books, design, photography, music, the comfort of familiar spaces, exploring new places, and culinary experiences. The colors of a sunset move me, the smell of an impending rainstorm fills me, a poignant film makes me cry. I am a bundle of sensitivity but what you see is that I am more quiet than most, reserved thoughts and feelings, observant, weighing the pros and cons, making carefully thought-out decisions, planning ahead, and paying attention to the tiniest details, including what you (don’t) say and do. Some call me timid, some call me intimidating, and some call me cold. But when my attention is captured, I bear my soul.

Perhaps that is why my circle is small—both family and friends since the beginning. My mom, my brother, and me, always three. And dad, sometimes. Then I went to college, and my circle grew. But not everyone I met along the way was meant to stay in my life forever. I’ve learned that although small, my circle is mighty—we think big, feel big, and love big.

Today, in my 40s, I surround myself with my forever people—which are still just a few. They are my treasure chest of gems, friends that have become my family, those I turn to in my happiest and saddest moments. And of those gems, there are a special three: Irma, Selena and Yvonne.

We crossed paths through our sorority, becoming thick as thieves after years of knowing each other, for some of us, and in more recent years for others. A random summer boat cruise, that wasn’t all that great, was all it took for us to quickly become each other’s confidantes as we gathered over food and drinks to talk about everything. We have vented, laughed, cried, and shared our news and life updates. We created a space for each other to be our truest selves, a place of no judgment and real talk amongst friends, overflowing with love (sometimes tough love) and a desire to uplift each other through the many moments, phases, and facets of our lives.

Through our stories and shared experiences, we hope to inspire you and build community with you. Explore with us topics relating to relationships, friendships, self care, sex, love in all its forms, and of course, being Latina!

 

CRISTINA RODRIGUEZ

Cristina is the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of the Sex, Love and Being Latina blog and SLBLatina Media, LLC. Learn more about Cristina in her bio page. You can also follow her on Facebook and Instagram.