I hate introductions. But an extrovert, so I’m a big yapper.
Hello, my name is Ariel— it’s technically pronounced like Aerie the clothing brand, then L like the letter). Welcome to my blog. This website has grown from its humble beginnings in 2020. I started it because I always wanted to be a blogger when I was young but it was at its peak. After years, of overthinking, I started it after watching so many By Sophia Lee videos on YouTube.
Originally, this was all about self-care and college because I was a fresh college grad and in the job market, then got into a fast-paced agency job that made me want to have a 5 to 9. This blog became my passion. I made some money from blogging, and I spent weekends and evenings working on it. I was literally That Girl (I wrote a blog post about it and it went viral).
Then I got burnt out at my blog’s peak. Yeah. I’m no longer That Girl. (I don’t think I ever was. I was overly productive and the trend happened so I just wrote the post… Look I have student loans to pay.)
I took a little (LONG) hiatus from late 2023 until December 2024. I grew burnt out. But I did travel, write a book, meet new people, and go to a bunch of concerts. ☺️
This is my third rebrand of As Told By Ariel or blogging in general. I’m in my 20s I don’t know what I’m doing half the time.
I did realize that I was only creating content to make money and wasn’t having fun or talking about things I liked and was passionate about. I was in that hustle culture mindset and just had to pause. Then the changes from Google just was my last straw. It grew to be another job where I had no breaks at all. I had wrist pain from that amount of typing. I don’t recommend that. 🙃 Take breaks. Rest.
In all honesty, I started again due to my content on Pinterest still getting attention and people said that I helped him, which is something I always wanted to do. I wanted to inspire and help people. I’m that friend who always gives advice and I like doing it.
I hope something on this blog helps you. Whether it’s finding your next favorite book or what to bring to a concert.
About This Blog
As Told By Ariel is all about my interests: traveling, concerts, and reading and all my book recommendations. I also will keep my college advice content since it performs well. Some lifestyle content remains, so pardon the mess.
Soon, I will have some of my favorite book recommendations, tips for traveling in your 20s (which I’m doing a lot of this year), and I’ll stop gatekeeping my concert photos. I’m excited for this new era.
Quick Facts:
Favorite Book Series: Red Queen Series
Most Memorable Concert: I’ve been to so many, but I think BTS was the most memorable. (ATEEZ and Charli XCX’s Sweat Tour was close)
Favorite Movie: Easy Mean Girls, but Ratotiulle is up there
Top Reads of 2024: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington, and The Legacies by Jessica Goodman
Favorite Song: OH, okay, hard, but also easy: No Ordinary Love by Sade (it’s even better Live)
If you made it this far, I guess you’d expect a photo. I suck at photography (it’s my yearly goal to get better), but here’s one from my library from my BTS concert because I FOUGHT for those tickets and I’ll upload a better photo someday.
Thank you for stopping by. 🥹
– Ariel
