The importance of seeking adventure

I'm usually not one to step out of my comfort zone. But when it comes to finding cool local eateries and finding new parks - I'm your girl. I respect the self-proclaimed hermit as much as the next person. But I don't think it would hurt to explore a new little area time to time. Here's why:

• GETS CREATIVE JUICES FLOWING // Now there's no exact scientific reference that I can cite right now that can prove me right. But I do believe that placing yourself in a place you have never seen before can get your creative juices flowing. Seeing new cafes, street art, and simple house architecture can inspire you. It can give you an idea of what you like and what you don't like. You can see for yourself what makes that city or town you're visiting unique from any other town. You can find local shops that sell things only characteristic of that town whether it be local foods or handcrafted jewelry.

• BUILD AWESOME CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS // Placing yourself in a new town can be daunting to people because of the obvious fear of getting lost. So you're hungry; where is the best place to eat? So you need to get from point A to be point B; what is the best mode of transportation: foot, train, or car? I admit it can get a little dangerous. But the more often you place yourself in this kind of situation the more quickly and cunning you will get at adapting to a new place. You'll suddenly remember where the last bus stop was on your walk down the street and you'll realize that getting around in a new place isn't that bad. 

• FINDING AMAZING FOOD SPOTS // The only way of finding the best local eateries is by trying them. Googling the best places to eat will only get you so far. The best place to eat anywhere is that small shack on the corner of the street in a semi-hidden part of town. Then after you find the spot, you can Instagram and show-off to your loyal followers how awesome the food is. (This also helps support local businesses. Yay!)

• MAKING MEMORIES WITH FRIENDS // Adventures are ALWAYS more fun if you're with your friends. And if you're with someone else, exploring a new place won't be as scary anymore. Exploring can be a great weekend activity with a group of friends and it can easily make it into your Facebook summer picture album. 

• MAKES YOU MORE CULTURAL // Even though your adventure of choice might mean exploring the next town over from where you live, that still can make you a little more cultural than you were before. Cultures can vary town to town and even within towns - especially in cities. The slang might change, the population changes, and the weather might be different. Either way, experiencing a new place with new people can be added to your cultural repertoire which is always a good thing. It makes you more open minded and more relatable. 

Newly

This week I had two experiences that only solidified how sometimes we truly never know how we can truly impact each other's lives.

I recently started volunteering regularly at a hospital near me. During my stay, I had built a friendship with one of the patients there. She told me stories from her past, her family, and her experiences. Earlier this week, she was all better and ready to go home. When she was on her way out, she hugged me and told me thanks and that she hoped to see me again. It wasn't until that moment that I realized how much we had become friends. Sometimes I have doubts about my career choice much like anyone else around my age. But it's experiences like this that make me glad I chose what I chose and that I might have chosen correctly.

Yesterday, I came across a customer at work that I just clicked with. She told me how she ballroom dances, about one of her past hardships, and she gave me some advice about my career as well. We ended up exchanging numbers and hope to reconnect soon. I honestly didn't know she would tell me such useful information and end up becoming a good networking tool.

I feel like at this point I can easily feel lost and unsure about myself. But I'm glad these moments happened so I can feel sure about myself a little longer.

Great minds talk ideas

As a college student, I'm very well aware of the fact that if I want a job right after college, it's important that I start making connections now.

Connections. Connections. Connections.

It's hard to make a name for yourself without knowing anyone. At first, I thought that only celebrities had a tough industry to get into. Between talent scouts, finding gigs, knowing the right people to help you reach the peak of your career, it can get a little overwhelming. But it's the concept for most if not all jobs out there. A lot of has to do with starting small. Whether it's slaving away volunteer hours or getting involved in a conference related to your major. Absolutely everything counts. Which kind of got me thinking...

Taking a look around friends, past friends, and peers through Facebook, it looks like everyone's doing great. A lot of my friends are going abroad this summer or in the fall semester and others have found great internships and volunteer opportunities at big name hospitals and companies. But here's where I'm trying to point out...

I find myself kind of lagging. I don't want to settle for a job at a small name company. Even if it means doing unpaid volunteer work until I graduate at a large company where I know I want to spend the rest of my career in, so be it. I think I get too caught up in trivial things lately when I should spend my time getting answers and meeting new people that I know will help me in the future. I find myself almost down casting my own ideas because I look to others' opinions too often. No road is the same and not everyone has to travel on the same road.

This summer will probably devoted to making connections with new people in my field. I feel like a lot of my peers are making big moves in the city whereas I'm a sitting duck. I have big dreams that I hope to reach and I won't get there if I don't stop listening to the wrong people.

Sundays are for centering

I look forward to Sundays which is abnormal because that means that next day is Monday. But I like Sundays not because of what it anticipates but what it means to me at present. Sunday is the one day of the week that I reserve to center myself, regain my balance, and find peace within myself.

I start the day off by going to church. I practice my religion on a weekly basis and I mostly to do it because I raised that way. But also, of course, because I believe in my religion. My attendance is not solely because I know it's what my parents wanted or guilt because I would feel extremely bad if I purposefully skipped Sunday service. I attend because I also want to spiritually find peace. Everyone attends church in a different way. Sometimes people actively sing in the pews or volunteer to be a part of the service whether it be reading out loud or passing out the bread. For me, I just like to listen, let my mind wander wherever it goes, and just sort of meditate on my own with the help of the service readings in the background. Whenever I leave church, I feel refreshed and anew for the week.

For the rest of my afternoon I mostly try to relax and enjoy the day. I usually attend Kripalu Yoga which is always refreshing. I got to the point of my yoga practice that if I don't get my weekly one hour yoga, I can feel the difference. I feel as if I have old, leftover toxins in my body whether they be real or imaginary. I feel as if I'm more angry, bitter over small petty things in the rest of my week.

Whether your days for centering are Sundays, the middle of the week, or at the end. I encourage everyone to find time for themselves and find their balance each week. :)

Happy centering!

2013 Recap

Since tomorrow is the beginning of a new year, it's natural that I find myself involuntarily rewinding back the most memorable moments of the past year. To be honest, I'm not sure how anyone can do it so easily since I can hardly remember what I did four hours ago. But I still think it's worth a shot.

I remember, the beginning of the year I was in a very weird place with how I felt with the people I called my closes friends for the past 5-6 years of my life. I remember feeling a lot of anguish and I was very troubled by the fact that I no longer meant anything to them. But as the months went by and the very vague motto "college happened" came true, I began to accept that sometimes the people we set ourselves to spend our future with will not always turn out that way. For some reason, I found this very difficult to accept and in turn, I found it very difficult to find new friends to replace them. However, now I'm glad to say I'm on a new plane of acceptance. I realized that it's not that I needed to replace anyone or that anyone had done me wrong. Friendships don't lose meaning but only gain a different definition.

But in between all that bitterness, I found a new obsession with Les Miserable which now has a special connotation for me. I was taken a wonderful Valentine's Day date. I attended my first concerts which included Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. I finished my first year of college. I got my first job. I found a new love for yoga. Had a great summer. And had another successful semester. 

I'm very thankful for a wonderful year and hope for nothing but better and bigger things in 2014. Here are a few (not all) of my resolutions that I'd like to share...

1. Do More Yoga - Now, I understand yoga is not for everyone and the thought of twisting in ways you never thought you could twist sounds terrifying. But personally, whenever I attend a yoga class or even do yoga by myself at home, I find myself more at peace with myself. Whatever stress was aching in my shoulders or whatever worrisome thought that made me take mindless shallow breaths suddenly dissipated. I become more mindful and aware and it doesn't even have to happen during a "yoga" session. But it can happen even in simple meditation. 
2. Write More - I truly do enjoy blogging. It's saddening how much I neglect it while I'm in school. But this year, I want to make it a goal to still keep up with my blog. It may not mean to blog every day but to blog when I feel the need to blog rather than putting it off and off until I forget about it.
3. Do More of What Makes Me Happy - I met a special person this year, Johnny Cupcakes. And I never really took what he said and applied it to my life. But after reflecting of this past year, I'm going to make it part of my resolutions.
4. Let Things Go - I have a nasty habit to hold onto thoughts until I become brittle with bitterness and I break. Which is such an unhealthy habit. I need to learn to let things go and know that I can't control everything.
5. Shop Less, Window Shop More - I was taking a look around my closet the other day and the amount of clothes I have in my closet that I no longer wear is almost disgustingly selfish that I just want to grab my entire closet and just donate it. Growing up in middle school and high school, I felt some sort of desire to constantly buy new things for super cheap prices. As a result, I have a bunch of cheap clothes that don't even look good anymore because they're so cheap. Most of them I just bought because I was so lured by the cheap prices that I just couldn't pass them up. Which is just so plain ridiculous, I don't know why no one stopped me.

With all of that said, 2014 awaits! Happy New Year's Eve! :)