“Keep Calm, I’m Back!”

Once again, it has been a while….and by a while, I mean since May 27, 2014! Time flies by when you’re having fun…or working…or just not taking time to yourself in which most of us simply do not do enough. So, once again, I’m going to try this blog…for myself and for anyone who enjoys reading  it…

In the beginning of the year (2014), I wrote and proposed some things  that I wanted to try to do/accomplish for 2014. I’m quite disappointed in myself.  Here is what I stated in that blog with explanations if I completed or not:

“So here is SOME of what I would like to try for 2014..(or New Years Resolutions as some call it) Of course, I may not be able to do all of these, but that is what other years are for…

1. I would like to learn to drive stick-INCOMPLETE
2. I would like to go to a shooting range and learn to shoot-INCOMPLETE
3. I would like to learn/go snowboarding-INCOMEPLETE
4. I would like to go zip lining-COMPLETED (indoor zip lining in Kentucky)
5. I would like to go bungee jumping (really quite scared to do this one)-INCOMPLETE
6. I would like to go to a concert (Yes, believe it or not, I’ve never been to one!)-COMPLETED! (Michael Buble-Melbourne Australia)
7. I would like to go to a state that I’ve never been too (Arizona, Texas, Maine?)-INCOMPLETE (Believe it or not)
8. I would like to learn how to crochet-INCOMPLETE
9. I would like to take line dancing classes or attend a square dance-INCOMPLETE
10. I would like to try Grates wings (A well known local joint in Fremont, my home town-INCOMPLETE
11. Eat healthier- COMPLETED (Finally and working out 5 days a week!)
12. Get more organized-COMPLETED (A start anyways)
13. & my favorite…Laugh more & Cry Less….”-COMPLETED! “

As you can see…I didn’t get many of these done….which is a shame.  However, the year isn’t over yet. I still have time to complete these.  So, if anyone is willing and able to assist me, guide me, or join me in any of the above resolutions to complete before the New Year, LETS GO!

Now, I also wouldn’t say this year was a complete waste.  I was able to get a “decent” amount of travel and experiences in that were not on my list:

*Key West, FL- Was able to bar hope, and make it to the Southern Most Point in the United States
*Grand Cayman- Snorkeled in the ocean and swam with stingrays *Jamaica- Climbed Dunn’s River Falls (Waterfall)
*Sydney, Australia- journeyed there by myself this time with no family members
*Melbourne, Australia- Went to my first concert, tried Indian food, went to local bars & the city
*Honolulu, Hawaii- Saw Sea Turtles, marine base, North Shore, ate Hawaiian shrimp & swordfish, hiked diamond head and other local spots, stayed in a hostel
*Maui- Completed the single lane road to Hana, saw numerous waterfalls, saw the only black sand beach
*San Diego, CA- Saw the treacherous forest fires that were burning all over the city
*Chicago, IL- Went to the Zoo
* Louisville, KY- Went  indoor zip lining in the caves
*Put In Bay, OH- Went Kayaking for my first time
*Bahamas- TBD (Cruise Dec 13)
*St. Thomas- TBD (Cruise Dec 13)
*San Juan- TBD (Cruise Dec 13)
*Grand Turk- TBD (Cruise Dec 13)

It’s evident that I love to travel. It’s obvious that I love the beach. And it’s abnormal how I live my life. But, if there is anything that I have come to conclusion with, it’s that, I enjoy the life I live.

It hasn’t been easy coming to this conclusion but it fits with my lifestyle. I work many seasonal jobs that have allowed me the availability to take trips.  It has been sometimes (and by sometimes…I mean almost all the time) hard to understand. A lot of my friends (Now mid-twenties) have full time jobs, houses, kids, and what I like to call stability.  It took me a while to understand that my plan of getting out of college, getting a full time job, moving out of Ohio, getting married, having kids, ect ect ect was a plan…..and in life, our plans don’t always go the way we want them too. My plan now, is to just live my life because truth is, I am stable, I am working, I am making it on my own….just in my own kind of way….and to be honest, that is okay to do.

My life: It’s hectic. It’s uncertain. It’s scary. And….it’s very different from most. But, it’s my life. I live, I learn, and I take nothing for granted. I travel to learn. I travel to explore. I travel to meet people. I live my life because I can and most of all…I am able too!

I hope to keep you all updated on my future endeavors, words of wisdom, beliefs on current, past, and future issues with this blog. Please let me know if you would like to hear, see, or have me write about anything specific. Now, who’s ready to help complete my “New Year’s Resolutions” before the end of the year?

“I’ll look back on this and smile because it was Life and I decided to live it”

To Date A Girl That Travels…Or Not?

A few weeks ago, I was awaken from a text from a good friend of mine. His text said:
“This is the first thing that popped up on my newsfeed this morning”:
https://medium.com/better-humans/802c49b9141c

(And yes, that is all it said….)

I know this may be a lot more work, but I’m asking you to please, take a few minutes to read the above link…(Takes about 3 minutes)

Now that we are on the same page…here is what I thought about this.

I am a woman that has been brought up traveling. My  parents were fortunate enough to take me along many of their trips. I was able to see a lot of the world and experience new adventures along the way. However, I didn’t stop just there…I now am traveling on my own. I’m booking my own trips to see parts of the world. And I’m taking every chance I get to see and explore new countries.

This girl had some great opinions…but opinions that I simply just do not agree with.

1. “She’s the one with messy, unkept hair”- I disagree. I, like many, like to keep my hair well groomed. However, when need be, I do know how to not wash my hair and just throw it up o put it in braid. Mainly, I know how to keep it maintained enough to still pull off a cute look. This to me, is considered a turn on for a man. A woman that does not take 2 hours to get ready, a woman that can just throw up their hair, be ready to go, and still look stunning!

2. “She is hard to please”-I disagree. I seem to think I am very easy to please. Since, I have lived with little to nothing at times, not had cell reception in many places, and have learned that you must walk, train, bike, or cab it in order to get where you are going, I like to think I’m a pretty flexible person due to traveling. She stated in her post “The usual dinner-movie date will suck the life out of her”. How completely wrong this is. A woman that travels, absolutely loves dinner and a movie. When thinking of traveling, that usually isn’t the first thing on our agenda. We many times, miss out on movies and are unable to see on the big screen! PLUS at this day and age, a man taking any woman out on any date, is always a plus! These days, it hard to find or do! Especially with a travelers busy schedule! Therefore, we as travelers are quite easy to please. We make do with what we have, and appreciate the little things in life versus the ones who do the same thing over and over again.

3. “She will bug you to book a flight every time there’s an airline seat sale-I agree. For once, I think I may agree with this statement. Why not watch the airline sales!? There are great deals that come through and sometimes are too good to pass up. If willing and able, why not go? I’m a firm believer in finding great deals, and if it’s meant to be, then go for it! I would much rather spend my money on a flight then going out to the bar for one night!

4. “Chances are she can’t hold a steady job”-I disagree. Most of us that enjoy traveling, do hold steady jobs. Although it may not be your 9-5 business job, we do have many steady jobs. Some may even be seasonal. The biggest part is keeping a steady job in order so we can travel. We prefer to keep in touch and make connections.  Most of all, most that travel are hard workers. We make money, we save money, and we spend money wisely in order to travel. But in order to make money, we must work hard. Therefore, most of us work long hours, or multiple jobs…Remember, we work hard for our travels;)

5. “She might have wasted her college degree and switched careers completely.”-I disagree. Since when are you ever ‘wasting’ a college degree. I seem to remember taking many classes that didn’t even pertain to my college degree. Therefore, I believe college gave us further education in general.  And how many people do completely switch careers? Quite a few, or so I hear…AND what is so wrong in switching a career? If you do not like what you do, then why not switch it up? We are allowed. Further more, the way I look at it, I am not ‘wasting’ my college degree. I am just furthering my education by exploring the world first before I utilize my college degree? When is the right or wrong time to go to college? When is the right or wrong time to use your degree? And when is the right or wrong time to know exactly what you want to do in life? Only you will know….Don’t judge others based upon your experiences….

6. “Don’t date a girl that travels for she has chosen a life of uncertainty.”- I agree to disagree. This blog writer is right in some aspects, as most of us that travel, do live by the seat of our pants. If an opportunity arises to travel, we find a way to go. And most of us, are uncertain as to what exactly our future holds….however, aren’t others that do not travel uncertain of many things? Life throws us blocks in the road quite often? Although many of us are uncertain that travel, many of us have set goals that you may be unaware about. I know I will want to travel forever but that doesn’t mean, I don’t want to get a steady job, a husband, have a family, or even have a place to call home. I look at choosing uncertainty as…choosing opportunities.

7. “She tends to speak her mind.”-I agree. A woman that travels, is forced to learn how to speak her mind. However, unlike many that speak their mind frequently or at the wrong time and place, we have learned the right from wrong. Many travelers deal with a variety of cultures and experiences that allow us to see and learn the right techniques in order to speak our mind. We know how to respect one another. We understand there is a certain degree to speaking our minds but at least we have the ‘balls’ to do it.

8.”She will never need you”- I completely disagree. I will admit, many women that travel, are very independent but we still need others. Although, we can do many things on our own,there are plenty that we can not. I will need you…I enjoy company of others, I enjoy meeting new people but I also love needing someone…My life is not meant for me to enjoy alone…

9. And then she closes with this…”So never date a girl who travels unless you can keep up with her. And if you unintentionally fall in love with one, don’t you dare keep her. Let her go.”- I couldn’t DISAGREE more with this woman...If you fall in love with a girl who travels….keep her. Love doesn’t just come and go… Go with her. Explore the world together. Do something different. And don’t let her go….hold her as close as possible. A girl that travels, wants to feel loved. Men come in and out of her life but never stay…always letting her go…I guarantee if the right man came along….a girl that travels would limit her travel to keep up with the man as well….it may just take time and some communication…..More than anything, if you ‘unintentionally’ fall is love with a girl who travels, don’t punish her. Respect her, love her, and find a way to make things work…..

In closing…obviously I travel. I love to explore the world. I love the beach. And I love new experiences. And if there is one thing that I have learned throughout talking to so many different people…the one thing people regret in life…is not traveling more. So many say, “I wish I would have traveled more, or could have…”

So, their advice:

“Do it While You Can, and Do it While Your Young…”

PS- I’m heading back to Australia;)

I Went To Australia….AGAIN!:)

It seems as though….it has been forever since I’ve updated or wrote a post…

Well it has….

Truth is, I’ve been working, traveling, and across the world in Australia.  But, I think it’s important that I be honest… I’ve wanted to write in my blog.  I wanted to share my opinions. And I wanted to post.  But, I simply couldn’t.  I seemed to hit a hard spot in life.  I thought things were shaping up.  I thought I was getting my life together.  It all seemed like things were on the right track. I got my job back, I received another job, I had a boyfriend that seemed to have his ‘stuff’ together, I got a new apartment, I was looking into going back to school, and I was using my past experiences as motivation because I thought I was moving forward.  Truth is, I wasn’t.  I was stuck.  I wasn’t happy. I thought staying busy, dating someone with his ‘shit’ together, and forgetting about all the hurt I went through would make me happy again.  I was wrong. I fell deeper and deeper….until opportunity arose again…..

The chance to go back to Australia….Although, I debated, and debated about going back to Australia, I decided, it’s what was best for me.  It’s what I needed to do.  I knew from previous experience, the amount of time, energy, and work it takes in Australia to make sure that the business is running.  Many of you that know me that are reading this may know what I do over there where as others may not. So I will explain as everyone asks, so what is it that you do over there?

I go to Australia to help run a Haunted House.  My dad has owned and operated a haunted house for 24 years now. He was hired out to train their actors, build and manage in Australia.  I went last year willing and able to do anything just so I could get to another country and experience the work life.  I must have impressed them a bit to where they wanted me back. I came back this year to partake a bigger role and assist them with management.  Believe me, working a haunted house at the biggest festival in Australia with over almost 1 million visitors is no easy task.  We worked 14-16 hours a day for 3 weeks straight in the 80-100 degree Fahrenheit heat. And if we were lucky, we would get 2 30 minute breaks.    We built, ran, and tore down a haunted house.  It was my job to make sure things ran smoothly.  You can only imagine it was my job to be wonder woman.  But to me, this is all great learning lessons but more than anything, amazing life experiences.

And as much as I hesitated to go, I’m SO glad I went.  I thought I had my life coming together before I left.  But, I didn’t.  I wasn’t happy, I was lost, I had no sense of direction…

When I went to Australia, I had no connection with the United States. We had no internet connection and little time to experience Australia. Of course it was tough not being able to talk to my family or friends but in a way it was kind of nice in a way because sometimes we depend on friends and family too much and need to do things on our own. Be a bit independent.  We didn’t get to enjoy Australia as we just worked, ate and slept. But, what I did experience, was me.  Was who I am. Who I want to be. Where I want to be….

I met an amazing friend and now boyfriend in Australia.  I’m sure your thinking, I’m pretty crazy.  Let’s get this straight, he’s not an Aussie.  He’s an American from Chicago, Illinois.  He came on the trip to work as well and met us in Sydney, Australia.  He too is in the haunt business and has been since a little kid.  (How ironic right?) However, he is my age, and shared the same outlook on life.  We connected from the first time we met.  He’s outgoing, a hard worker, and a bit spontaneous, and a handy man;)  Although, I was a bit mean when I first spoke to him…(If you ever meet him, you will have to ask him about our ‘first’ encounter) But, what I will say, is that this man was my rock.  He kept me sane, motivated, and most of all alive through all the work in Australia.  When you work 16 hours a day for 3 1/2 weeks straight, we all go through our share of emotions.  We both shared our mad, sad, frustrated, happy, goofy, and every emotional state possible with each other.  But, we were always there for one another…we helped each other out.  Although we worked at a haunted house, we were able to keep each other from really going crazy! And that right there is AMAZING! For a man to keep any woman from going crazy is definitely a keeper….

And since I’m being honest, I want to admit, I always swore I had a type for men….but let’s be real, it clearly wasn’t working.  They were everything I wanted but didn’t need.  They didn’t treat me right, make me happy, or help me as a person see what I need to do.  However, I don’t know if we should strive so much on a specific ‘type’ that we date. We need to focus more on the connection, the person, and how they treat us.  I swore I would never date another ‘haunter’/’actor’ or even participate in this business……but look at me now.  I was searching so much for what I wanted, I lost track in what I really needed.

So, here it is….since going to Australia, I have realized, life is way to short to work all the time, not experience life, and most of all not take chances.  In life, we need to be happy. And for once, I came home, and realized I’m ready to do whatever it is to be happy. Take chances. Take risks. And be a bit spontaneous.  Travel, explore the world as much as possible. Meet new people, share new experiences, and most of all LIVE LIFE.  We think too much about what we want and forget too much about what we need… I’m ready to finally be…just…me:)

“Ones Destination Is Never A Place, But A New Way Of Seeing Things….”