Welcome to Vacation Time

Summer may still be a few months away, but that's no reason to not start planning for a fun vacation. The middle of the year is a great time to take a break and enjoy the sun. Unfortunately it's also when prices are extremely high and crowds are at their largest. Since I don't have kids, maybe a trip in September or October would be a better option?

Vegas baby!

If there's one thing I miss about being a student, it was all the vacation time I had. In college I had several long breaks throughout the year that allowed me to relax and get ready for more intense studying. It wasn't something I thought too much about. I always had a nice long summer, a couple of weeks off around Christmas and the New Year, a week in spring, and Thanksgiving.

A trip to a lighthouse in the middle of no where? Sold!

Now that I have a full time job, those long periods of time where I didn't have anything to do are gone. On the one hand, I wish they weren't. I miss having plenty of time to do whatever I felt like. On the other hand, I like being able to pick my days off and go during the off season when kids are in school. What they don't tell you is how to manage those few days off you get each year.

My family is spread out all over the place. Some people are closer than others. I wish I had time to visit everyone and go on crazy adventures all over the world. Unfortunately due to both timing and lack of funds, I have to carefully pick and choose how I use my time off.

Hello New York!

My time off isn't just for vacation either. If I'm sick and can't work, that's a vacation day. If I need to take a half a day off for a doctor's appointment, that's a half of vacation day. I know they aren't actually called vacation days, but it feels like they are when they are treated the same.

Time off requires a lot of planning and flexibility. It also requires good time management skills (something I am always working on).

I was lucky this year. I got to go on a vacation while I was between jobs. I also had to negotiate for that time off as I had planned that trip eight months in advance. Other years I haven't been as lucky and had to make arrangements with my job to work while I was out of the office (my last job was really flexible and allowed me to do so). Then there's always the possibility I'll get really sick. Normally if I'm sick, I just work from home, but what if I get so sick that I really shouldn't work?

Disney World!

There are days when I'm looking around the Internet at other people's travel blogs. They show a world full of excitement and adventure. I often wonder if I could quit my day job and simply travel all the time. Then reality hits me and I realize how stressful that would be. Sure travel blogs make the nomadic lifestyle look glamorous, but it's definitely not for everyone (myself included).

One day perhaps, I'll have a career where I can either travel all over. Or possibly a job with a fantastic vacation package. Maybe I'll become self employed or a money making writer (wishing and hoping only get me so far). Until then, I'll have to manage my time wisely, make sure my priorities are in the right places, and save as much as I can because I want something interesting to be in my obituary (knock on wood that that's a long way off).

Now, I must do some more research!

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off), please like, share, or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. Until next week.

Welcome to Keeping A Journal

Last week, I wrote about "being a writer". So this week I might as well follow up with another post about writing. It makes sense in my version of logic.

I've kept a journal in and off since as far back as I can remember. I think I received my first journal in  1st or 2nd grade. There were very few entries and the handwriting is pretty much impossible to read. It wasn't until I went to Japan that I really started taking the art of keeping a journal seriously.

Before my trip to Japan, I was presented with a lovely journal that I was told to use to record my trip. This was before the age of travel blogs (the Internet was just becoming a household utility) and even if they had been known, I doubt young me would have been allowed to have one (especially with my terrible spelling and grammar). Initially I didn't write all that much. However my aunt felt that this would be an excellent opportunity to practice good penmanship and insisted that I write in it as often as possible.

She also had me do many penmanship exercises on the days we didn't have any outings, but I digress.

For six weeks, I wrote about my adventures in Japan. I am so glad I did. I admit, I do cringe a little when I reread my writing style from back then, but there are so many little things that I would have forgotten without that journal. It's been a long time since that trip, but it was my first taste of international travel.

My aunt also told me how my grandmother (her mother), kept journals during all their trips when she was alive. My grandmother had died when I was very young and I wanted to be like her in the stories everyone told me. I made an effort to write as much as young me could with my limited attention span.

There were many more travel journals. Some only have a few entries in them, others have multiple trips and a highlight of my likes and dislikes. I even have a journal that as a school assignment for my 8th grade English teacher after my parents pulled me out of school for a trip. Its fun seeing how much my writing has changed since that first trip.

It was only recently that I was able to read my grandmother's journals. They are very interesting and maybe someday I'll have a version of them written up. My grandfather did a lot of international work and he brought the family with him (my dad has his own version of many of the stories I read). My grandmother's journals give a unique insight to that time in history as well as many different cultures that are rarely covered in US history text books.

In highschool, I had a journal that wasn't really a journal. I didn't write about my day to day activities not did I make an effort to document anything of extreme importance. I actually used it to write poems, draw silly pictures, and short stories. It's a bit bizarre to go back and look at that one. The inner workings of a high schooler are a bit like navigating reading a Lewis Carroll novel (see what I did there?).

My college journal was a lot different. There aren't any poems (well maybe one or two), fewer drawings, and there's a lot more reflection in what I was doing at the time I was writing. It's both a log of events and a place where I vented all my emotions. It was therapeutic and what I needed. Heaven help me if I had tried blogging in college (actually I did, but that's not important).

That's partially why I really like keeping a journal (in addition to a blog). It's where I put my more personal writings that certainly don't belong on the Internet. I'm not very good at keeping up with the one I have now, but it serves it's purpose when I need it to. That's what is important.

As I've written, this blog is more or less a log of me trying to navigate through the so called "adult world". My journal is me trying to make sense of that world. I might flip through it at times to see how much I've progressed (or my lack of). I recommend keeping a journal. Sometimes writing everything down helps. It everything out onto paper so that the mind can organize it. Having a travel journal is also fun and I can go back to remind myself of what I did on a trip.

A journal doesn't need to be fancy. A composition notebook works just as nicely as a fancy leather bound book from a fancy store. A blog is good too, but remember this is the Internet. People don't have to be nice and anyone can find you.

A journal can be a great friend...unless it's possessed by young Lord Voldemort, Tom Riddle Jr. Then you might want to stab it with a baselisk's fang.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. Now I'm off to find a baselisk's fang!

Welcome To Being A Writer

Writer's Block Is My One True Enemy

I'm sure if you've been reading this blog for a while (or you've finally caved into Facebook annoying you into clicking on it). Then you will know that I like to write. It helps me gather my thoughts, express my feelings, and make sense of this crazy world I've stumbled into. I don't necessarily post everything I'm thinking (that would be silly and likely get me into a lot of sticky situations).

Writing is my hobby (along with several others, but this post is just focusing on writing).

A little over a year ago a posted about how I wrote a novel. I've reread it and have started rewriting it. That part of the writing process is not fun. There are a lot of changes I want to make all while battling the urge to move onto my next story. It's been a long process and I've needed to step away from that project to work on a few others.

Que me starting a webcomic. I'd already been drawing (more like doodling) and wanted to expand on what I was already doing. In truth it was an experiment to see if I was able to post one comic per week and be able to improve both my story telling and art style over the course of at least a year. I'm coming up on my one year anniversary next month and so far I've managed to gain 4 followers, 1 regular commenter, and significantly improve in quality all while only missing one week. I'm calling it a success.

I blame TV for setting our expectations too high.

 So now I have one regular blog I write and a webcomic in my spare time. How else can I over complicate my down time?

Why not start a second weekly blog? This one focusing on something a lot less personal, food pairings! I'm already cooking a lot, I might as well take an hour out of my week to write it all down.

Somehow I am able to do all of this. That's not to say some of my writing hasn't suffered (*cough this one *cough), but I'm branching out and trying new writing styles. I'm also slowly (like snail stuck in molasses slow) gaining a following. Also I want to be clear that I the only thing I get out of this is the fulfillment that I am able to write (the attention is also nice, but it can come at a price - I still fly under most people's radar, so it's not an issue right now).

Maybe someday I'll be able to quit my job and turn my hobby into my source of income. Many people do it, but right now I'm still learning. I still need to refine my writing style, figure out my voice. Until then, I'm going to keep trying. It's hard work and a commitment to my time, but it's also great for getting rid of stress, organizing my thoughts, and reminding people that I'm still hiding out somewhere on this planet.

If you or someone you know is interested in writing (novels, poems, comics, etc.) the best way to start, in my opinion, is with a journal. It doesn't have to be super expensive or even fancy. It could be an old unused composition notebook you didn't use in the 2nd grade.

Cause here's a big secret: if you write you are a writer.

Sure I might not be famous and don't make any money from my work, but that doesn't stop me. I keep writing. Oh, and don't forget reading. Reading and writing go together, like bread and butter. Most writers (at least the ones I prefer reading) will always tell their fans who want to be like them to read and write as much as possible. I know I am.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. Now where did I leave my outlines?

Welcome To The Art of Mindfulness

I was talking with someone about over thinking things and this person gave me a great quote. "Thinking about the past causes depression, thinking about the future brings anxiety, but being mindful of the present brings peace." This quote probably is oversimplifying the seriousness of anxiety and depression, but it did get me thinking about a couple of things.

When I am practicing yoga, my yoga teachers try to emphasize the concept of mindfulness. This means being in the present and being in control of my current actions. It allows me to acknowlede the thoughts I might be having, but not engaging them. It also means drawing my focus on my current actions rather than any past or future actions. When I am at yoga practice I should be focused on myself doing yoga, not what I am going to do after yoga nor what I was doing prior to arriving.

A big part of mindfulness is not beating myself up when I make a mistake (or gloating when I do something right). I notice that it happened, but I do not let draw me away from the next movement I have transitioned to.

It is something I had to learn to do and once I did, I found myself being able to relax and let go during my practice. My yoga teachers also talked about the importance of mindfulness outside of yoga. Instead of going through my morning routine on autopilot, I should focus on each task while I do it. I should take my time and notice what each hand is doing.

Taking mindfulness into my daily life is a challenge. There are a lot of distractions and emotions that can draw my mind away from the present. I also need to think of deadlines and any unexpected emergencies that might come up.

This past weekend I learned that mindfulness is very important for a lot of tasks. It can help manage different emotions and decrease the likelihood for me to do something unintelligent. It brings me to a single point in the exact moment that I am in.

I take a deep breath, let it part way out, and do my task. All the while I keep breathing and focusing on the moment.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. Now on to learning from my missteps.

Welcome To Open Letters

Or My Generation's Form of Protest

 

To post or not to post? That is the question.

If you've been paying attention to the Internet lately, or the Internet's version of new, you might have stumbled across a story about an employee at Yelp who wrote an open letter to her CEO. In this open letter she talks about how she can barely afford to live on the income she is making (the full letter can be read here).

Now, I'm not saying she has a valid argument, nor am I saying that she made the best choices. In fact I don't want to make judgements on her choices. They were her choices to make and she's definitely learned a lesson since making them.

No, I'm here to talk about the new frenzy that this caused.

The first news story I came across that alerted me to this event, that doesn't even really matter in the long run, was a story about a Yelp employee getting fired because of her open letter to the CEO. Yep, that's right. This open letter got the author fired from her job. You can read that story here.

So of course because the writer of this open letter was fired and social media allows for anyone with Internet access to share their opinion (myself included), this lead to several more open letters to the writer of the initial open letter. As well as one or two letters to the open letters of the respondents. Oh and the CEO of Yelp gave a statement (one of them via Twitter) on all of the media hype. This lead to even more media coverage. It got to the point where one of  my coworkers who is from the X-generation, reminded all of us Millennials that if you have a problem at work to speak with your supervisor and don't write stuff online where anyone can find it and see it. This is partially why I write under a pseudonym for all of my other online content.

Again, I'm not saying the actions that were taken were right or wrong. I'm just bringing awareness to the stories the media deems worthy of reporting on.

Because weather you think open letters are silly, being over used, or an important platform, they are a way for people to express themselves to a larger audience. Honestly this blog could be considered an open letter, if I chose to include "Dear [insert person here]" before every post.

And yes, I can already hear many people of the older generation going "back in my day...". Yeah, I get it, in the bygone era of yesteryear times were harder and no one cared about your feelings, so we (the younger generation) should just suck it up now. My response to you is: that's not healthy. Sucking it up, pretending you aren't angry, or sad, or any other negative emotion is not healthy.

People need to express themselves. If for any reason than to process the emotions they are feeling. People need to validate the emotions they are going through. They need someone to listen and help them understand that what they are feeling is okay to feel. Unfortunately people have started sharing these feelings on the Internet, which is open for everyone to agree, disagree, or ridicule them. And the media does what it always has done and turns everything into a circus. 

Open letters can be a great tool. I've read several open letters that were featured on one news site or other about many different issues. Many of them are on the dress codes or treating young children with disabilities with respect. Some are about protests and others are about giving thanks. They are a form of speech that allow everyday people to reach a larger audience.

How most of the world sees my generation.

The country I've grown up in prides itself on the first amendment right of freedom of speech. With the help of the Internet, freedom of speech has grown. People are free to express themselves and reach out to a wider audience. Awareness of events, protests, and yes even the crazy things cats do is right at our finger tips.

However there is one minor detail about this freedom that people seem to forget. The first amendment only protects someone from being persecuted by the government. It does not protect someone from any other consequences that might happen because of what was written. As our first open letter writer found out when she was fired for what she wrote.

That being said, don't let this cautionary tale stop you from speaking up about something you feel passionate about. If no one spoke up about what they feel passionate about, nothing will ever change. Believe it or not, change is important.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Welcome to Roommates

My first roommate was my sibling, We shared a room until I was 12, which is when my pestering finally resulted in getting my own room. The next time I had a roommate was in college. My first college roommate and I got a long fine, but we weren't close. My second college roommate somehow didn't kill me over the next three years.

For two years I lived on my own in Maryland. Then everything changed when I discovered that I was moving to New Jersey. Now I could have probably found a place really far away from my work, but choices were limited and having a roommate would hopefully garentee an instant friend.

How did I find my roommate if I didn't know anyone where I was moving? Craigslist.

No seriously, I found them on Craigslist. You might be asking me if I am crazy. Or if I was worried about who this person might be. Well a lot of people did ask me those questions.

What I did was meet with my future roommate first. That way we could get to know each other and make sure we would be compatible. I actually interviewed with a few potential roommates. I had a list of questions and I made sure to bring someone with me (my mom and aunt) who could also share their oppinion.

I am positive that I found the right roommate. We get along well and we go out every so often. Yesterday was my roommate's birthday. We went to the city with a large group for karaoke. We sang our voices raw.

I won't lie that there wasn't an adjustment period. Going from living on my own to sharing a living space was weird. For the first month I felt like I was a visitor invading my new roommate's home.

There are a few things I do to make sure that there is harmony in my home:

1) Communication - leaving passive aggressive notes is not something I ever recommend. Talking to my roommate solves more problems than creates them.

2) Be Understanding - sometimes someone leaves dirty dishes in the sink. As long as they are cleaned by the end of the day, there's no reason for either of us to loose our cool. If it starts to be a problem see harmony note number 1.

3) Be Flexible - sometimes we both need the bathroom at the same time. It's perfectly cool to adjust a schedule as long as everyone makes it to work on time. Again communication is key.

4) Keep the common area clean - I admit at I am a messy person. My roommate is not a messy person. To maintain harmony, I make sure that the common areas stay clear of my things and to contain the mess to my room.

5) Do stuff together - movie nights, ordering take out, and yes Karaoke are all great ways that we hang out. Its not all the time. I invite my roommate places and they invite me places. Sometimes we can go and sometimes we can't.

The down side of this list is that this is only stuff I can do. I have yet to have a really bad experience with a roommate, but I know people who have. This list probably won't work if the roommate isn't able to meet you half way. And yes, becoming the roommate of someone you just met (heck even a close friend) can be a gamble. I have been very lucky and I hope everyone else looking for post-graduation roommates is lucky too.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post or it really pissed you off, please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Welcome To Social Media

I'm a Millennial, I should know this stuff right?

Ah Social Media, the greatest necessity and bane of this generation's existence. If you don't believe me check out my post from last week about self marketing or just continue reading this post.

Let's navigate this together! (No I'm not being serious)

I recently got a Twitter account. Yeah, it's basically Facebook statuses, but you can find out what famous people are thinking without actually being their friend. JK Rowling is a well known Twitter user. I got it as a way to continue "self advertising" for my online writing.*

Social media has managed to connect people and keep them connected in a way that wasn't possible twenty years ago. One can argue that the Internet Is the real power house behind this connection, but Social Media has definitely taken it to the next level. Let's see we have the all powerful Facebook, the apparent news source that is Twitter (seriously has no one else seen Yahoo's sources lately?), Instagram and Pinterest rule photo sharing of all things IKEA related, and of course LinkedIn is the current gateway to getting a resume out the door (at least that's what I kept hearing from my college career center). Oh and let's not forget YouTube (sorry Vimeo you just aren't as well known), the site that's managed to make more insta-celebraties than any other (except perhaps 4chan, but that's a different conspiracy).

There are of course even more to choose from for different purposes, like Tumblr, Snap Chat, and Tinder. All of which connect people around the world to share information, events, and crazy cat videos. To meet a person in the US between the ages of 10 and 39 who hasn't heard or is a member of at least one of these sites is rare, like meeting an extraterrestrial rare. It's statistically possible, but highly unlikely.

So isn't Social Media a force of good for this generations? Like all things in this universe, social media is both good and bad (like eating a box of chocolates, your soul wants it, but the body will hate you for it later).

Social Media gives everyone a platform. People whom agree with each other, disagree with each other, and the people who have no idea what's going on but want to be included anyway. It has also created a culture where we can share everything.

Yep, everything.

We all know that one person who has to share everything. Heck some of my readers might think I'm one of these people (which I might be, but I digress). Its not necessarily bad and can easily be ignored, like ads on Facebook. But recently there have been more and more news stories about how people get in to trouble on these sites.

There was the recent scandal about the girl on Instagram saying how her life presented on the site is a total lie. There's always some story about high school kids posting something stupid and getting detention for it. Or how about the teacher who was recently hired because of her double life on Instagram (I'm sensing a pattern). Also quoting Twitter is seen as news. Am I the only one who thinks this will eventually lead to a spectacularly hilarious scandal at some point? Something along the lines of the War of the Worlds radio broadcast. Anyone else?

Navigating all the Dos and Don'ts of Social Media should be simple. If you wouldn't put it on your high school bulletin board, don't put it online. See simple. Yet we still have people known as trolls (mean spirited/mischievous people looking for a fight), the person who doesn't understand that yes the police can read your status if you make the illegal activity you did a public post, and the person who tells their boss they are sick and then post that they are actually at the beach playing hooky (seriously don't do this).

So what's the future of social media? Will we one day all pretty much live in the digital world and let our real bodies deteriorate into nothing? I hope not. Reality is still too interesting for me to spend all of my time on the Internet. Still, the possibility is there. Until then I'll keep making sure I don't post anything too embarrassing.

If you enjoyed this post or it really pissed you off, pleas like, share, or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. Now to finish watching that silly sports game most Americans are currently tuned in to. Honestly I'm just watching for the commercials. Until next week.

* This blog will not be included because [insert reason here].