Thursday, August 22, 2013
new & old beginnings
I found an old blog of mine, and though I'd share a post written a year and some months ago. It's amazing how much better things can get over time.
Last June, I graduated with my undergrad in Business Administration, with an emphasis on Hospitality, and a minor in Music. About a month out of college, I was promoted to a management position at my job, at a restaurant and hotel. Lucky, right? Fresh out of school, and straight into a management position "in my field," in the middle of the recession. Everyone congratulated me. I was taken out for drinks. My dad told me how proud he is of me.
I almost turned it down.
I hated my job. But it was okay, I told myself. If I just get in another year at this place, I'll have management experience to put on my resume. It's the practical thing to do, especially considering the economy. Plus, I would gain experience. Never mind that I already knew I wanted to get as far away from hospitality as possible. Never mind that I had planned to quit and travel with my friend on the WWOOF program after summer. I could apply management experience to anything I wanted to do in the future! ...I think. And I could always travel later... right?
Three weeks ago, I put in a month's notice. Do I have another job lined up? Nope. Maybe some interviews at least? No - I'm going to go on some road trips instead. Do people look at me funny when I tell them that? Do they tell me about the job market, and make mental calculations about how spoiled I must be? Have a delightful number of my friends and family decided I am naive, ungrateful, and headed for financial ruin? Yes.
Am I happier and more excited about my life than I have been in the past year and eight months? YES.
I've been pretty good about always doing the practical thing so far in my life. I never spend too much money, and am good at saving. Previously, I quit a job I LOVED in order to have a job that didn't pay me under the table. I majored in business, not music, despite that it was obvious where my heart was. I pay my rent on time. I'm always the designated driver. I look both ways before crossing the damn street.
The most impractical thing I have done yet was to take a quarter off of school and go to west Africa to volunteer and study for four months. And I don't even have to say it - you already know what I'm going to say because it's intuitive - but here it is anyway; it was one of the best experiences of my life.
But what about the economy? How easy do you think it's going to be a job when you get done with your little excursions? Have you ever not had money to eat? I didn't think so. And you're getting paid $12 an hour plus tips? Do you know how lucky you are? Don't quit. Tough it out, it can't be that bad. This economy is terrible. And the economy's really bad. And I have I mentioned the economy? IT'S KINDA SUCKY.
I know I have been lucky. Lucky doesn't even begin to describe it. And I know the economy is dismal. But I don't want to live my life by other people's rules and perceptions. I don't want to live in fear, going through the paces of a soul-draining job when I'm only 24 years old. I'm told life is what you make it. I'm of the opinion that happiness is not something you arrive at one day, but something you must be choosing constantly. I'm young, with no family to support - this is the time for adventures.
I also think fear of the economy is one of the things that are keep people exactly where they are, thus contributing to a lack of flow in the job market, and perpetuating this economy. So, there. I'm doing my part. As I leave, one of my staff members is getting promoted to my job. And someone will be hired in her place.
It's the circle of life, dude!
And so I begin this blog with a journey in front of me. I will chronicle my adventures with travel and job searching, road trips and interviews. My budgeting schemes, and reckless abandon. So far, I just have a handful of small road trips planned, with close friends and even closer destinations. They're what you might call practical.
...
Or maybe I'll go to Thailand. That sounds like fun.
And then I did.
Last June, I graduated with my undergrad in Business Administration, with an emphasis on Hospitality, and a minor in Music. About a month out of college, I was promoted to a management position at my job, at a restaurant and hotel. Lucky, right? Fresh out of school, and straight into a management position "in my field," in the middle of the recession. Everyone congratulated me. I was taken out for drinks. My dad told me how proud he is of me.
I almost turned it down.
I hated my job. But it was okay, I told myself. If I just get in another year at this place, I'll have management experience to put on my resume. It's the practical thing to do, especially considering the economy. Plus, I would gain experience. Never mind that I already knew I wanted to get as far away from hospitality as possible. Never mind that I had planned to quit and travel with my friend on the WWOOF program after summer. I could apply management experience to anything I wanted to do in the future! ...I think. And I could always travel later... right?
Three weeks ago, I put in a month's notice. Do I have another job lined up? Nope. Maybe some interviews at least? No - I'm going to go on some road trips instead. Do people look at me funny when I tell them that? Do they tell me about the job market, and make mental calculations about how spoiled I must be? Have a delightful number of my friends and family decided I am naive, ungrateful, and headed for financial ruin? Yes.
Am I happier and more excited about my life than I have been in the past year and eight months? YES.
I've been pretty good about always doing the practical thing so far in my life. I never spend too much money, and am good at saving. Previously, I quit a job I LOVED in order to have a job that didn't pay me under the table. I majored in business, not music, despite that it was obvious where my heart was. I pay my rent on time. I'm always the designated driver. I look both ways before crossing the damn street.
The most impractical thing I have done yet was to take a quarter off of school and go to west Africa to volunteer and study for four months. And I don't even have to say it - you already know what I'm going to say because it's intuitive - but here it is anyway; it was one of the best experiences of my life.
But what about the economy? How easy do you think it's going to be a job when you get done with your little excursions? Have you ever not had money to eat? I didn't think so. And you're getting paid $12 an hour plus tips? Do you know how lucky you are? Don't quit. Tough it out, it can't be that bad. This economy is terrible. And the economy's really bad. And I have I mentioned the economy? IT'S KINDA SUCKY.
I know I have been lucky. Lucky doesn't even begin to describe it. And I know the economy is dismal. But I don't want to live my life by other people's rules and perceptions. I don't want to live in fear, going through the paces of a soul-draining job when I'm only 24 years old. I'm told life is what you make it. I'm of the opinion that happiness is not something you arrive at one day, but something you must be choosing constantly. I'm young, with no family to support - this is the time for adventures.
I also think fear of the economy is one of the things that are keep people exactly where they are, thus contributing to a lack of flow in the job market, and perpetuating this economy. So, there. I'm doing my part. As I leave, one of my staff members is getting promoted to my job. And someone will be hired in her place.
It's the circle of life, dude!
And so I begin this blog with a journey in front of me. I will chronicle my adventures with travel and job searching, road trips and interviews. My budgeting schemes, and reckless abandon. So far, I just have a handful of small road trips planned, with close friends and even closer destinations. They're what you might call practical.
...
Or maybe I'll go to Thailand. That sounds like fun.
And then I did.
Monday, November 12, 2012
9 Ways to Save Money, Post-College
I keep reading these 'ways to be frugal' articles on MSN and Yahoo, and I can't help but think I can do better. So here's Lindsay's Ways to Save Money, Post-College Edition.
1. Grocery Shop
Ok, I know you're already rolling your eyes, but hear me out; I swear, this is probably my most expensive lesson learned, and I still see my friends making this mistake: eating out too often. "Eating out" isn't just restaurants by the way, it's also the $5 coffee drinks from cafes and the pre-made sandwiches AT the grocery store. So, try buying ingredients. You probably have more of a kitchen now (at least compared to the dorms) AND more time (via lack of homework) so why not try cooking? But if you're like me, getting some stand-alone snacks, like fruits, cheese, crackers, etc, is grandly important as well. The point is, eating out and buying pre-made food can rack up hundreds of extra dollars a month.
Although there's room for compromise, of course. I recently talked myself into being okay with buying some already-made muffins from the grocery store bakery. Sure, it's not as economical as cereal or eggs or something, but spending $6 a week on a box of muffins still beats out spending $6 a day at the cafe. Baby steps.
2. Take Advantage of Free Amenities and Public Facilities
Yep, I just went there. Already. No, I'm not saying you should steal toilet paper (or stuff your purse with ketchup packets at McDonald's for that matter), but there's something to be said for free stuff. When you're out and about, use the restroom (especially if you're somewhere nice) and use the pretty-smelling soap. Reuse plastic bags that department stores bag your purchases in as mini trash bags. If you're going to go to the cafe, take advantage of their WiFi, water, and free refills. And you better believe you're getting that to-go box for the rest of your food at restaurants. Basically, get your money's worth... without being a teabag re-user (unless you're into that sort of thing, of course).
3. Pay More than Minimum on College Loans
Probably the one you don't want to hear me say, but when it comes to your college (or any other) loans, paying more now saves you SO MUCH in the long run. It can literally add up to thousands of dollars and many years saved from continually paying back loans. Of course, not everyone can pay back more than the minimum due every month, but if you can, you should, even just every once in a while. More $$$ in your pocket later on.
4. Listen to Music For Free
Notice how I say "listen" not "own." I am a musician, as are many of my friends, and I firmly believe you should pay a musician what they ask for their works. That being said, there's plenty of ways to fill your ears from morning to night with your favorite tunes without dropping a penny. The radio in your car, the multitudes of internet radios (like Pandora) at home, YouTube music videos, live music in your hometown, and revisiting your old collection are great places to start. Then of course, there's Spotify. On top of that, there ARE a lot of artists out there who don't mind if you own their music for free, because they're trying to build their fan base. GoodMusicAllDay.com is a good site for this, mostly in the hip-hop genre. Along those same lines, scour facebook for your friends' bands - chances are they've put out a couple free tracks, too. Bonus: you'll feel awesome at having 'discovered' a new band instead of just listening to what the top-pop radio tells you to. Hipster cred.
5. Walk, or Carpool
Pretty self-explanatory. Walk, bike, take public transit, carpool with coworkers, do things close to home, make sure you have your grocery list complete before going so you don't have to make a second trip, or jeez, just pretend your car's broken down if you want. Take up the unicycle. Gas is kinda costing a lot lately, if you haven't heard.
6. Splurge on Small Things
There's that indulgent "advice" you were waiting for. But really, it's important to feel special. Don't go so totally overboard with your new-found thrift that you feel deprived (and end up splurging a huge amount on something ridiculous later on, like a painting of Bob Barker). Just make sure they're actually treats, and only occur every once in a while: a fancy coffee drink once a week, a long drive once a month, a new accessory/toy every once in a while. Or, you know, things that don't cost money. Those are treats too (gasp).
7. Swap Old Clothes and Accessories with Friends
My friends call them Naked Lady Parties, and though they're not quite as exciting as our males friends seem to think they are, we do score some awesome new-to-us clothes for the low low price of parting with stuff we don't want anymore, anyway. It's a win-win! Even if you don't want to have a full-on get-together, see if your similarly-sized friend or neighbor would be interested in looking in your Goodwill-destined bag before you take it in. They'll probably return the favor.
Also, before you take that bag to Goodwill, stop by your local second-hand shop/consignment clothing store first, and see if they want any of it. Sign up for an account, go back later, and shop for free!
8. Drink Water
Because pretty much everything else costs money. And you probably need to drink more water anyway, as do two-thirds of Americans. And invest in a filter, because bottled water often costs more than soda. It's more environmentally friendly, too.
9. Make Your Christmas Presents
Lastly, just in time for the holidays: crafty presents aren't just for five-year-olds. Knit your mom a scarf, give your dad a picture you took in a frame, hand out homemade cookies to your friends. One year I gave my dad a "gift card" for a dozen back massages, and you better believe he used every last one of them. I also have given my niece many of my old stuffed animals and toys over the years, and though they're surprisingly hard to part with, they prove to be some of her favorite toys, and we play with them EVERY time I come over (and I mean every time).
That's it for now. Hope you guys like this! I may have to make a reoccurring line of posts about this particular subject...
1. Grocery Shop
Ok, I know you're already rolling your eyes, but hear me out; I swear, this is probably my most expensive lesson learned, and I still see my friends making this mistake: eating out too often. "Eating out" isn't just restaurants by the way, it's also the $5 coffee drinks from cafes and the pre-made sandwiches AT the grocery store. So, try buying ingredients. You probably have more of a kitchen now (at least compared to the dorms) AND more time (via lack of homework) so why not try cooking? But if you're like me, getting some stand-alone snacks, like fruits, cheese, crackers, etc, is grandly important as well. The point is, eating out and buying pre-made food can rack up hundreds of extra dollars a month.
Although there's room for compromise, of course. I recently talked myself into being okay with buying some already-made muffins from the grocery store bakery. Sure, it's not as economical as cereal or eggs or something, but spending $6 a week on a box of muffins still beats out spending $6 a day at the cafe. Baby steps.
2. Take Advantage of Free Amenities and Public Facilities
Yep, I just went there. Already. No, I'm not saying you should steal toilet paper (or stuff your purse with ketchup packets at McDonald's for that matter), but there's something to be said for free stuff. When you're out and about, use the restroom (especially if you're somewhere nice) and use the pretty-smelling soap. Reuse plastic bags that department stores bag your purchases in as mini trash bags. If you're going to go to the cafe, take advantage of their WiFi, water, and free refills. And you better believe you're getting that to-go box for the rest of your food at restaurants. Basically, get your money's worth... without being a teabag re-user (unless you're into that sort of thing, of course).
3. Pay More than Minimum on College Loans
Probably the one you don't want to hear me say, but when it comes to your college (or any other) loans, paying more now saves you SO MUCH in the long run. It can literally add up to thousands of dollars and many years saved from continually paying back loans. Of course, not everyone can pay back more than the minimum due every month, but if you can, you should, even just every once in a while. More $$$ in your pocket later on.
4. Listen to Music For Free
Notice how I say "listen" not "own." I am a musician, as are many of my friends, and I firmly believe you should pay a musician what they ask for their works. That being said, there's plenty of ways to fill your ears from morning to night with your favorite tunes without dropping a penny. The radio in your car, the multitudes of internet radios (like Pandora) at home, YouTube music videos, live music in your hometown, and revisiting your old collection are great places to start. Then of course, there's Spotify. On top of that, there ARE a lot of artists out there who don't mind if you own their music for free, because they're trying to build their fan base. GoodMusicAllDay.com is a good site for this, mostly in the hip-hop genre. Along those same lines, scour facebook for your friends' bands - chances are they've put out a couple free tracks, too. Bonus: you'll feel awesome at having 'discovered' a new band instead of just listening to what the top-pop radio tells you to. Hipster cred.
5. Walk, or Carpool
Pretty self-explanatory. Walk, bike, take public transit, carpool with coworkers, do things close to home, make sure you have your grocery list complete before going so you don't have to make a second trip, or jeez, just pretend your car's broken down if you want. Take up the unicycle. Gas is kinda costing a lot lately, if you haven't heard.
6. Splurge on Small Things
There's that indulgent "advice" you were waiting for. But really, it's important to feel special. Don't go so totally overboard with your new-found thrift that you feel deprived (and end up splurging a huge amount on something ridiculous later on, like a painting of Bob Barker). Just make sure they're actually treats, and only occur every once in a while: a fancy coffee drink once a week, a long drive once a month, a new accessory/toy every once in a while. Or, you know, things that don't cost money. Those are treats too (gasp).
7. Swap Old Clothes and Accessories with Friends
My friends call them Naked Lady Parties, and though they're not quite as exciting as our males friends seem to think they are, we do score some awesome new-to-us clothes for the low low price of parting with stuff we don't want anymore, anyway. It's a win-win! Even if you don't want to have a full-on get-together, see if your similarly-sized friend or neighbor would be interested in looking in your Goodwill-destined bag before you take it in. They'll probably return the favor.
Also, before you take that bag to Goodwill, stop by your local second-hand shop/consignment clothing store first, and see if they want any of it. Sign up for an account, go back later, and shop for free!
8. Drink Water
Because pretty much everything else costs money. And you probably need to drink more water anyway, as do two-thirds of Americans. And invest in a filter, because bottled water often costs more than soda. It's more environmentally friendly, too.
9. Make Your Christmas Presents
Lastly, just in time for the holidays: crafty presents aren't just for five-year-olds. Knit your mom a scarf, give your dad a picture you took in a frame, hand out homemade cookies to your friends. One year I gave my dad a "gift card" for a dozen back massages, and you better believe he used every last one of them. I also have given my niece many of my old stuffed animals and toys over the years, and though they're surprisingly hard to part with, they prove to be some of her favorite toys, and we play with them EVERY time I come over (and I mean every time).
That's it for now. Hope you guys like this! I may have to make a reoccurring line of posts about this particular subject...
Monday, September 24, 2012
fruit of the month: Strawberries
[via a sweet spoonful]
As summer fades into late September, I find myself eating strawberries like they're going out of style season. In my area, the price hasn't completely spiked back to totally-out-of-season-you-shouldn't-be-buying-this range, so I'm taking advantage while I can.
As with most fruit, and particularly berries, buying local increases the flavor about 100 fold. No joke. If you don't believe me, I bet you've never owned a strawberry plant. When I was little, my friend's mom got one and I remember when I first tasted the non-conventional form of these amazing red juice-bombs - I couldn't believe it. That, I thought, is what strawberries are supposed to taste like? I felt robbed! The difference was like flavored cardboard and melting chocolate.
Besides that they are wonderful to eat by themselves by the handful, there are all sorts of lovely things you cook/bake/create with strawberries. A few ideas:
Strawberries and Cream Popsicles [via damn delicious]
Strawberry Crepes [via barbara bakes]
How cute are these?!? [via the capitol baker]
Chocolate Strawberry Waffles [via malibu kitchen]
You don't have to stick to sweets, either.
Goat Cheese Crostini with Strawberry Bruschetta [via dishing gormet]
Strawberry Basil Sparkler [via two tarts]
Balsamic Strawberry Pizza with Chicken [via closet cooking]
Strawberries are great sources of dietary fiber, vitamin C, folate, and potassium. Because of the dietary fiber, they're also a great thing to eat after you've eaten too much - they settle the stomach and, shall we say, get things moving in your digestive tract. That, plus some water, equals a much happier belly!
Plus, come on, who doesn't like strawberries?
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Thai food & fall colors
Been inspired lately by all the fall themed clothing and smells and weather. And it's all mixed in with the day dreams I'm having more and more frequently about visiting Thailand.
Waterfalls near Chiang Mai
Stumptown Coffee - Portland, OR
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Stars
I think it is very important that everyone stay up late on Saturday, and watch the Perseid meteor shower, which is supposed to peak a little after midnight. Already planning a viewing party with friends - excited!
It come around every year, and every year I manage to miss it. Not this year though. I'm stoked for some star-gazing.
It has also been so hot lately, that I haven't done much of anything except for stay in the shade and sip iced soy chais. I feel like summer is swiftly flying past me. Hoping to get out to the lake again before the end of it all, and spend as much time as possible with friends. Here's to the next two months!
It come around every year, and every year I manage to miss it. Not this year though. I'm stoked for some star-gazing.
It has also been so hot lately, that I haven't done much of anything except for stay in the shade and sip iced soy chais. I feel like summer is swiftly flying past me. Hoping to get out to the lake again before the end of it all, and spend as much time as possible with friends. Here's to the next two months!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
dangly
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