September-->Career Exploration
*Dig DEEP!
*Explore my options
*Try something new
*Be true to Alina
Well, well, well, here goes nothing. I am embarking on a new career. After Praxis II exams, countless attempts at straightening things out for grad school or alternative certification, a handful of denied teaching positions and a reality check on the costs of pursing another degree. I am abandoning my goal of teaching. Deep down, I know I will teach someday. If that means later in life I will return to college or I end up in Africa somewhere teaching in a hut, I do not know. But I know at this moment in life I am not going to school for education. I love being in the schools and absolutely enjoy substituting but I cannot handle the bureaucracy of the system at the moment. It is a tango I am unskilled to dance.
I explored other options that appeal to me and after much thought and careful consideration of weighing pros and cons I am entering Massage Therapy School. I am extremely excited to learn a craft that can help people. I am also excited to know that when I graduate I will possess a specific skills set for working in a field that I enjoy and the flexibility of the career is perfect for raising two kiddos.
This definitely fits into my trying something new guideline.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
August-----> Money
August --->Money
*Make some
*Spend some
*Save some
*Establish a vacation goal with the kids and start a jar
*Evaluate my relationship with money and improve it
At this point in my life money seems to rear an ugly side of me. Simply for the fact that there is little to go around. I am not alone in my hardship at this time, much of America is out of work or surviving on substantially less than in previous years. I take it personally though. I am a hard-worker. I am a mother raising two kiddos and I need to provide for them. I want to give them more than I received and at this time it is difficult. I stretch money better than I thought was possible and appreciate the lessons of management I am learning. I hope to jump this hurdle, hold on to the lessons and not enter this zone again down the road.
I am able to substitute teach some since school is back in session and that helps a great deal. I also do photography engagements, in-store event auditing, and the occasional craft order. If something else comes along that I am suited for that will yield a profit I jump on it and get to work.
Saving money is difficult now because there is barely enough for the things that must be paid. I know once I am able to work regularly I will save because I know the feeling of being empty in the bank. I took so much for granted before I lost my job. There was never a worry of paying a bill on time. No need to balance anything before deciding where to eat and now things are different. I cook mostly and when we eat out it is a treasure. We are not frequenting shows and such as much and when we do go everyone is excited.
*Make some
*Spend some
*Save some
*Establish a vacation goal with the kids and start a jar
*Evaluate my relationship with money and improve it
At this point in my life money seems to rear an ugly side of me. Simply for the fact that there is little to go around. I am not alone in my hardship at this time, much of America is out of work or surviving on substantially less than in previous years. I take it personally though. I am a hard-worker. I am a mother raising two kiddos and I need to provide for them. I want to give them more than I received and at this time it is difficult. I stretch money better than I thought was possible and appreciate the lessons of management I am learning. I hope to jump this hurdle, hold on to the lessons and not enter this zone again down the road.
I am able to substitute teach some since school is back in session and that helps a great deal. I also do photography engagements, in-store event auditing, and the occasional craft order. If something else comes along that I am suited for that will yield a profit I jump on it and get to work.
Saving money is difficult now because there is barely enough for the things that must be paid. I know once I am able to work regularly I will save because I know the feeling of being empty in the bank. I took so much for granted before I lost my job. There was never a worry of paying a bill on time. No need to balance anything before deciding where to eat and now things are different. I cook mostly and when we eat out it is a treasure. We are not frequenting shows and such as much and when we do go everyone is excited.
July----> Language
July --->Language
*Study either Spanish or Italian each day for at least fifteen minutes
*Incorporate language more in my daily life
Oh Boy! I flopped big time in this department :( I must and absolutely must start studying Italian again. I did travel in July which by virtue of necessary conversation and survival I learned some French and quickly learned I cannot speak Spain Spanish due to the thick lisp. I just was unable to decipher much of anything and we became the tourist who asks for the translated menu. But in France we got along pretty well and I am certain it is because I did not know much of any French thus not assuming I understood when people spoke.
But I love Italian, I love the sound, I love the way words are written and when we go to Italy I want to speak Italian. I want to read the menus and venue information and understand.
*Study either Spanish or Italian each day for at least fifteen minutes
*Incorporate language more in my daily life
Oh Boy! I flopped big time in this department :( I must and absolutely must start studying Italian again. I did travel in July which by virtue of necessary conversation and survival I learned some French and quickly learned I cannot speak Spain Spanish due to the thick lisp. I just was unable to decipher much of anything and we became the tourist who asks for the translated menu. But in France we got along pretty well and I am certain it is because I did not know much of any French thus not assuming I understood when people spoke.
But I love Italian, I love the sound, I love the way words are written and when we go to Italy I want to speak Italian. I want to read the menus and venue information and understand.
June----> Travel
June --->Travel
*Embrace traveling and see Spain
*Travel with purpose - never forget that it is a journey and an observation
To travel is living. I absolutely love to travel. Even when the trip seems less than pleasant I'd still rather be traveling. I feel the most me when I travel (whatever that actually means) and I feel free. My desire is equivalent to my need for oxygen. My body breaks down during a dormant period and I become antsy and aggravating and unpleasant to be around. I know this happens and thus I try my darndest to travel when I can.
I am an avid travel photographer and spend most of my time in another place behind the camera. But I always take moments to not photograph certain things and just observe with every fiber of my being that I can muster where I am, the smells and sounds, the colors, the shapes, the language. I try at best to embrace the environment and feel the pulse of the area. Every city has a distinct pulse and I want to define my map in such a way. For instance, New York City is a magical city, the awe-inspiring bustle and character seduce you and you fall madly in love; Chicago is a green city, a place of amazing architecture in substance but to me lacking in the love buzz that New York releases; Los Angeles is a city of dreams and all things West, in LA you can enter the fantasyland of Hollywood and Beverly Hills and take a drive down to Huntington Beach all in the course of a day; New Orleans is a city of home, you are welcome whenever and for as long as you please, there is always an extra bowl of gumbo and a cold beer waiting, the trolleys will welcome you to cruise beautifully oak lined streets from multi-million dollar homes to project ridden areas and all the way to the Riverfront, you will always have NOLA in your heart; I want to know what cities are like all around the world.
In June I did not travel to Spain but in July I did and I loved the experience. I also went to Paris. Douglas and I landed in Paris on Bastille Day and stayed for 7 nights at an amazing apartment we rented on HomeAway.com. We relished in the sights of Paris. We walked the streets til we were so tired we nearly collapsed to sleep at night. We would wake early and select a new arrondissement to explore. We took the train to Versailles and for one magical day we were exported to heaven. We laid on the lawn near the canal and succumbed to the ecstasy of the sight before us. The Palace was breathtaking, the gardens immaculate and the weather impeccable.
We continued our amazing trip in Spain. We stayed in Madrid for six nights and explored the city. We took a train further north one morning to El Escorial and toured the monastery. Spain was unexpected. I loved the safety and vibrancy of the city but I missed the fulfillment of life I felt in Paris. We braved the masses and attended a BullFight and though the evident massacre of the animal was more than I wanted to see, it was amazing to be a part of the culture. To see the enthusiastic audience cheer and shout for the town favorite was an enjoyable spectacle. We returned home as different people. People who are more accepting of others and cultural traditions. We returned wanting more.
To view images from our trip visit my 365 project :)
http://365project.org/alinataylor/365/2010-09-05
*Embrace traveling and see Spain
*Travel with purpose - never forget that it is a journey and an observation
To travel is living. I absolutely love to travel. Even when the trip seems less than pleasant I'd still rather be traveling. I feel the most me when I travel (whatever that actually means) and I feel free. My desire is equivalent to my need for oxygen. My body breaks down during a dormant period and I become antsy and aggravating and unpleasant to be around. I know this happens and thus I try my darndest to travel when I can.
I am an avid travel photographer and spend most of my time in another place behind the camera. But I always take moments to not photograph certain things and just observe with every fiber of my being that I can muster where I am, the smells and sounds, the colors, the shapes, the language. I try at best to embrace the environment and feel the pulse of the area. Every city has a distinct pulse and I want to define my map in such a way. For instance, New York City is a magical city, the awe-inspiring bustle and character seduce you and you fall madly in love; Chicago is a green city, a place of amazing architecture in substance but to me lacking in the love buzz that New York releases; Los Angeles is a city of dreams and all things West, in LA you can enter the fantasyland of Hollywood and Beverly Hills and take a drive down to Huntington Beach all in the course of a day; New Orleans is a city of home, you are welcome whenever and for as long as you please, there is always an extra bowl of gumbo and a cold beer waiting, the trolleys will welcome you to cruise beautifully oak lined streets from multi-million dollar homes to project ridden areas and all the way to the Riverfront, you will always have NOLA in your heart; I want to know what cities are like all around the world.
In June I did not travel to Spain but in July I did and I loved the experience. I also went to Paris. Douglas and I landed in Paris on Bastille Day and stayed for 7 nights at an amazing apartment we rented on HomeAway.com. We relished in the sights of Paris. We walked the streets til we were so tired we nearly collapsed to sleep at night. We would wake early and select a new arrondissement to explore. We took the train to Versailles and for one magical day we were exported to heaven. We laid on the lawn near the canal and succumbed to the ecstasy of the sight before us. The Palace was breathtaking, the gardens immaculate and the weather impeccable.
We continued our amazing trip in Spain. We stayed in Madrid for six nights and explored the city. We took a train further north one morning to El Escorial and toured the monastery. Spain was unexpected. I loved the safety and vibrancy of the city but I missed the fulfillment of life I felt in Paris. We braved the masses and attended a BullFight and though the evident massacre of the animal was more than I wanted to see, it was amazing to be a part of the culture. To see the enthusiastic audience cheer and shout for the town favorite was an enjoyable spectacle. We returned home as different people. People who are more accepting of others and cultural traditions. We returned wanting more.
To view images from our trip visit my 365 project :)
http://365project.org/alinataylor/365/2010-09-05
Sunday, September 12, 2010
May----> Organization
May --->Organization
*Clear out physical, emotional and mental clutter
*Create space
*Have one empty shelf
Clearing out physical clutter "can" be easy and is much simpler to deal with than the emotional and mental crap we carry around day after day, year after year. I live in a limited space world. I have less than 800 sq ft of living space and two kids. We always seem to have more crap than we need and there are books and paper all over the place. I will not part with the books! I keep trying to devise a wall to maintain the chaos that ensues with books littering even the tiniest of tables but ultimately I think I will need bookshelves lining all walls and only then where there be a place for all the books. I failed at my attempt to have an empty shelf. Unless of course the tiny miniature shelf that tops of my key hook counts? If so, I have a clear shelf :)
Creating space in my heart and mind and literally my lungs is vital. I am constantly shuffling my cranium files to store the best new book I am reading, or to shift through the strange acts of my teenager [OMG I have a teenager- like full-fledged teen], correcting my little girl without tramping her spirit and imagination, or listening to the internal conversation that is taking place so I don't instantly eat my words once uttered in conversation with loved ones. Seriously, there is lots going on there. And thus necessary to do a clean sweep. I am allowing myself not to brood and to brood when needed and necessary. There are times when it is refreshing to climb in bed with Ben & Jerry and cry my eyes out while watching TLC. But I also need to get up and stretch and raise my heart rate because working out feels great too.
For me, organization is a balancing act. Taken too far and I am seen as controlling and OCD but not taken serious enough and I am out of control and a slob. Thus, the quest for balance continues. I must admit clean counters and the smell of a clean home makes me happy :)
*Clear out physical, emotional and mental clutter
*Create space
*Have one empty shelf
Clearing out physical clutter "can" be easy and is much simpler to deal with than the emotional and mental crap we carry around day after day, year after year. I live in a limited space world. I have less than 800 sq ft of living space and two kids. We always seem to have more crap than we need and there are books and paper all over the place. I will not part with the books! I keep trying to devise a wall to maintain the chaos that ensues with books littering even the tiniest of tables but ultimately I think I will need bookshelves lining all walls and only then where there be a place for all the books. I failed at my attempt to have an empty shelf. Unless of course the tiny miniature shelf that tops of my key hook counts? If so, I have a clear shelf :)
Creating space in my heart and mind and literally my lungs is vital. I am constantly shuffling my cranium files to store the best new book I am reading, or to shift through the strange acts of my teenager [OMG I have a teenager- like full-fledged teen], correcting my little girl without tramping her spirit and imagination, or listening to the internal conversation that is taking place so I don't instantly eat my words once uttered in conversation with loved ones. Seriously, there is lots going on there. And thus necessary to do a clean sweep. I am allowing myself not to brood and to brood when needed and necessary. There are times when it is refreshing to climb in bed with Ben & Jerry and cry my eyes out while watching TLC. But I also need to get up and stretch and raise my heart rate because working out feels great too.
For me, organization is a balancing act. Taken too far and I am seen as controlling and OCD but not taken serious enough and I am out of control and a slob. Thus, the quest for balance continues. I must admit clean counters and the smell of a clean home makes me happy :)
Dropped the ball, BIG TIME
Okay, this is an attempt at a peace offering with myself. I totally dropped the ball on my blog and my dedication. I do not want to look back at this project and see it as something that I failed at or gave up on. So, I am catching up with myself. And I am going to keep going. There are a few months left in the year and albeit there are things for me to do and say! Mostly, I am returning to the blog because I confessed that I stopped writing and the woman I was speaking with said, "Oh, so you must be happy then", ummm well, not exactly but I do feel I am getting a better handle on things. We shall see.
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