Saturday, February 2, 2013

February 2nd 2013

"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." - Henry Miller
Unfortunately, I failed to keep promises to my readers, promises of returning and writing more about my travels. Well, I guess it's "better late than never" because I'm back! I've been thinking a lot about my last summer as a student. Here's a quick update to help you better understand why. I'm done with college and am home for a few months before I start training in June. I have this freedom that I've never felt while in school, because I don't have to report to classes and meetings all day. Instead, I can do as I please. In Europe, I took full advantage of this freedom because there was so much to do and so much to see in so little time. Sadly, it isn't the same at home. Besides the fact that I'm injured, there just isn't much to do in my area. Since I'm left alone to my thoughts all day, I have way too much time...and that makes me miss Europe even more.

Here's a list of things I miss about Europe, in no specific order.
  • Finding someone to talk to 24/7, in person. Not via text, e-mail, FaceBook, etc. No matter what time my friend and I went to roam around, we would find people to talk to. They could be students, unemployed people, servers, illegal immigrants, police officers, bartenders. Anyone! And each time we met someone, we'd learn something new. 
  • That reminds me: the constant learning. We were learning about people, cultures, religions, everything! It was so exciting. 
  • The monuments/history of the places I visited. Seeing where Hitler died, staring at the Berlin wall, touching the Coliseum, visiting the Vatican, etc. There was nothing "boring" about anything. It was as if I had stepped into my history textbook!! 
  • The comfort. Yes, there were times when we were a tad bit scared because we were in a foreign country. But overall, we could talk to anyone and everyone, and we always felt comfortable. And what's more important is that they always felt comfortable as well! Approaching a stranger in America can give off bad vibes. In Europe, it's a completely normal thing to do. 
  • In Europe, I did not meet anyone that had this need to be perfect or "cool". To be honest, there are so many people in America that are in their 20s and still do certain things only to impress people. In Europe, people are just themselves. And everyone loves it. 
  • The relaxing lifestyle! Most of you know how uptight I can be...well, in Europe, that changed. I would sit around at a restaurant for hours just relaxing because that's just how it's done. I would sit on our favorite steps and just chat with strangers, because that was okay! I didn't have to go do my homework or get to work or anything of the sort. (Understandable: we can't do that 24/7. But it was definitely a wonderful experience.) 
There's so much more but as usual, my writing's cut short with every day responsibilities. Oh, and that's another thing. For once in my life, I didn't have any responsibilities! I was held accountable to no one! I didn't have to pick up groceries, or drop someone off somewhere, or make a phone call, or pay a bill. It was just about me for once! (Yes, that might sound a little selfish but it's definitely an experience worth going through.)

I'm hoping that coming back and writing this will inspire me to revisit a few more times and share more about what I learned and how I grew. After all, everyone always says that traveling can be a "life-changing" experience, right? So why not share mine?! :)

So long.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Tour of London!

"I'm leaving because the weather is too good. I hate London when it isn't raining." - Groucho Marx

The above quote applies because it hasn't rained in the past two days and I am actually upset. I decided to stay at home today because it's just too hot for me and I'm sad that it isn't cold like London should be!

Anyway, here are some fun stories and facts that I heard while on tour in London. I found them intriguing, fascinating and/or hilarious so I'll try to animate them enough so that you feel the same way! It's just a fun post, nothing serious or thought-provoking!

  • It is illegal to die in the Palace of Westminster, where Parliament is located. Why? Because that means that the state will have to hold your funeral in the famous Westminster Abbey Church (where the Royal Family gets married)! Typically, they will run you out to the nearest hospital before allowing anyone to declare you dead. Since it hasn't happened, no one knows what would happen if you did die in the palace. Everyone assumes that it would be considered a crime; therefore, you wouldn't actually get your funeral to be in the church. Who knows?!
  • The Duke of Buckingham built a beautiful home for himself because he enjoyed bragging and showing off to others. Once he finished building it, he invited everyone to come and see it. He would take them around and show them all of the many rooms and watch as they all admired his work. He loved when they were jealous! Silly Duke, he invited King George to visit because he knew his home was better than the King's. He took the King around and watched as the King really admired everything. He then said 'So George. What do you think of my home? Isn't it just lovely?' And the King replied, 'Yes. It is lovely. Duke. Give me your home. I want it to be my palace.' ...and who has the guts to say no to the king? So sadly, the Duke replied, 'Of course, King. But I spent all of my money building it. Pay me for it.' And the King agreed, and gave 28,000 pounds (which was nothing back then) to the Duke who gladly took it since it was better than nothing! And from then on, the King lived in Buckingham Palace although it didn't become the official Royal palace until later on!
I'm going to grab dinner and try to hop back on to tell you a few more things, including my most favorite story about London! 

So long! 



Things to Blog About (#2)

"People who have never had an addiction don't understand how hard it can be." - Author Unknown at the moment

So the quote probably doesn't have to do with what I'm talking about, but it relates to my sob story (my typical first world problems) that I'm about to share with you. Background story: I'm in London! It's a great experience...but unfortunately (the main story) I don't have a converter so I can't charge my laptop. Sadly, I am having issues using my cousin's laptop because it isn't a MacBook. I know! I'm so spoiled-but I can't help it. That means that I'll have TONS of writing to do when I'm back, but I'm trying to remember everything so in order to do that, I shall jot down some questions I have for myself, some things I've done and other miscellaneous things. I'll be back in the states soon so I shall expand when I can!

You can read this post if you're bored, otherwise you can wait until the expanded versions are there. This will give you a little bit of insight as to what I'm thinking about on a daily basis!

Rome

  • It's totally okay to just sit around all day and chill. Why? Most people are unemployed. Do they care? Are they in search of great jobs? Are the servers in search of better jobs? Are there even better jobs? If yes, what? 
  • The rest of the people? They are tourists. How must it feel as a local person to know that there are more foreigners in your home town/city than locals? Do you love it and feel proud of your city? Do you hate it and wish they would leave you alone? Are they exploiting your culture and lifestyle? Or are they admiring it? Are they criticizing you? Do they have the right to? Do you love it because you make money off of them

Great Britain
  • We were talking about people that have jobs that allow them to make a comfortable living, but aren't where they planned on being in life when my Aunt simply asks: 'If they're happy in the box, then why leave the box?' So intriguing. Can't wait to jump into that topic!
  • My Uncle and I were talking about education in America, the UK and India when he proudly says: 'I want my daughters to come out of the education system not as employees, but as entrepreneurs.'
  • The same Uncle visited us in America a few years ago and said that there were three main things that he clearly remembers. 1) The houses are big. 2) The people are big. 3) The meal portions are big. 
  • Random lady at the passport after she saw my passport beamed at me and said: 'Americans are nice. Most British people don't like them because they think you're all fake...Actually, they think that you're polite out of habit because you always say 'nice to meet you' or 'it was great seeing you again' even though you don't really mean it. It makes us think that you don't care about people. But I think you're great. I love Americans.' Well, thanks lady! I'm glad you like us but you've given me a lot to think about that we overlook on a daily basis.
  • The first family I stayed with was perfect. They were the most functional family I've ever seen! I felt like I was living in a movie. Wait until I blog about them, you'll feel it too :)
  • My Uncle has lived in London and India for most of his life...so he's known lots of Indians living different lives. After visiting America, he stated that Indians in America are hard workers, more so than other places. Why? What makes them so determined in a place where they don't even know the language? How do they last? Why don't they all?
  • A gold medal doesn't mean that you won. It means so much more. What does it mean to you? I'll share what we discussed about it at the dinner table!
  • Comparing ourselves to athletes competing in the Olympics--What are we doing in life while they train so hard? Was it right for Mo Farah to make his family to train? What's right and wrong? Who decides? 
  • I was taken to a HUGE temple to check it out. I'll show pictures and explain everything later-it was just incredible (and I'm not into idol worship so it wasn't really my scene). But anyway, I heard a man talking about the difference between religion and spirituality. What's the difference to you? Are you religious? Spiritual? Both? 
So much more but all of the above I don't want to forget!

So long!

Berlin, Germany

"A minute of perfection was worth the effort. A moment was the most you could ever expect from perfection." - Chuck Palahniuk

I really don't know what to say about Germany...because I haven't yet figured out how I feel about my visit. I will say a quick few things and then one day I'll come back and write more. I'm sure you won't be back to read it because it might not be anytime soon, but that's alright. It'll be written and recorded somewhere so one day I can look back and remember how I felt.

Well, before talking about Germany let me share some thoughts I had at the airport (very briefly) which I'll expand on in another post. I've noted this a few times and I want to figure out why I keep experiencing it. While I'm at the airport, I see people nod and smile at each other out of courtesy. They do the same with me; after all, I'm just another girl wandering around. But then, I take out my passport and people start giving me looks! There's something about being an American that makes people uncomfortable. I can't wait to write about that more...I've been doing research to figure out why :) Just a   few questions I'll be answering later -

  • What are stereotypes of Americans?
  • Are they different by country or city in Europe?
  • Which are true?
  • Why have they been formed?
  • When did they form?
  • Can they be altered?
  • Do they need to be?
  • What are people's thoughts on colored Americans? Are they considered Americans or something else?

Anyway, I'm going to write a few things I found different in Germany and then quickly explain my theory as to why it's that way because for once I think I have answers to my own questions!

  • The streets are so clean (SO clean) but...
  • There are barely any trash cans around. I probably spent a total of 2 hours looking for a trash can!
  • Pedestrians are perfect! They don't cross the street even if there are no cars for more than a mile if they aren't supposed to. 
  • Along with that, drivers are perfect when there are pedestrians nearby. They're so great! 
  • So in other countries, it's polite to ask in their respective language 'do you speak in English?' and then have a conversation in English. In Germany, most people get extremely offended if you ask them if they speak in English. Why? I think they're expected to know it. But of course, more about this later! 
  • Everything is actually open late--all of the shops too. In other cities, lots of things were closed around 6pm which was very frustrating!
  • I saw at least thirty people go through different trash cans pulling out plastic cans and put them in bags that simply stated, 'go green!' Were they collecting them to recycle them? Were they collecting them to make money like we can in New York? Who were they? I never quite figured that out but intend on finding out soon.
So much more to say, so much more to research but I'll come back. Promise!

So long!

P.S. Here's your homework assignment- Think about how the quote relates to the blog. I'll explain it later :) 

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

10 Things Most Americans Don't Know About America by Mark Manson

“It is the obvious which is so difficult to see most of the time. People say 'It's as plain as the nose on your face.' But how much of the nose on your face can you see, unless someone holds a mirror up to you?”  - Isaac Asimov


The reason I'm sharing this link is because I accidentally came across it and find most of it to be true now that I've stepped out of America and talked about our country to so many others! I'll probably expand on my own thoughts later, but if you're in America and haven't really been out of the country much, you should do the following: 1) read this blog post 2) write down your thoughts somewhere 3) leave the country for awhile 4) come back to America and re-observe the country 5) look at your written thoughts and see how they've changed! It would be an interesting project :) 


Original link: http://postmasculine.com/america


Copied & pasted: Imagine you have a brother and he’s an alcoholic. He has his moments, but you keep your distance from him. You don’t mind him for the occasional family gathering or holiday. You still love him. But you don’t want to be around him.

This is how I lovingly describe my current relationship with the United States. The United States is my alcoholic brother. And although I will always love him, I don’t want to be near him at the moment.
I know that’s harsh, but I really feel my home country is not in a good place these days. That’s not a socio-economic statement (although that’s on the decline as well), but rather a cultural one.
I realize it’s going to be impossible to write sentences like the ones above without coming across as a raging prick, so let me try to soften the blow to my American readers with an analogy:
You know when you move out of your parents’ house and live on your own, how you start hanging out with your friends’ families and you realize that actually, your family was a little screwed up? Stuff you always assumed was normal your entire childhood, it turns out was pretty weird and may have actually fucked you up a little bit. You know, dad thinking it was funny to wear a Santa Claus hat in his underwear every Christmas or the fact that you and your sister slept in the same bed until you were 22, or that your mother routinely cried over a bottle of wine while listening to Elton John.
The point is we don’t really get perspective on what’s close to us until we spend time away from it. Just like you didn’t realize the weird quirks and nuances of your family until you left and spent time with others, the same is true for country and culture. You often don’t see what’s messed up about your country and culture until you step outside of it.
And so even though this article is going to come across as fairly scathing, I want my American readers to know: some of the stuff we do, some of the stuff that we always assumed was normal, it’s kind of screwed up. And that’s OK. Because that’s true with every culture. It’s just easier to spot it in others (i.e., the French) so we don’t always notice it in ourselves.
So as you read this article, know that I’m saying everything with tough love, the same tough love with which I’d sit down and lecture an alcoholic family member. It doesn’t mean I don’t love you. It doesn’t mean there aren’t some awesome things about you (BRO, THAT’S AWESOME!!!). And it doesn’t mean I’m some saint either, because god knows I’m pretty screwed up (I’m American, after all). There are just a few things you need to hear. And as a friend, I’m going to tell them to you.
And to my foreign readers, get your necks ready, because this is going to be a nod-a-thon.
A Little “What The Hell Does This Guy Know?” Background: I’ve lived in different parts of the US, both the deep south and the northeast. I have visited most of the US’s 50 states. I’ve spent the past three years living almost entirely outside of the United States. I’ve lived in multiple countries in Europe, Asia and South America. I’ve visited over 40 countries in all and have spent far more time with non-Americans than with Americans during this period. I speak multiple languages. I’m not a tourist. I don’t stay in resorts and rarely stay in hostels. I rent apartments and try to integrate myself into each country I visit as much as possible. So there.
(Note: I realize these are generalizations and I realize there are always exceptions. I get it. You don’t have to post 55 comments telling me that you and your best friend are exceptions. If you really get that offended from some guy’s blog post, you may want to double-check your life priorities.)
OK, we’re ready now. 10 things Americans don’t know about America.

1. Few People Are Impressed By Us

Unless you’re speaking with a real estate agent or a prostitute, chances are they’re not going to be excited that you’re American. It’s not some badge of honor we get to parade around. Yes, we had Steve Jobs and Thomas Edison, but unless you actuallyare Steve Jobs or Thomas Edison (which is unlikely) then most people around the world are simply not going to care. There are exceptions of course. And those exceptions are called English and Australian people. Whoopdie-fucking-doo.
As Americans, we’re brought up our entire lives being taught that we’re the best, we did everything first and that the rest of the world follows our lead. Not only is this not true, but people get irritated when you bring it to their country with you. So don’t.

2. Few People Hate Us

Despite the occasional eye-rolling, and complete inability to understand why anyone would vote for George W. Bush, people from other countries don’t hate us either. In fact — and I know this is a really sobering realization for us — most people in the world don’t really think about us or care about us. I know, that sounds absurd, especially with CNN and Fox News showing the same 20 angry Arab men on repeat for ten years straight. But unless we’re invading someone’s country or threatening to invade someone’s country (which is likely), then there’s a 99.99% chance they don’t care about us. Just like we rarely think about the people in Bolivia or Mongolia, most people don’t think about us much. They have jobs, kids, house payments — you know, those things called lives — to worry about. Kind of like us.
Americans tend to assume that the rest of the world either loves us or hates us (this is actually a good litmus test to tell if someone is conservative or liberal). The fact is, most people feel neither. Most people don’t think much about us.
Remember that immature girl in high school, who every little thing that happened to her meant that someone either hated her or was obsessed with her; who thought every teacher who ever gave her a bad grade was being totally unfair and everything good that happened to her was because of how amazing she was? Yeah, we’re that immature high school girl.

3. We Know Nothing About The Rest Of The World

For all of our talk about being global leaders and how everyone follows us, we don’t seem to know much about our supposed “followers.” They often have completely different takes on history than we do. Here were some brain-stumpers for me: the Vietnamese believe the Vietnam War was about China (not us), Hitler was primarily defeated by Russia (not us), Native Americans were wiped out largely disease and plague (not us), and the American Revolution was “won” because the British cared more about beating France (not us). Notice a running theme here?
(Hint: It’s not all about us.)
We did not invent democracy. We didn’t even invent modern democracy. There were parliamentary systems in England and other parts of Europe over a hundred years before we created government. In a recent survey of young Americans, 63% could not find Iraq on a map (despite being at war with them), and 54% did not know Sudan was a country in Africa. Yet, somehow we’re positive that everyone else looks up to us.

4. We Are Poor At Expressing Gratitude And Affection

There’s a saying about English-speakers. We say “Go fuck yourself,” when we really mean “I like you,” and we say “I like you,” when we really mean “Go fuck yourself.”
Outside of getting shit-housed drunk and screaming “I LOVE YOU, MAN!”, open displays of affection in American culture are tepid and rare. Latin and some European cultures describe us as “cold” and “passionless” and for good reason. In our social lives we don’t say what we mean and we don’t mean what we say.
In our culture, appreciation and affection are implied rather than spoken outright. Two guy friends call each other names to reinforce their friendship; men and women tease and make fun of each other to imply interest. Feelings are almost never shared openly and freely. Consumer culture has cheapened our language of gratitude. Something like, “It’s so good to see you” is empty now because it’s expected and heard from everybody.
In dating, when I find a woman attractive, I almost always walk right up to her and tell her that a) I wanted to meet her, and b) she’s beautiful. In America, women usually get incredibly nervous and confused when I do this. They’ll make jokes to defuse the situation or sometimes ask me if I’m part of a TV show or something playing a prank. Even when they’re interested and go on dates with me, they get a bit disoriented when I’m so blunt with my interest. Whereas, in almost every other culture approaching women this way is met with a confident smile and a “Thank you.”

5. The Quality of Life For The Average American Is Not That Great

If you’re extremely talented or intelligent, the US is probably the best place in the world to live. The system is stacked heavily to allow people of talent and advantage to rise to the top quickly.
The problem with the US is that everyone thinks they are of talent and advantage. As John Steinbeck famously said, the problem with poor Americans is that “they don’t believe they’re poor, but rather temporarily embarrassed millionaires.” It’s this culture of self-delusion that allows America to continue to innovate and churn out new industry more than anyone else in the world. But this shared delusion also unfortunately keeps perpetuating large social inequalities and the quality of life for the average citizen lower than most other developed countries. It’s the price we pay to maintain our growth and economic dominance.
In my Guide to Wealth, I defined being wealthy as, “Having the freedom to maximize one’s life experiences.” In those terms, despite the average American having more material wealth than citizens of most other countries (more cars, bigger houses, nicer televisions), their overall quality of life suffers in my opinion. American people on average work more hours with less vacation, spend more time commuting every day, and are saddled with over $10,000 of debt. That’s a lot of time spent working and buying crap and little time or disposable income for relationships, activities or new experiences.

6. The Rest Of The World Is Not A Slum-Ridden Shithole Compared To Us

In 2010, I got into a taxi in Bangkok to take me to a new six-story cineplex. It was accessible by metro, but I chose a taxi instead. On the seat in front of me was a sign with a wifi password. Wait, what? I asked the driver if he had wifi in his taxi. He flashed a huge smile. The squat Thai man, with his pidgin English, explained that he had installed it himself. He then turned on his new sound system and disco lights. His taxi instantly became a cheesy nightclub on wheels… with free wifi.
If there’s one constant in my travels over the past three years, it has been that almost every place I’ve visited (especially in Asia and South America) is much nicer and safer than I expected it to be. Singapore is pristine. Hong Kong makes Manhattan look like a suburb. My neighborhood in Colombia is nicer than the one I lived in in Boston (and cheaper).
As Americans, we have this naïve assumption that people all over the world are struggling and way behind us. They’re not. Sweden and South Korea have more advanced high speed internet networks. Japan has the most advanced trains and transportation systems. Norwegians make more money. The biggest and most advanced plane in the world is flown out of Singapore. The tallest buildings in the world are now in Dubai and Shanghai. Meanwhile, the US has the highest incarceration rate in the world.
What’s so surprising about the world is how unsurprising most of it is. I spent a week with some local guys in Cambodia. You know what their biggest concerns were? Paying for school, getting to work on time, and what their friends were saying about them. In Brazil, people have debt problems, hate getting stuck in traffic and complain about their overbearing mothers. Every country thinks they have the worst drivers. Every country thinks their weather is unpredictable. The world becomes, err… predictable.

7. We’re Paranoid

Not only are we emotionally insecure as a culture, but I’ve come to realize how paranoid we are about our physical security. You don’t have to watch Fox News or CNN for more than 10 minutes to hear about how our drinking water is going to kill us, our neighbor is going to rape our children, some terrorist in Yemen is going to kill us because we didn’t torture him, Mexicans are going to kill us, or some virus from a bird is going to kill us. There’s a reason we have more guns than people.
In the US, security trumps everything, even liberty. We’re paranoid.
I’ve probably been to 10 countries now that friends and family back home told me explicitly not to go because someone was going to kill me, kidnap me, stab me, rob me, rape me, sell me into sex trade, give me HIV, or whatever else. None of that has happened. I’ve never been robbed and I’ve walked through some of the shittiest parts of Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe.
In fact, the experience has been the opposite. In countries like Russia, Colombia or Guatemala, people were so friendly it actually scared me. Some stranger in a bar would invite me to his house for a bar-b-que with his family, a random person on the street would offer to show me around and give me directions to a store I was trying to find. My American instincts were always that, “Wait, this guy is going to try to rob me or kill me,” but they never did. They were just insanely friendly.

8. We’re Status-Obsessed And Seek Attention

I’ve noticed that the way we Americans communicate is usually designed to create a lot of attention and hype. Again, I think this is a product of our consumer culture: the belief that something isn’t worthwhile or important unless it’s perceived to be the best (BEST EVER!!!) or unless it gets a lot of attention (see: every reality-television show ever made).
This is why Americans have a peculiar habit of thinking everything is “totally awesome,” and even the most mundane activities were “the best thing ever!” It’s the unconscious drive we share for importance and significance, this unmentioned belief, socially beaten into us since birth that if we’re not the best at something, then we don’t matter.
We’re status-obsessed. Our culture is built around achievement, production and being exceptional. Therefore comparing ourselves and attempting to out-do one another has infiltrated our social relationships as well. Who can slam the most beers first? Who can get reservations at the best restaurant? Who knows the promoter to the club? Who dated a girl on the cheerleading squad? Socializing becomes objectified and turned into a competition. And if you’re not winning, the implication is that you are not important and no one will like you.

9. We Are Very Unhealthy
Unless you have cancer or something equally dire, the health care system in the US sucks. The World Health Organization ranked the US 37th in the world for health care, despite the fact that we spend the most per capita by a large margin.
The hospitals are nicer in Asia (with European-educated doctors and nurses) and cost a tenth as much. Something as routine as a vaccination costs multiple hundreds of dollars in the US and less than $10 in Colombia. And before you make fun of Colombian hospitals, Colombia is 28th in the world on that WHO list, nine spots higher than us.
A routine STD test that can run you over $200 in the US is free in many countries to anyone, citizen or not. My health insurance the past year? $65 a month. Why? Because I live outside of the US. An American guy I met living in Buenos Aires got knee surgery on his ACL that would have cost $10,000 in the US… for free.
But this isn’t really getting into the real problems of our health. Our food is killing us. I’m not going to go crazy with the details, but we eat chemically-laced crap because it’s cheaper and tastes better (profit, profit). Our portion sizes are absurd (more profit). And we’re by far the most prescribed nation in the world AND our drugs cost five to ten times more than they do even in Canada (ohhhhhhh, profit, you sexy bitch).
In terms of life expectancy, despite being the richest country in the world, we come in a paltry 38th. Right behind Cuba, Malta and the United Arab Emirates, and slightly ahead of Slovenia, Kuwait and Uruguay. Enjoy your Big Mac.

10. We Mistake Comfort For Happiness

The United States is a country built on the exaltation of economic growth and personal ingenuity. Small businesses and constant growth are celebrated and supported above all else — above affordable health care, above respectable education, above everything. Americans believe it’s your responsibility to take care of yourself and make something of yourself, not the state’s, not your community’s, not even your friend’s or family’s in some instances.
Comfort sells easier than happiness. Comfort is easy. It requires no effort and no work. Happiness takes effort. It requires being proactive, confronting fears, facing difficult situations, and having unpleasant conversations.
Comfort equals sales. We’ve been sold comfort for generations and for generations we bought: bigger houses, separated further and further out into the suburbs; bigger TV’s, more movies, and take-out. The American public is becoming docile and complacent. We’re obese and entitled. When we travel, we look for giant hotels that will insulate us and pamper us rather than for legitimate cultural experiences that may challenge our perspectives or help us grow as individuals.
Depression and anxiety disorders are soaring within the US. Our inability to confront anything unpleasant around us has not only created a national sense of entitlement, but it’s disconnected us from what actually drives happiness: relationships, unique experiences, feeling self-validated, achieving personal goals. It’s easier to watch a NASCAR race on television and tweet about it than to actually get out and try something new with a friend.
Unfortunately, a by-product of our massive commercial success is that we’re able to avoid the necessary emotional struggles of life in lieu of easy superficial pleasures.
Throughout history, every dominant civilization eventually collapsed because it became TOO successful. What made it powerful and unique grows out of proportion and consumes its society. I think this is true for American society. We’re complacent, entitled and unhealthy. My generation is the first generation of Americans who will be worse off than their parents, economically, physically and emotionally. And this is not due to a lack of resources, to a lack of education or to a lack of ingenuity. It’s corruption and complacency. The corruption from the massive industries that control our government’s policies, and the fat complacency of the people to sit around and let it happen.
There are things I love about my country. I don’t hate the US and I still return to it a few times a year. But I think the greatest flaw of American culture is our blind self-absorption. In the past it only hurt other countries. But now it’s starting to hurt ourselves.
So this is my lecture to my alcoholic brother — my own flavor of arrogance and self-absorption, even if slightly more informed — in hopes he’ll give up his wayward ways. I imagine it’ll fall on deaf ears, but it’s the most I can do for now. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some funny cat pictures to look at.
--- --- ---
Hope you guys enjoyed it! Let me know what you think about these. Maybe you already agree with someone, maybe some were shocking to you, and maybe you completely disagree with others. I'm interested in finding out =)
So long!

Saturday, July 28, 2012

The People I Have Met (Some of them anyway)


"People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you will know what to do."
- Michele Ventor

At the beginning of a new friendship, there's no telling how long you'll be friends with someone, how great your friendship will be or anything about the relationship for that matter. Regardless, you continue to meet new people and make new friends. Why? Overall, the people you talk to shape the person you are becoming. I have met so many people here in Europe. There are some people that I would love to see again, but they probably won't even remember me. There are those people that probably want to continue a conversation with me, but I might not even remember their names. There are those people that really want to keep in touch but just aren't good at it (like me). There are also those people that really do become friends for life, and whether you see them all the time or not, you keep in touch because you genuinely care about what's going on in their lives and they care about you. Ten years from now, maybe I'll know how to categorize each of these people, but right now, it doesn't really matter. Without going into too many details (for their privacy), here are some of the people I've met and what I'll always remember because of them. 

Jasmine - my first friend in Europe! Our trips to Florence, Milan, Venice and Lido will never be forgotten. This girl helped me transition into the slow-paced lifestyle in Roma because I'm not as relaxed as I should be. She also allowed me to break out of my shell and experience being a different person. 

Megan - She made me do the craziest thing I've done thus far (canyoning) and as much as I hated her during those few hours, I am so grateful. She's been making me push my limits to see what I can really do, and I love it! She's also taught me to just deal with things when you can't change them. I really admire her ability to just "suck it up" and "go with the flow." Hopefully that's something I can take back with me! 

Jim - I met him while I was at Rutgers because he came to present at the pre-departure meeting. I ended up seeing him at least 5 times in Roma before he headed back to the states. What have I learned from him? Be opened minded. Things are different--that doesn't mean that they're bad. Take in as many experiences as possible, and don't forget to share them with others because that's the only way they'll be able to understand you.

Alex, Robin & Hasan - I guess I'll give in and say that awesome conversation I had in Barcelona was with Alex. I learned from these three guys that it's okay to be a normal person that has fun in life while having a professional life. Once you start working, it doesn't mean that everything's over...Back at home, I feel like my friends forget about experiencing new things after they start working, but now I know it's possible to have it all! 

Andy & Quintin - These guys have jobs in the states and they just decided to leave the country and travel for a month! That's awesome! It made me realize that this isn't my last chance to do what I want. There will always be time if I make time...it's up to me. I guess I never realized how much control I have over my life and what I do with it.

Sarah (and Megan, Andy, Quintin, Daniel, Isaac, Simone, Timmay, Helen, Jon) - I'll never forget them because of our absolutely awesome canyoning experience together. It showed me that you can trust people within minutes after meeting them only because they saw you fumble, trip and fall! 

Professor Serafino Amato - I haven't really learned much about photography from him but when he talks and is taking pictures, I can feel his passion. I know that if I truly want to be happy in life, I need a passion like that...and I don't need to know what it is yet, but I do need to start working on it and figure it out by exploring my options!

I have to leave my apartment in five minutes to head out to Berlin but I hope to continue growing this list :) 

So long!

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Canyoning

"Even if you stumble, you're still moving forward." - Unknown 

For those of you that are not so up to date with the lingo, YOLO means "you only live once" and is becoming a popular "word" to use among youth. I am usually not one to jump on the bandwagon, but during my amazing experience this past weekend, I kept reminding myself that you really do only live once, so why not live it up? Before I tell you details, you must watch this video because this is pretty much what I did while in Interlaken, Switzerland. 


That is just a quick video for those of you that are in a rush. If anyone has more time, please check out the crazy things we did in the following videos! (Don't watch all, some are repetitive. I can't filter them because my Youtube isn't working so well here.)


Here are a few pictures of us before we went canyoning:




This is the team before we started. We barely knew each other at this point, but were pretty much best friends after such an experience! 


Megan (who is awesome!), Sarah (studying in Florence, from NC) and me!

After watching those videos, my quote seems to make more sense, right? In the literal sense, it makes complete sense. But that's not how I meant it. This past weekend, I did something that was completely out of my comfort zone. I was scared like you won't even believe, I honestly thought I wouldn't make it, and I simply didn't want to do it at some times. But after every big jump or repel or slide, I realized that I can conquer anything. I might not have been the most graceful or the happiest doing it, but I was able to do it regardless! 

I wish I could properly explain what I feel right now. There will be a million times in life when you just want to quit-when you think that you've had enough. But find a friend that will push you or a quote that will inspire you, and keep on pushing because there's more to you than you even know. And until you actually push yourself to your limits, you won't even know how much you can possibly do in life. 

I really wanted this post to be extremely motivational but it's so hard to express how I feel. I repelled 150 feet down a cliff. I jumped 30 feet into a body of water off of a cliff. I jumped onto a rock just to slide down it. I zip lined without properly being tied to anything, and let go half way through to fall into a body of water. I got pushed down a rock to slide sideways and fall into a body of water. I did all of these things and became a new person. Sound ridiculous? Maybe, but don't judge until you try it out. 

Quick promotion for Interlaken: Go! Why? You can go skydiving, canyoning, bungee jumping, canyon jumping, hang gliding, paragliding, go to a chocolate show, whoa...just so much! It's a beautiful little town with beautiful mountains and lakes and rivers. I loved it! 

That's all for now!

So long.