Sunday, November 30, 2014

"Wandering Ariel"

As many of you know, I am a travel addict; travel is my passion. Thus I have stumbled upon a blog dedicated to a life of travel written by Earl (Derek is his first name; Earl is his middle name), a man who has been traveling for the past 12 years. Here is the link to his blog, "Wandering Earl,"if you wish to check it out: http://www.wanderingearl.com/. Earl delves into the hardships he’s faced in his 5,391 days of travel, what supplies he’s brought with him, & what are the perfect things to pack whilst traveling.

He also explains how he’s managed to visit 88 countries while only leaving home with $1500. 

For me, money isn’t what is going to make me happy & I realize that more & more as the days go by. I’m not going to be happy in a fancy high-class job; I want to travel. I realize that this plan is not the societal norm, but whoever said I was normal? Moreover, I can still gain the experience I need by teaching English, working on a cruise ship, or working for temp agencies (all things that Earl has done). I could also create the business that I’ve been heavily thinking about, which can be run virtually anywhere.

So rather than having the mentality of gaining work experience & fulfilling my dreams later, why not fulfill my dreams now (or a year or so from now since Jason’s moving to the US)? I refuse to be another unhappy statistic working a job for the rest of my life that I work just to make a paycheck. I would be working to travel anyway so why not do temporary work in between travel? What do you think? Have the societal norms made you believe that you need to put your dreams on hold?

Until next time... ciao 💗

Follow me on Instagram: @arielview13

Monday, November 17, 2014

Will the bills to restrict NYPD really work?

Remember the days when police officers were there to help, gladly gave you directions, & lent a helping hand to a fellow community member? Me neither.

According to the November 14, 2014 edition of AM NY, “Two bills introduced in the City Council [last week] would make it a crime for NYPD officers to use choke-holds & require them to inform people they encounter about their right to refuse to be searched.” I think that this is an important step to improving “police & community relations” & I hope that this article makes people aware of their rights. Sadly in today’s society, police officers that were once considered civil servants & apart of the community are now a nuisance, feared, & stayed away from especially if of different skin colors.

Individuals cannot be ‘stopped & frisked’ by police officers merely based on suspicion; there must be probable cause in order to search for someone. Unfortunately, this palpable rule is rarely followed in what many think is a racially tolerant city.

Moreover, I cannot believe that we need a new bill to prohibit police from using a choke-hold. Obviously, they can’t do this…DUH! It is a complete abuse of power. If the person is out of control, there are a variety of ways to restrain a person without harming them, which officers are trained & more than equipped to perform, but choose not to.

It is sad that the authority figures in the great city of New York have sunk so low that they cannot be trusted. I hope that there is a change to come from these bills. However, with the racism & yearn for power that still exists, I think this will be an uphill battle despite what the do-good laws state.

Until next time... ciao 💗

Follow me on Instagram: @arielview13

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Keep calm and start a new life

I’m only 22-years-old & have already been working for 8 years. I’ve babysat & bussed tables; I’ve worked at a carwash, chiropractor, Brookstone, NY1, AmeriCorps, the US Army (volunteer), & am currently working in nonprofit. From these experiences I have come to the conclusion that I do not like working for people. Obviously, I don’t have enough experience to ‘make it big’ right out of the college gate & I plan to gain experience in what I intend to do (whatever that is), but there has to be a better way to tackle this. I have a potential startup business plan that enables me to work from anywhere in the world & work with people across the globe. Although I don’t like working for people, I do like working with people on the customer service & sales end of the business. I need something that is fulfilling & helps people but still allows me the flexibility to travel & see my boyfriend, friends, & family who are across the globe. Who knows, maybe I can incorporate writing into what I’m doing somehow.

The nice thing about it all is that I’m with someone who enjoys traveling & staying active as much as I do (& basically has the same interests, ideas, & thoughts as I do too!) We have even discussed teaching English abroad so now our life options have become even broader! I feel like life is so much more exciting now that I am dating someone that likes to seize life & get as much as he can out it just as I do. I am very fortunate to have so many options, but it opens a door to a whole mess of confusing, but stimulating decisions. Who knows, maybe I can teach English while carrying out my business idea… I’m driving myself crazy as usual with my high-anxiety self, but what keeps me grounded is knowing I have Jason to lean on as well as my friends who have helped me sort out my mess of thoughts & ideas, which they are also going through.

So as of now, my ideas for my future are as follows, but not limited to these:

1. Teach English abroad.

2. Get my real estate license.

3. Start a business I am passionate about.

4. Live in another country (should I live in Spain again? What an amazing experience that was).

5. Save up money from now until Jason’s US visa expires to have a bit of cushion before leaving the country.

6. Potentially get my MBA in 3 years or so.

There is so much to do & so little time.

Until next time... ciao 💗

Follow me on Instagram: @arielview13