Dear Kayla: hobbies, work, and international living

Dear Kayla,

Dear dear dear Kayla, I miss ya bud. I've finally gotten used to life over here, and I'm busy!

I feel you with the post-grad what-is-my-life-where-am-I-going-what-do-I-want-ahhhhh-anxiety. As much as I prepared for this trip, knowing I needed to escape my comfort zone and challenge myself, being here is far from what I expected. Or at least, I haven't felt the way I expected. Now that's I'm a month in, I am more open to where life will take me. I know to expect the unexpected. Who freakin' knows man. It's scary and exciting. But to make things happen for myself, jobs, opportunities, adventures, friendships, I have to be active. I have to seek them, passionately.

The biggest problem for me is being interested to SO MANY THINGS. They all captivate me. I thought while I was in Peru I would have some much time to read and look for jobs and study, etc. And I have had time, I just worry I'm spreading myself too thin. I'm staying here with my aunt, uncle (tios) and cousin (primo). My tios have four kids, all of them grown (although it's common here for kids to live with their parents until they get married). Anyway my cousin Yulissa plays guitar, but she's living in the States now. So lucky me gets to use her old classical and electric guitar. Woooooo. I'm pretty used to classical guitars, so I've been fooling around with the electric a lot, learning power chords and some of my favorite songs. But I have to write lesson plans as well and REALLY study Spanish. I have to leave the house at 8AM XD and this sucks. It means I have go to sleep around 11 or 11:30, which is so strange for me. My previous bedtime was around 2AM. I have to do all my activities (including blog posts) from 12-5pm.

And it continues. I also read Tina Fey's book Bossypants about a week ago [which I totally recommend to you, Kayla, and all you other readers out there]. I am currently immersed in Ernest Cline's novel Ready Player One. It's kind of a problem [I'm half way through and oh-mah-g freaking favorite book of the year so far]. I had to force myself to stop reading it so I could prepare for my Spanish exam today. So how I'm supposed to be the best teacher I can be, while also studying, reading heavily, playing guitar, and taking in a healthy gulp of Peruvian life? Time to make with the schedule I suppose. As you posted in a WM once, spend your life doing what you enjoy. I don't want to give anything up [in fact I want to add Yoga classes and volunteering as well>.<] but I think after my second month of Spanish classes, I'll stop. I want to learn as much as I can, but just communicating will help with that. Stress is not becoming of a lady either lol and I want to put enough effort into each of my activities.

Also woo Game of Thrones. It's over so sad. The books are amazing I've heard, need to get on that too. I actually have watched Arrested Development, but haven't started the new series yet. I was watching a lot of The Big Bang Theory over here [a student recommend it] but I laid off the juice around mid third season. I'm replacing TV with YouTube and book for now. Also way to lay off the cheese haha I have as well although only because I'm no longer working at a pizza place. Eating my aunt's cooking and the Peruvian cuisine makes me feel in better health that I've been in for a long time. More on that later in a What's in Your Noms? post. I'll leave you with this image of Lima. I'm living behind to the left of those two white buildings.

Hasta luego,

Ginny

Dear Kayla: Tea, inspiration, and brain food

Dear Kayla,

Four weeks from now, I'll be leaving for Peru to. I'm nervous-excited :D:

Anyway I figure that once I'm there I want to get into a routine. While I haven't have the perfect routine post-graduation, I did set some guidelines for myself. I made this:

I had a 2 part time jobs, a temp job for an online magazine, and an online class to focus on, but tons of other projects I wanted to work on as well: our two blogs, yoga, writing,  reading books, reading the news, learning about the publishing field, being healthy, having fun, finding inspiration, etc. It was pretty overwhelming at first. Organizing it all to fit my ever-fluctuating schedule helped so much. Even if I didn't stick to this all the time, I could keep track of what I needed to do, my priorities, my hobbies, my goals. I put a big tea cup in the middle because anytime is a good time for some warm hydration; it cools me down when I feel stressed or tired. I figure I'll have to make another one of these schedules in Peru.

And if this schedule was made to organize the things I wanted and need to do, here is the opposite of a 'to-do list'; here are my acomplishments::

-Bought a plane ticket for Lima, Peru
-Finished my online Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) class
-Received recommendations from my college professors
-Read 17 books/comics
-Joined a book club
-Made YouTube/BookTube videos
-Filed my taxes
-Took bike rides
-published some poems

Yay:) I hope it doesn't seem like I'm showing off. But I think everyone should try it. I get anxious
about all the deadlines and future things I need to finish or start or practice everyday. Every once and awhile it's good to recognize our mini accomplishments.

Hoookay. Bye for now,

<3Ginny

Self Education

Hey there internet folk. I graduated college, and it's my first semester out of school! So while it still feels like my life is divided into semester intervals, I thought I'd design my own semester out of school. While school gave me practical and valuable information, there are some lessons I have to learn for myself.

Introduction to Independent Study

This is a project I've designed to stimulate my mind and nurture my talents.The idea is to do things I like, while also being disciplined enough to follow my ideas through to the end. My course is mostly designed to be intellectually stimulating, but exercise and meditation are also important as well.

Course Objectives

• Self growth
• Practice, practice, practice
• Improved communication skills both with others and myself

Ongoing Reading List
in no particular order

1984 by George Orwell
The Fiction of H.P. Lovecraft
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki
The Poetry of Rumi
The Diviners by Libba Bray
Nine Stories by J. D. Salinger

...And many more found on my goodreads account.

Assignments

• Record my dreams
• Write one passage, fragment of of thought or doddle about each book I read
• Only review books that really make an impact on me and/or are worth sharing 
• Participate in and communicate with the blogging and BookTube communities
• Become familiar with recently published authors and books
• Get in the habit of free writing regularly each week. Become in touch with my inner voice
• Educate myself and research current events
• Educate myself and research historical events
• Take a moment out of each day to be thankful for the blessings in my life

This is no end to this semester.  I feel I will always be a student in some sense or another. There will always be books to be read and something new to be learned. There is always room for growth.

Anyone out there just graduate college or high school and feeling this out-of-the-womb restlessness? How are you adjusting? I'll see how this plan goes.

Until next time!
Ginny