I quit working the grind to make an income at home and life is so much happier.
After being a classroom teacher and having close to zero work-life balance, I am finally able to make an income at home and decide what works best for me and it feels glorious. I am two years into the remote work life and I dabble in quite a few things to gather up enough income to live a pretty comfortable-for-me life.
I often get a little squirmy when people ask what I do for work. I worry that because I don’t have a clear-cut, black and white answer, it doesn’t sound valid. There are times when I answer the question of what I do and am met with an interesting look and asked if and how these gigs give me enough money to live. What some people don’t realize is that my old job as a public school teacher provided a crap salary, especially when you calculate how many hours I actually worked. …
That’s right, call me crazy, but students need more recess, more choices, and less homework.
For years, politicians and our society have pushed for constrictive education — more standardized tests, more homework, more rigidity. Why? When I was a classroom teacher, I saw with my own eyes that this does not work. Something isn’t working. I’m speaking for elementary-aged children because that’s where my experience lies, but expecting unreasonable things of children is not working to their advantage. Yes, the education system as a whole is broken and there are many factors. However, students might be happier, more productive, and learn more if they just had a little more freedom.
Before eyes start to roll or a look of confusion plasters your face, hear me out. My opinions are coming from the perspective of a teacher, as I am not a parent. I have a few examples of areas where students need more freedom in order to be given more opportunities to learn and become productive, independent, and happy members of society. …
When you need a good pick-me-up, have these positive affirmations in your back pocket.
Life gets messy. A lot. This is where positive affirmations can come into play and really make a huge and great difference.
It’s somewhat amazing how other people’s words can really mean something to someone. I love a good quote.
Having some handy-dandy positive affirmations in our back pocket to pull out whenever we need a boost can do us good long-term, not just in the moment. When we have go-to positive affirmations, memorizing the most meaningful ones and reading or saying them often, we can change the way we think and feel about not-so-positive things or experiences. …
Traveling isn’t always what you see on Instagram.
From being searched like a criminal at an airport to getting injured and going to a foreign hospital, I had my fair share of not-so-glamorous experiences when I spent a little over a year living in and traveling around South East Asia.
When you read about traveling and follow the travel Instagrams, it appears the be so glamorous — full of sunshine, rainbows, and stunning beaches.
While traveling can offer quite incredible experiences, it’s safe to say that there are some ugly sides to traveling. …
Therapy? I have no time, no extra cash, and no problems.
Most people I know have been faced with, or need to be faced with, the question: do I need therapy? I no longer ask myself this because I know I need therapy. And, personally I think we all do.
I Need Therapy
Let me just list a few reasons why I think I need to see a therapist.
- Their job is to have time for me. I have no idea how to face struggles and not rant about even the smallest one for a minimum of 30 minutes.
- Their job is to sit and listen. My loved ones have their own set of issues to worry about and they don’t need to hear each and every one of mine. …
After the pandemic, maybe I’ll stay in quarantine.
Back in March, when the United States cared (or pretended to care) about Coronavirus, I was a little taken aback by the idea of quarantine. I wasn’t quite sure how things would play out, as I’m sure we all felt. I was especially puzzled about how I’d be okay with not going out for a beer at the brewery, missed bowling date nights with my boyfriend, and skipping out on summer beach trips.
Now, I’m not quite sure how things will play out when the quarantine is over. …
Because happiness is success in itself…
I was a classroom teacher for five years and during this time I was regularly spat on and kicked by a 6-year-old one school year and was told to “deal with it.”
I taught every subject to various academic levels with little resources, and my effectiveness was graded by scores my students made on two standardized tests a school year. Year after year, I witnessed how terrible the education system in the U.S. is and year after year, I was discouraged.
But, these things weren’t what drove me to quit my profession as a teacher. It was the lifestyle and ideas behind the 9-5 grind that made me quit. …
Grow in the muddy waters. You got this.
The education system is racist.
I recently had a heated discussion with a family member who denies systemic racism. During this discussion, I presented him with an example: the United States’ education system is racist due to redlining at this very moment in time.
While I can and did give him countless examples of how the denial of racism today is completely asinine, he laughed at and argued with every word I said.
Redlining is an example of systemic racism and it’s still seen every day in the classroom. I know this from experience.
America’s Education System is Racist
While I say that America’s education system is racist — it goes back to systemic racism, of course. Systemic racism infiltrates our education system each and every day. …
The number one question I get when I solo travel is if I’m scared.
A couple of years ago, I quit my terrible job and set off to another continent. It was my first time leaving the United States. I left and didn’t return for over a year. I would’ve stayed longer but my mom was fostering my dog while I was away and I needed to return to retrieve her. And, I can’t wait to leave again!
The Scary Thoughts of Solo Travel
Sure, there are some things that seem unsettling about solo travel — being lonely, being attacked, and being lost and confused. Call me cliche, but what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.
When I was living and traveling abroad I got asked questions about being scared so much more often than questions I would’ve preferred. Are you having fun? What’s been your favorite country? What are the people like that you’ve met? What is something cool you’ve done this week? How are you? …
About
