Tag Archives: Abroad

Apr30

Why are you traveling?

Posted on April 30, 2013 by adventurousandrea

Even if you’ve just skimmed through this blog, you’ve probably gathered that self-development is very important to me. I gobble up new books, podcasts, products, and information like it’s my day job. You also may have noticed my ever-growing Bucket List of places I want to visit, things I want to do, and experiences I want to participate in. While on a weekend trip to the East Coast, a good friend questioned my true intention behind wanting to experience these things. He did this simply by asking, “Why?”

At first, I gave the typical answers you would expect out of a young adventuress: “I want to have as many experiences in this life as possible,” ”I want to immerse myself in the culture,” “There’s a whole world to explore,” “I want to understand the way these people think,” etc. Then, we really delved into the underlying reasoning. I’m going to share what I discovered with you, but honestly, my ego does not want to – it would rather hide in its little shell and maintain a good appearance. Anyway…

Why I wanted to travel:

unconsciously seeking self-expansion
to be seen by others as someone who is well-traveled
to try and enhance my sense of self-worth through these experiences
to try and find myself
to impress others

Why I want to travel Now:

Use this life to its fullest
See the beauty this world holds

The underlying reason behind us seeking all these experiences is to expand…and it is totally illusory! The only way we can truly expand is internally (e.g. through meditation). Travel and having exciting experiences isn’t at all wrong, it’s just vital to recognize the real thing we are seeking cannot be found through it. No matter how many stamps I get on my passport, how my times I jump out of a plane, or how many items I cross off of my bucket list, I will not be fulfilled. There may be a temporary high or a brief sense of accomplishment from these experiences, but we will be left wanting more.

Why is that you travel? I’d love to hear about any similar realizations you’ve had or any completely different ideas you’ve thought on the topic!

Feb8

The Game Changer for My Travel!

Posted on February 8, 2013 by adventurousandrea

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Hello, wonderful people!

I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I had some very exciting news…

I’ve recently been introduced to an awesome travel company. It’s been saving me a boatload of money on my travels around the U.S. and will be a great asset to me while I am abroad.

I’ll be sharing more about it soon! In the mean time, if you would like more information, shoot me an email at theadventurousandrea@gmail.com and I will get back to you shortly!

Namaste,

Andrea

Jan1

Transformational 2012

Posted on January 1, 2013 by adventurousandrea

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For me, the year of 2012 was one of monumental changes…

Shortly before ringing in the new year of twenty-twelve, I spent a weekend with someone who was quickly progressing in the realm of self-development. Little did I know that our time together would begin an inner process – one that would eventually alter how I saw reality. In a matter of days, he helped me recognize how out of touch I really was with the Now. He introduced me to the work of Eckhart Tolle – if you don’t know him, I heartily recommend looking him up – and sparked my interest in really delving into the process of self-discovery. Although the time we spent together was comparatively short, his impact was lasting.

The months following were filled with transformational self-exploration. Formerly strongly tied to the future, it was not easy for me to begin rooting myself in the Present. Although I still struggle with letting myself succumb to worry, months of practice have helped me stay more consistently grounded. It was during this time that I reconnected with an old acquaintance. We had met a few times in years past, but had never really gotten to know each other. Through social media, I realized that years passing had lead to us having similar interests! Although we barely knew each other, I invited her to travel from Ohio to my home in Tennessee. Though she didn’t have enough money to get here, fate was in our favor. Things were in alignment and the financial means presented themselves to her. It was at this time that I got to know one of the beautiful, soulful, kind, genuine people I have ever met. She helped me become even more in touch with my inner light and the beauty of life.

On a mid-summer’s day, I was speaking with a close friend about my plans for graduate school. I was frustrated, because I was unsure if my chosen path was really “right.” Despite this, I had been emailing back and forth with various programs, studying copious amounts for the GRE, and trying to make a decision that would dictate the next four years of my life. It was then that she asked me what would happen if I invested this time and money into a program, only to graduate and realize it wasn’t really what I wanted to do. For the first time in my academic career, I considered altering my plan. Previously, I had not really considered any other option beside continuing my education. Being a psychology major doesn’t really lend to many post-grad opportunities. After this conversation, I realized I didn’t need to be tied to this specific path. Previously, I had found validation through my academic standing. My self-exploration lead me to realize that nothing I will ever achieve academically, monetarily, or relationally will ever determine my intrinsic value. With that, I decided to use my youth to its fullest extent and postpone graduate school to travel Europe!

The past year has been a highly transitional time. I strengthened old relationships and made new ones. I shifted my focal point to the Now and started to make constant, conscious effort to stay positive. I realized fully that Present moment is all we really have and we need to take full advantage of it. I became introduced to people that have such a wealth of knowledge to share (you’ll do yourself a big favor to check out Eckhart Tolle, Abraham Hicks, Katie Freiling, Kyle Cease, and Mike Dooley). It’s not always easy to internalize, but I now know that my value and worth is not contingent upon anything I can ever achieve. I am so excited to see what 2013 holds and I plan to live it – and every year after I am blessed with – to its fullest extent! I wish all of you the very best!

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Stay positive, be Present, and set your intentions!

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Highlights of 2012

- Decided to move to Europe

- Went skydiving

- Participated in a yoga flashmob

- Grew my own (little) garden

- Fully recognized the power of synchronicity

- Went bridge swinging

- Saw my baby sister graduate high school

- Went to a couple music festivals

- Attended my first APA conference

- Flew to Ohio for less than 24 hours to be a wedding date

- Realized my value isn’t contingent upon my actions

- Maintained a vegan diet for seven months

- Became introduced to raw foodism

- Saw my grandparents celebrate 50 years of marriage

- Watched Back to the Future with friends, on the side of an abandoned building, laying on a gravel parking lot

- Sporadically attended the World Yo-Yo Championship

- Did barrel rolls in a plane

- Made my first YouTube video

- Finally visited Disney World

- Adopted a kitten and named him Ug

- Went off-roading

- Started a blog

- Started living in the Present and not for the future

- Randomly moved into a house and realized it was perfect!

- Got a cabin in the mountains with friends and made a ton of guacamole!

- Went on a girls’ road trip to Chicago

My dear friend/housemate and I playing in the leaves!

Became friends with the newly appointed world champions of yo-yo (Check out In Motion!)

My wise grandfather and baby sister

Megan Amigo and me watching the Goo Goo Dolls across the river (at a random house party we attended)!

Megan Amigo and I watching the Goo Goo Dolls across the river (at a random house party we attended)!

Megan Amigo and I belly dancing in the mountains of Tennessee

Megan Amigo and me belly dancing in the mountains of Tennessee

Yoga Flashmob

Girls’ trip to Chicago

Floating in bliss

First time at Disney World!

Revelry after Summer Fest 2012

My best friend since pre-school

First pair of climbing shoes!

Joyous children like this are why look forward to being an au pair

Kissing Princess, the camel!

Eating way too much ice cream!

Amazing people in Orlando, FL!

Enjoying an outdoor concert in TN

Exploring nature with Megan Amigo

I got to see my baby sister graduate high school!

“We just jumped out of a plane!”

My delectable, organic tomatoes!

Emma Parker’s “Yellow Chair Project” for charity

One of my delicious vegan creations – Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

First time bouldering!

Haley and I had our first, Southern off-roading experience!

Casual train yoga!

APA Conference 2012

Oh, just about to jump off a 100 foot bridge!

: I wish I could express how much I adore yoga, laughter, and friends!

Soaking up some vitamin D

Loved the looks on my family member’s faces when they realized I’d driven seven hours to surprise them!

Imitating the statues

Nothing like playing dress up in a country store

Got to love football matches!

Little kitten, Ug.

Nothing can compare to nature.

Happy NYE from the Nicholas sisters! Try and ignore our glowing eyes…

Dec14

10 Reasons Why Becoming an Au-Pair is Exactly Like Online Dating

Posted on December 14, 2012 by adventurousandrea

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Obviously, to get the best results, you need to actually make an online profile.
Said profile contains descriptions, photos, and general qualifications, all meant to portray yourself as the ideal candidate. If you’re lacking detail in one of these facets, you become substantially less appealing and the same goes for the other party. You stare at your profile, trying imagine how viewers of it will perceive you. You also start wondering if you’ll ever find an ideal match.
There’s an intricate balance between being fully authentic and showcasing your finer attributes (Obviously, you don’t want to mention that you can belch loudly, before you’ve even met them…). This all is occurring within both parties. Sometimes, you’re left wondering about the validity of certain profiles (e.g. “Is this host family really able to pay me €500 per week?” or “Can this au pair actually fluently speak/read nine languages, including ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics?”).
You spend hours sifting through hundreds of profiles, marking “interests” or “favorites” along the way. These people get notified and there’s a moment of elation whenever they send back that they’re also interested in you. Unfortunately, you can’t help but feel a bit of rejection, whenever you get a notification that the party you were very interested does not reciprocate.
If both parties are interested, one reaches out to the other and a message chain is started. Likes, dislikes, mutual interests, and what each party is looking for in the other are discussed.
After realizing that the other party is everything you dreamed of, the excitement sets in. You find yourself talking about them to friends, many of whom will think it’s odd, seeing as you’ve yet to meet them. You have pictures of them on your cell phone. You have your friends sit with you and pour over their online profile. Overall, you’re just so thrilled that you found your ultimate match online, that you’re willing to tell anyone and everyone who will listen.
There may a time when you haven’t heard from them in a week or so. You get very worried. You wonder if you’ve done something wrong and look back through old messages to see if you missed anything. The same people who you gushed about them to now get to hear how concerned you are. You realize you may have to accept that they’re not really “the one” and move on. Right when you’ve been about to give up, you get a message from them apologizing for the delay and explaining what had happened. You’re so relieved!
Around this time is when you think it’s serious enough to tell your parents. You’re excited and nervous about what the future may hold. You gush about how great they are to your parents and show them an exorbitant amount of pictures.
After much online communication, you decide upon a time to meet.
Finally, you’ve realized they’re the one for you and decide to move in.
This is the face you make when you finally find your host family!

Dec9

Adventure is a path…

Posted on December 9, 2012 by adventurousandrea

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In what do you find adventure?

Nov29

Vlog: Travel Update

Posted on November 29, 2012 by adventurousandrea

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Hi, lovelies! A lot of people have been inquiring as to my current game plan for Europe. Here’s a quick update on my plans!

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During late July and early August a few girlfriends and I are trying to arrange it so we can travel around together! The biggest hinderance is finances! Any tips on ways to make/save money on the road? We’ll be using http://www.helpx.net, http://www.couchsurfing.com, and staying in hostels to travel as cheaply as possible.
At the end of August, I will move to Lausanne, Switzerland to be an au pair for a spectacular Spanish family! This is a great opportunity, because I adore Switzerland and would love to brush up on my Spanish. Although I will be doing some traveling on the weekends, I will be saving a lot of the money I make to put it toward further travels. Additionally, I’ll have to be putting a portion of it toward student loans.
The last week of November will mark the end of my Swiss living. That means I have December to travel around and hang out with friends…
If you are around wherever I am, I’d love to meet up! There’s a small possibility that my parents will try and come over and visit during this time. That would be great, seeing as I have no idea if I’ll be spending Christmas alone in a hostel (I doubt that would happen, though, as I have a knack for randomly meeting new friends!)…
In January, I will move to Torino, Italy to become an au pair for another beautiful family. I am thrilled! I will stay here for a least six months.
After Italy, I will hopefully return to Switzerland for another three months.
Then…who knows!

Nov28

Lost in Zurich

Posted on November 28, 2012 by adventurousandrea

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In May of 2011, I boarded a plane for my first European adventure. Despite not sleeping a wink on the plane, I was full of energy when I stepped foot into Zurich, Switzerland. It was still daytime there and I had a full day day of me! After getting settled into the hotel, we all changed clothes and prepared to explore the city. The group I was there studying psychology with ended up separating. The two groups of energetic American co-eds split ways to experience our respective guided tours. My friend Michelle and I stuck close together and chattered continuously. This is where my ease with being in foreign environments came into play…

All of a sudden, Michelle and I realized that we were with the wrong group! We laughed about how distracted we had become and looked behind us to see our original group crossing a bridge. We quickened our steps to try and catch up to them and hurriedly crossed the bridge. The group walked around a corner, but we were gaining headway and it didn’t really concern us. When we rounded the corner, they were gone! We spent the next 15 minutes fruitlessly searching for the gaggle of students. It was as if they’d vanished into thin air.

I decided the next best option would be to find the hotel we were staying in. We figured it had to be within a couple miles of us, so we started asking locals for directions. Every Swiss person I’ve encountered since then speaks multiple languages, but for whatever reason, no one we approached could understand our plight! Well, they may have just been laughing at the silly American girls…

It was when Michelle started to get concerned that I had a beautiful realization. I thought to myself, “We are in Europe! Specifically, Zurich, one of the safest places to be. It is 23 °C outside and there’s no rain!” I wondered why the heck we were spending our time being flustered, instead of enjoying this experience. I convinced Michelle to enjoy a drink with me, at a little outdoor cafe by the Limmat River. We sat there for awhile, chatting and people watching, before continuing to search for a group.

Amazingly, we saw our trip guide across the street. We flagged him down and were able to reunite with our group. While our professor was quite displeased with us, I still look back at the time I was lost in Zurich with great fondness. We were able to see many historical sites, explore the city, and even watch a game of chess!