So I discovered a new blog the other day that pays. I have been with other blogs that have paid before, such as Persona Paper and Bubblews which both ended up shutting down after a few years (I suppose it didn't work out well moneywise for them and ended up being too costly to keep up. Although Persona Paper is still up, but doesn't do a revenue anymore. However, it is a nice blogger community there).
But while on Persona Paper I read a post of a blog that will pay and is actually a very pretty site. It's nicely constructed, no ads (which makes me wonder how the website host is able to pay off bloggers?), and pictures. I have only recently joined so I have yet to try to submerse into the community yet. I have made a few posts and commented on a couple. The only thing I don't like about it, and this is only a very minor thing, is how I get an email notification for everything that happens to my posts or to something I comment on and have yet to find a way to change it so I do not get email notifications (because that really adds to my already multiple email alerts and what not).
I suggest people check it out and help grow the community there. Try my referral link: https://niume.com/?ambassadorID=71242
You will be able to receive $1 (you are able to cash out after you reach $10) after you set up an account and make your first post using this referral link. If you sign up without a referral link, such as I did, you start off with 0 in your account, and I know I definitely regret not using someone's referral link when I had first found out about the site.
Hope to see you on there!
Monday, October 24, 2016
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Travels: New Orleans
Back in March of this year I traveled to New Orleans (NOLA) for a week long vacation with college friends. While I must admit a week was not long enough to discover all there is to see around the city (or perhaps it was due to how many people we had on our trip which limited what we did). New Orleans itself we explored each day that we were there. We drove around as well as walked all around the city. In all honest, the city probably could require 2 or 3 days worth of exploring, but being college kids we enjoyed the food and fun vibes from the parts we explored.
Now I am one for the night scene and Bourbon street was definitely the place to be. But if you're looking for a more 'chill' vibe with a local feel to it, I suggest the art district or the district past the farmers market area (it's been a few months so I can't quite remember the street but it is right off the main street that leads to the highway before you get into the touristy/busier part of the city). Like I said, it's out of the touristy area by at least 15 minutes in walking distance and has a more townsfolk/local feel.
If you are like me and are into the party scene then Bourbon Street is THE place to be. With plenty of bars and clubs, fun can be found anywhere, even just by walking down the street during the night. Being from Indiana, my favorite part was how you could carry a drink with you while you walked down the public streets. In Indiana, open liquor is against the law but in NOLA we could grab a plastic cup filled with an alcoholic drink and carry it with us out in the public streets (and yes, Indiana laws are a pain. They never let us do anything fun).
Many people say the food there is great, and while I'm not much of a 'foodie', some places did in fact have fantastic food. We tried some sort of pudding cake at a restaurant on the street where the old fashioned buildings meet the skyscrapers. One of the best vegetarian sandwiches I have had came from a po'boy diner. My apologies for not being able to remember the place, but I believe it had po'boy in its name? However, with po'boys being a main food in Louisiana, I'm sure any po'boy diner or restaurant you try will be delicious. Another thing New Orleans is known for food-wise is their beignets. We ate some at a Beignet Cafe (and if memory serves me correctly, that was the name of the cafe). The Beignet Cafe was quite a busy spot, though. We went during a rush so it was quite crowded and took some time to get the food but it did have a cute diner-feel had it not been for the crowd. They also had a walk-through, where you could order your beignets without having to wait on a waiter as we did. In fact, the cafe was split into 2 sections. One for those who sat at tables that waiters served, and those who went through the to-go line and then sat at the covered outdoor tables to enjoy their meal.
Now, when it comes to scenery I especially loved the old time feel from the city. While there are skyscrapers and more modern-looking buildings as you get more downtown or towards the art district (actually the skyscrapers were sort of in the middle of the historical-looking buildings), most of the city holds a very historic look to it. Being someone who is fascinated by history, I fell in love with the architecture of the city. Most the buildings of the city were only 4 stories tall, which allowed one to be able to see over it from a distance. So for instance, while on Bourbon Street, you could easily look down the road and see the skyscrapers towering over in the distance, since the buildings around you aren't all that tall to hide the skyscrapers. While walking through New Orleans, it was like walking through a town in the 1800s; short buildings, narrow streets that almost felt like valleys at some points, and more pedestrian traffic than street traffic. It was like getting a taste of history.
I would highly recommend adding this city to your bucket list, if even for a day long trip (but make sure to stay through the day and night so you can experience both lives, because they are quite different experiences, especially on Bourbon Street). It was a unique site to see with great nightlife (though not hard to compare to Indiana's nightlife which is dull), plenty of sties to see, street performers (especially around the park square), and splendid only-in-New-Orleans food. I highly encourage anyone to visit this city at least once in their life, if but for a day. It's an amazing experience.
Now I am one for the night scene and Bourbon street was definitely the place to be. But if you're looking for a more 'chill' vibe with a local feel to it, I suggest the art district or the district past the farmers market area (it's been a few months so I can't quite remember the street but it is right off the main street that leads to the highway before you get into the touristy/busier part of the city). Like I said, it's out of the touristy area by at least 15 minutes in walking distance and has a more townsfolk/local feel.
If you are like me and are into the party scene then Bourbon Street is THE place to be. With plenty of bars and clubs, fun can be found anywhere, even just by walking down the street during the night. Being from Indiana, my favorite part was how you could carry a drink with you while you walked down the public streets. In Indiana, open liquor is against the law but in NOLA we could grab a plastic cup filled with an alcoholic drink and carry it with us out in the public streets (and yes, Indiana laws are a pain. They never let us do anything fun).
Many people say the food there is great, and while I'm not much of a 'foodie', some places did in fact have fantastic food. We tried some sort of pudding cake at a restaurant on the street where the old fashioned buildings meet the skyscrapers. One of the best vegetarian sandwiches I have had came from a po'boy diner. My apologies for not being able to remember the place, but I believe it had po'boy in its name? However, with po'boys being a main food in Louisiana, I'm sure any po'boy diner or restaurant you try will be delicious. Another thing New Orleans is known for food-wise is their beignets. We ate some at a Beignet Cafe (and if memory serves me correctly, that was the name of the cafe). The Beignet Cafe was quite a busy spot, though. We went during a rush so it was quite crowded and took some time to get the food but it did have a cute diner-feel had it not been for the crowd. They also had a walk-through, where you could order your beignets without having to wait on a waiter as we did. In fact, the cafe was split into 2 sections. One for those who sat at tables that waiters served, and those who went through the to-go line and then sat at the covered outdoor tables to enjoy their meal.
Now, when it comes to scenery I especially loved the old time feel from the city. While there are skyscrapers and more modern-looking buildings as you get more downtown or towards the art district (actually the skyscrapers were sort of in the middle of the historical-looking buildings), most of the city holds a very historic look to it. Being someone who is fascinated by history, I fell in love with the architecture of the city. Most the buildings of the city were only 4 stories tall, which allowed one to be able to see over it from a distance. So for instance, while on Bourbon Street, you could easily look down the road and see the skyscrapers towering over in the distance, since the buildings around you aren't all that tall to hide the skyscrapers. While walking through New Orleans, it was like walking through a town in the 1800s; short buildings, narrow streets that almost felt like valleys at some points, and more pedestrian traffic than street traffic. It was like getting a taste of history.
I would highly recommend adding this city to your bucket list, if even for a day long trip (but make sure to stay through the day and night so you can experience both lives, because they are quite different experiences, especially on Bourbon Street). It was a unique site to see with great nightlife (though not hard to compare to Indiana's nightlife which is dull), plenty of sties to see, street performers (especially around the park square), and splendid only-in-New-Orleans food. I highly encourage anyone to visit this city at least once in their life, if but for a day. It's an amazing experience.
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
How Does One Become Successful?
All my life I wanted to grow up to do something in the entertainment industry such as be part of crew for films, shoot music videos, or write scripts. However, now that I have grown I'm not exactly sure what I want. Given I would still love to be part of a sitcom or big time film but the fact that I'm lost in trying to figure out how to get a start has discouraged me from this ultimate dream.
I have always been career orientated but now that I no longer have a sense of direction as to which I am headed I have lost my motivation. So how can one be successful? How do you take a chance? How do you hold your breath and dive right in to something you are unsure about?
I would love the opportunity to travel around the world and meet new people and be exposed to different cultures and scenery. To be doing something that I enjoy doing and also helps pay the bills enough so that I don't have to worry about expenses as much. I just want to be able to enjoy life. To be surrounded by people that make me happy while at a job where I'm not constantly staring at the clock in hope that my shift will end soon. But how, and better yet when, do I reach that goal? That dream? When can I start living instead of just merely existing?
I have always been career orientated but now that I no longer have a sense of direction as to which I am headed I have lost my motivation. So how can one be successful? How do you take a chance? How do you hold your breath and dive right in to something you are unsure about?
I would love the opportunity to travel around the world and meet new people and be exposed to different cultures and scenery. To be doing something that I enjoy doing and also helps pay the bills enough so that I don't have to worry about expenses as much. I just want to be able to enjoy life. To be surrounded by people that make me happy while at a job where I'm not constantly staring at the clock in hope that my shift will end soon. But how, and better yet when, do I reach that goal? That dream? When can I start living instead of just merely existing?
Sunday, June 5, 2016
The Beginning: Current 'Love' Life
Everyone wants to feel wanted. That is just human nature. We wish to feel loved and needed by someone, but in a society composed of one night stands, guarded hearts, and arguments over text messages, we find ourselves lost in finding someone to share a life with. Perhaps past generations shared the same difficulties and perhaps technology has made it easier to make those 'love' problems with our generation more easier to share with others, but there are problems nonetheless.
Now some are lucky and find someone for them in high school. Others, such as myself, go through constant trial and errors, growing weary of having to start over and over again. So much so that one gets to the point of just settling with whoever will take them, even if one knows that the person they are with is not right for them. I, myself, have gotten to that point.
In brief, I have what I suppose my generation would call a "boo thing". A guy I'm not necessarily close with emotionally, but am physically. We have been off and on since last September, yet we are still at the same point as we were when we begun this...whatever-ship it is. Since we met, we really only saw each other twice or thrice a month even though we lived within 5 miles of one another (since I was in a college town). Then I moved in January and we have seen each other once a month (I still go back to the college town to see my best friend who is going there for grad school now), even though I broke things off with him back in February...on Valentine's Day (which was also my birthday weekend).
Now, we made up a couple weeks back and I would very much like to see where this will lead, especially since the longest I had ever been with the same guy was a month and that was only the relationship I was in before I met this current one (I'm not great at getting into relationships). And as much as I would like to see and hope that things might turn out well for us, I can't help but know that we are not a good fit together. Yet I don't want to quit on him. I don't want to have to start all over again on a new guy, especially now that I live back in my hometown where there are not many guys my age that are single and of whom I would actually want to try to be with.
However, I am also constantly questioning whether he wants to be with me or not. Since I broke things off in February he's messaged me at least one every week or so, which leaves me thinking why try that much if he had the chance to be free from me? But yet why make stories on Snapchat (that picture/video app) that he knows will cause me to grow angry at him? It is a constant back and forth with him but I don't know how to bring myself to end things for good with him....mostly because deep down I still hold on to a little piece of hope.
My apologies for that gushy stuff. You don't need to now every little detail of my love problems. This is a blog about getting a start in life not about love, right? But I figured since romance and partners is a lost hope for some people I thought I'd share that you are not alone. That not everyone finds their significant one, if there is such a thing, by your 20s. Because at this point in life it is important to focus on yourself and what you want out of life. What are your desires? What do you want to pursue in life? Because I can tell you from firsthand experience that those are the big questions. The type of questions that will keep your head spinning for quite a while.
Now some are lucky and find someone for them in high school. Others, such as myself, go through constant trial and errors, growing weary of having to start over and over again. So much so that one gets to the point of just settling with whoever will take them, even if one knows that the person they are with is not right for them. I, myself, have gotten to that point.
In brief, I have what I suppose my generation would call a "boo thing". A guy I'm not necessarily close with emotionally, but am physically. We have been off and on since last September, yet we are still at the same point as we were when we begun this...whatever-ship it is. Since we met, we really only saw each other twice or thrice a month even though we lived within 5 miles of one another (since I was in a college town). Then I moved in January and we have seen each other once a month (I still go back to the college town to see my best friend who is going there for grad school now), even though I broke things off with him back in February...on Valentine's Day (which was also my birthday weekend).
Now, we made up a couple weeks back and I would very much like to see where this will lead, especially since the longest I had ever been with the same guy was a month and that was only the relationship I was in before I met this current one (I'm not great at getting into relationships). And as much as I would like to see and hope that things might turn out well for us, I can't help but know that we are not a good fit together. Yet I don't want to quit on him. I don't want to have to start all over again on a new guy, especially now that I live back in my hometown where there are not many guys my age that are single and of whom I would actually want to try to be with.
However, I am also constantly questioning whether he wants to be with me or not. Since I broke things off in February he's messaged me at least one every week or so, which leaves me thinking why try that much if he had the chance to be free from me? But yet why make stories on Snapchat (that picture/video app) that he knows will cause me to grow angry at him? It is a constant back and forth with him but I don't know how to bring myself to end things for good with him....mostly because deep down I still hold on to a little piece of hope.
My apologies for that gushy stuff. You don't need to now every little detail of my love problems. This is a blog about getting a start in life not about love, right? But I figured since romance and partners is a lost hope for some people I thought I'd share that you are not alone. That not everyone finds their significant one, if there is such a thing, by your 20s. Because at this point in life it is important to focus on yourself and what you want out of life. What are your desires? What do you want to pursue in life? Because I can tell you from firsthand experience that those are the big questions. The type of questions that will keep your head spinning for quite a while.
Thursday, June 2, 2016
The Beginning: Current Occupation
To start things off, I'll introduce where I am at in this new chapter of my life. Back in December I received my degree: a Bachelor of Arts in Digital Production with minors in Creative Writing and History. I have longed to work in the film business as a camera operator, assistant, or really any crew position on a film or television series. However, since my graduation, I have begun to lack that interest. Yes, I would still love the chance to work on a film or television series (preferably a sitcom or drama), but the reality is the entertainment industry is a fairly difficult one to gain access into. You must have connections and as an introvert who has a hard time meeting new people and continuing friendships for long periods of time, I have realized that gaining access into the film industry will be even tougher for someone with a personality such as mine.
And now I sit here. Half a year later, staring at a piece of paper I'm not sure I'm really even proud of receiving, and wondering if I made the right choice. Don't get me wrong, I loved my major. I loved all the classes I took and all the friends I made, but I lack confidence in myself. I lack the hope that will be able to get my foot in that very narrow door. I fear that my time and money was wasted on something I may never have the chance of doing due to my lack of trained experience (which is something many employers in this field look for in applicants).
So I sit here, asking myself: What now?
Where do I go from here? Since my graduation, I have been promoted in my retail job that I have had for 4 years but it's just supposed to be the backup plan, not the permanent plan. I don't want to be trapped in this job. I want to be able to use my diploma, that expensive piece of paper, and get a job that I'll enjoy going to and working at. A job where I look forward to the days I work rather than the days I have off. A job where I won't feel so burnt out to point I grow to dislike it. But how do I get that start? How do I find what's right for me without losing a job that is paying decently for someone of my age and status?
And now I sit here. Half a year later, staring at a piece of paper I'm not sure I'm really even proud of receiving, and wondering if I made the right choice. Don't get me wrong, I loved my major. I loved all the classes I took and all the friends I made, but I lack confidence in myself. I lack the hope that will be able to get my foot in that very narrow door. I fear that my time and money was wasted on something I may never have the chance of doing due to my lack of trained experience (which is something many employers in this field look for in applicants).
So I sit here, asking myself: What now?
Where do I go from here? Since my graduation, I have been promoted in my retail job that I have had for 4 years but it's just supposed to be the backup plan, not the permanent plan. I don't want to be trapped in this job. I want to be able to use my diploma, that expensive piece of paper, and get a job that I'll enjoy going to and working at. A job where I look forward to the days I work rather than the days I have off. A job where I won't feel so burnt out to point I grow to dislike it. But how do I get that start? How do I find what's right for me without losing a job that is paying decently for someone of my age and status?
The Start of a New Chapter
So you've just graduated. You're finally free from small classrooms, excruciating finals, and that weird guy who kept sitting next to you ever since you were partnered up in that 101 class back in freshman year. The taste of victory is real as you hold your diploma in your hand. One single piece of paper worth thousands of dollars and hundreds of late night cram sessions. A smile creeps upon your face. You did it. You finally did it. You are 100% done with school. You look up from that thousand dollar paper that you worked so hard to get only to have your smile die as you realize- you are 100% done with school.
All your life it has been nothing but routine and goal setting and expectations, and now...now what? How do you go from living a life centered around schooling to entering complete adulthood?
Well if you know the answer can you please tell me? Because that is the standing in which I have found myself. What do I do now? Where do I go from here? Did I pick the right degree? What do I even do with it? Will this piece of paper ever get me anywhere or was it a waste of time and money? How can I get a job when they want experience and I have none to offer? How can I get experience if no one will hire me because I do not have experience? Seems like a major Catch-22 to me.
So, I have created this blog in hopes of hearing from others who have been through this same situation, to give me hope that there's more than just attending school. That life will turn around and I will stop feeling so lost in such a huge world. My other hope in creating this blog is that if I do find a way to get through this difficult chapter in life then perhaps others will also find hope in my "after school life story" and see that they too can make it.
So this is my journey. This is the big chapter. The one that starts the rising action of my life. Who knows what could happen. Stay tuned.
All your life it has been nothing but routine and goal setting and expectations, and now...now what? How do you go from living a life centered around schooling to entering complete adulthood?
Well if you know the answer can you please tell me? Because that is the standing in which I have found myself. What do I do now? Where do I go from here? Did I pick the right degree? What do I even do with it? Will this piece of paper ever get me anywhere or was it a waste of time and money? How can I get a job when they want experience and I have none to offer? How can I get experience if no one will hire me because I do not have experience? Seems like a major Catch-22 to me.
So, I have created this blog in hopes of hearing from others who have been through this same situation, to give me hope that there's more than just attending school. That life will turn around and I will stop feeling so lost in such a huge world. My other hope in creating this blog is that if I do find a way to get through this difficult chapter in life then perhaps others will also find hope in my "after school life story" and see that they too can make it.
So this is my journey. This is the big chapter. The one that starts the rising action of my life. Who knows what could happen. Stay tuned.
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