Big Decisions

A rare weekend post from me,

I know.

But something's been weighing on my mind heavily for the past few days, 

a big decision I need to make in the next week...

and I just need to get it out.

To blog it.

Sometimes getting things out helps you to see the situation a bit clearer,

plus it never hurts to get the perspective of others...

even if they are, technically, strangers ;)

Though I, weirdly?, see many of my blog readers as 'friends'

Weird eh?

Anyways, it's kind of exciting news...

and scary...

but definitely exciting...

You see, I have the opportunity to go abroad to live & work in 

New Delhi, India for 1 year.

Yes, New Delhi, India.

How did this opportunity come about?

Well, last summer - after much thought - I put in an application with the Canadian branch of an international volunteer/work abroad organization and, after a phone interview, reference check, and in-person interview in Ottawa,  I was accepted.

  Read these 2 blog posts on my old blog for much more information.

Like why I decided to apply and what the organization does...

Well, since being accepted almost 1 year ago I've received two offers to date.

One for Rwanda, the other for a rural part in Southern India.

Both were for 2 years and, despite my initial excitement, just didn't feel like 'the one.'

So I declined both. 

Plus, I really was interested in a 1 year placement.

Which, I've been told by my adviser, is few and far between (2 years are the norm).

So for the past 7 months I haven't received any offers.

Then about two weeks ago I started to feel restless.

This full-time job hunt is wearing me down and the process of starting my own business is something I'm moving pretty slowly with - I dunno, call it fear. That's a whole other story...

Anyways, I began to feel restless.

Like a needed an adventure.

And I've been itching to travel (something I LOVE to do).

To go somewhere...just hit the road for a bit.

But, financially, I'm just not in a position right now to go the places I really want to go to.

It's then I remembered:

"I haven't received an offer in a while...I wonder if my file is still active?

I mean, can the deactivate it with out letting me know?"

So, two weeks ago, I called my placement adviser and asked if my file was still active.

He assured me it was but also let me know that because I'm interested in a one year placement - 

things might be slow.

"1 year placements are not as common," he told me.

"It would be easier to get a two year placement, if that was on your file I'm sure you'd have gotten more offers by now..."

I told him I would need to seriously think about whether I wanted to change my file to a two year in order to increases my chances of receiving offers and that I would call him back...

And then earlier this week, I got an email from him.

I'd received a placement offer.

A one year placement offer.

In New Delhi, India.

And when I read the placement offer it felt like...this could be "the one."

To be honest, which I always am here on my blog, India has never been a place I've had high on my list of places to visit, much less live. I mean, of course visiting the Taj Mahal is on my list of things to do...so I guess, technically it has been on my list....

But over the past few months I've gotten little glimpses of India through the blog posts of others that had me seeing India in a different light. 

"Oh the colours are so beautiful," I'd think while reading.

"Oh I'd love to see that in person"

"Oh so cool/interesting/different"

So here I am. 

Thinking about whether or not I should accept this offer.

I always say I want an adventure. 

To live abroad for a bit. 

To travel and explore countries that are more off the beaten path.

This would definitely give me that opportunity.

I did some google searches and to travel to countries in South East Asia, Asia, and even Australia would be fairly inexpensive. 

I could scratch a lot of countries off of my list....

Plus, I'd like to think, through my work/volunteer efforts I'd be making a difference.

And in the process of it all I'd be writing a better story.

Or at least a different story.

And now some images...because this post has been really text heavy :)

This, my friends, is New Delhi (which is the capital city of India)....

Lodhi Gardens

perfect for an afternoon picnic?

And I know, this is New Delhi too....

But so is this ;)

4-5 hours to these...a perfect day trip....

The Taj Mahal in Agra

photo taken by one of my favourite photographers Punam Bean

The Amber Fort in Jaipur

photo by Punam Bean

12 hours to this....a perfect weekend trip....

The Kama Sutra Temples

photo by Punam Bean

Fairly inexpensive and short flights to anywhere here.....

Definitely LOTS to do, see, and experience.

More than I actually even knew there was before a few days ago

(google + various Indian search terms has been in heavy use for the past day or two for me ;)

And really, how interesting and exciting would blog posts from India be? because I'd totally still blog...

I'll be doing lots of thinking over the next few days...

I can say, without a doubt, the number #1 thing holding me back is this guy.

*to see more of Punam Bean's amazing photographs from India click here

Thank You! (& decisions)

Hmmm. Have a couple of blog post ideas in mind but all will take longer to write than I want to give time to write now. But I wanted to post something today.

So I'll say THANK YOU to everyone who commented on my last post. If you've left a comment I've responded in the comment section to each of you. I really appreciate you all sharing your thoughts & suggestions and I've learned that a lot of you feel like I do! Really, in your responses, you each left gems of wisdom that got me thinking. Since posting that post I've made a decision about things I want to change in my lifestyle going forward which I will share next week. It won't be easy and I have a lot to learn but I am excited for the journey!

Oh, I'll also note that this is going to be a semi-busy weekend for me. I have to: finish selecting and editing pics from the orlando destination wedding I shot, research one or two wedding blogs I'd like to try and get featured on, send out a couple of resumes (since the contract I'm doing will end in 2 weeks), give my hair a protein treatment, do some research on my new decision (see above), do some gardening, I want to bring Howard to the dog park, think about a slight blog revamp, and begin sketching out an idea for a personal project...plus I need to catch up on sleep!

And because posts, as we all know, are so much better with a picture - I end this post with two quick pics I snapped of my bedroom in progress...filling up with my thrift find treasures :)

 

Have a great weekend!

Me? An Animal Advocate?

Warning: I fully expect this post, this LONG post, to be a bit all over the place...as my thoughts on this subject are...a bit jumbled...and I'm not sure exactly what I'm trying to say...but all I know is I felt like blogging this today so bare with me.


So, I've been thinking a lot lately about...I guess what it boils down to... animal rights - and the fair treatment of animals. Now this post is not a "preach to you" kind of post. I'm simply sharing my thoughts. I find lately I'm being drawn more and more to issues dealing with the treatment of animals. I mean, I've always heard and known that injustices towards animals take place but, keeping it real, it was like "Oh, that's sad...next topic." Now, I find that I really sympathize and wonder "What can I do?"

Thinking today, it struck me that I didn't start to really...for a lack of better word....care until I became a pet owner. I got Howard, my bichon frise/toy poodle, Christmas 2007.

 

Oh my gosh! Is he not the cutest thing ever?! I can't imagine anyone hurting him!

He is without a doubt the best purchase I've ever made in my life. Period. I never had pets growing up (unless you count goldfish) and to be honest, I was (and still am) afraid of dogs. I guess I always inherently knew that animals had feelings - but it wasn't until I became a pet owner myself, responsible for the life of something that can not communicate for itself, that all these injustices that happen to helpless animals really started to...bother me and that I really started to care. It's really hard to explain unless you have a pet - but I imagine its much like having a child or being responsible for a child. You are responsible for the well-being of that living creature that can not fend for itself. The difference is - babies grow up and turn into adults and learn to fend for themselves. Animals don't have that luxury. In the big picture of things: Man trumps Animal....and we, as men, do a lot of f-ed up shi*t to animals.

Howard make me ridiculously happy and I take the....privilege of being responsible for him very very seriously. It's the least I could do for this animal that brings me so much joy. And joy to my family. My mother, who said "sure you can get a dog, as long as he stays in YOUR space (this is when I was still living at home)," is now in LOVE with him. She buys him Christmas gifts, dog-sits and calls me with funny stories of what he's doing, and often calls me when I'm home to see how HE is. My younger siblings LOVE him. To see how they interact with him (from the youngest 6 yr old to the oldest 17 year old), and him with them, melts. my. heart. I seriously think having a family pet is one of the best things you can do for children. Not only does it teach them responsibility, but it also teaches them about forgiveness, loyalty, unconditional love, patience, and compassion.

Compassion.

I think that's what this is all about. You see, I KNOW, without a doubt, that Howard has feelings. He might not be able to say it, obviously, but he shows it. He shows his loyalty, he shows his love, he shows patience....he is SMART. He is aware. He shows anger! He is FUNNY! Sometimes he wants to do nothing but play...and he has different kinds of 'play.' When he's in pain, it shows. I could go on and on about his personality...

And the real realization that he has this...personality...lets me know that other animals have a personality too. And the thought of people harming innocent animals or treating them unfairly...really bothers me. Again, it makes me think "What can I do?"


It's funny, because as much as I like the zoo - I always felt sad when I was there. Even BEFORE I got Howard. Looking at these amazing animals sitting in these small areas, made to look like their natural habit but really not, sitting behind glass that says "do not tap" as people tap and take pictures. Heck, I was/am one of those people that takes pictures! I would think, "they must be really sad - this is not how they should be living. this is not natural for them." Not surprisingly, I recently decided that the zoo is not a place I'd like to go to any more....though I have volunteered with my little brother's class on their field trip...to the zoo...later this month. Oy. This goes for things like Sea World or Marineland. Don't think I'll be going to either any time soon.

I hear about documentaries like "The Cove" and my heart breaks into pieces. I hear about this story in the news in my area right now and I think "seriously! isn't that a bit drastic? aren't there alternatives?" Ugh, and I won't even mention "Food Inc" and several other stories in the news recently....

And then I feel like...a hypocrite or something because I LOVE to eat meat. Seriously. I'm a meat eater. Love it. And seafood - don't get me started. And I don't see myself becoming a vegetarian or vegan anytime soon (though never say never...). But yeah, for now and the foreseeable future, cutting meat out of my diet is not even a thought right now.

I mean, can I be an animal advocate...or something along those lines...heck I don't even know what I want to do with this new....passion for animals...volunteer or something would be my first guess...but can I really do anything when I EAT ANIMALS! ETA: I think, actually I know, that for some reason I've justified that it's okay to eat chicken and beef...or pork...but eat DOG? HEAVEN'S NO! Or horse? Never. But really - they are ALL ANIMALS...

I went on the WWF website today and as great as their cause is...after a quick browse it wasn't really speaking to me. So I went to the other organization I could think of that deals with animals...Peta. Yes, they are kinda hardcore for me too. But after a quick browse - this felt more what I was looking for. I mean - PETA = People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. That's exactly what is bothering me lately: The unethical treatment of animals....but I doubt PETA has a chapter for people like me. Meat eaters with leather handbags and shoes (kinda giggling writing that).

So...I dunno. I'm gonna browse the PETA site some more but I don't know what my next step will be. Maybe there's a PETA lite or something lmao. Likely, I'll just continue to sit here and wonder "what can I do" and not do anything...but I hope not.

Hmmm...not sure why I felt like sharing this but it's been something that's been weighing on my mind a lot lately. So, I mean, any and all comments are welcome. If you can relate - let me know how. Are you involved in any type of causes like PETA or WWF or a humanitarian organization...anything? Would love to hear about it.

ETA: Just found this website with a variety links to various animal rights organizations that I've never heard of - I'll be doing tons of browsing these next few days.

ETA: How could I not remember the WSPA? That might be a better option for me than PETA. Less hardcore tactics than the latter but just as effective. Excited to have (re) discovered it!

Two Happy Souls

It feels like so much has happened in the 3 months since I took a blog break. Wow! I can't believe it's been 3 months since my last real blog post (well, if you don't count Friday's post). While not too much has happened to me personally (I did turn 1 year older!), there are some things I'll be sharing in coming posts. There's also been small additions to the apartment which I will also share. Like what you ask? Well...

• I finally picked up the ceramic monkey I ordered to my besties house in NJ. It's kinda cute and slightly life-like looking which makes it a bit creepy and less cute. I love it.
• I wallpapered my bathroom (something I had been debating about here ). 
• I bought ikea fabric for curtains - they're hanging now but are in a rough state...I have to hem them...actually, I need to make a decision about them (I may move them into the bedroom).
  
• I added more frames to my gallery wall. 
• I finished painting the rest of the visible baseboard trim in the living/dining/kitchen area.
• I finally got around to re-purposing my over-sized picture frame (that I got for $1 yard sale) into an inspiration board.
• I added a small rug to the kitchen.

Yes, I'll be blogging everything...with photos. For those of you who follow me on twitter you've probably seen random pics here and there. During these 3 months I also discovered, re-discovered & found some products and stuff that I've really been diggin' you'll want to check back later this week for that blog post. (hint hint blog giveaway hint hint)

Most importantly, over these past 3 months I've become re-inspired & re-invigorated. I wasn't a sad person before - but the earlier in the year (late winter, early spring & early summer) I felt...blah. But now I feel happier than I've felt in a long time. You know, being happy really is a choice. I know that sounds weird but try it. A day when you wake up feeling blah and down, say to yourself "I'm going to be happy today." In doing this you'll will yourself to see the brighter side of things. To smile more. To laugh more. And all of those things makes you a happier person and in-turn, you feel better. Also, something my bestie said to me that she's been doing - is reminding herself that sometimes it's not all about her. I never thought it was all about me but in some situations lately, when it comes to other people (mainly family & friends) where I might kinda not show enthusiasm in a situation or be kinda blaze about a situation - I've been reminding myself 'it's not all about you....how would you want them to react if the situation were reversed?" And you know what, just thinking that makes you change your reaction and the way you interact with other people. It makes the other person feel good which in turn makes you feel good.

Anyways, not trying to be preachy. Here's a pic of me* and Howard taken this past weekend.

Two happy souls.

*Ya, ignore the hair. We were just coming from my brothers' b-ball practice and the dog park. I just threw on a hat...