Life Update. Peace, Love &.....Dreams.

             So, I've been pretty damn horrible with keeping up with my blog lately.  I've had a lot going on in my life and kinda put the whole blog thing on a temporary hold.
             First, I've been looking for a new car.  I have a nice little 2007 chevy cobalt, but I always get stuck...stuck in my own driveway, stuck in the damn ditch... stuck.  So... I decided I wanted an all wheel drive, 4 wheel drive, something of that matter. Well, I had a couple eye opening experiences lately and I decided, I'm ok with my little cobalt.  I can survive with it.  I may live in weather conditions that are awful for my car, but at least I have a car.  I should be fortunate for that right?  I decided to suck it up and stick with my little white box of slip and slide and just be happy.  Which I am.  I'm realizing that I don't need bigger and better things in life to make me happy..or to survive.  I should just be happy with the simplistic things.  I have much more than most people in this world, so cheers to being fortunate and grateful.  
       I've been trying to figure out what I want to do after I graduate in May 2012.  Why am I trying to figure this out now?  Because... I don't want to graduate and say "well, I'm done... now what?".  I've always been the kind of person to be on top of things (for the most part), I have a whole lot of dreams that I want to accomplish,  I'm trying to be as organized as I can.  I applied for the Peace Corp... (I guess I should say am applying) because the application process is so darn looooooong.  I originally wanted to look more into the Navy due to my interest in travel and my family history in the military. But, the kind of person I am.. doesn't really mesh well with demands and order.  I want to be who I am and do what I want to do rather than doing what others would like me to do.  I'm a free spirit... Some don't like that, or agree with it, but that's what makes me...well, me.  Make sense?  My other option:  I applied to an Internship working with kids who have been affected by HIV/AIDS in Cape Town, South Africa.  Why would I do such a thing?  Well, because.  Because there is nothing in the world that compares to the feeling of helping, impacting and just simply being there for children in need.  Will I get paid for this internship?  Absolutely, positively... no.  My loans will get deferred yet again.  Which is ok. Most people in this position would say "absolutely not".  I don't know that I'm too worried about making money, I'm more worried about my own happiness and you can guess where that is.  My heart went on an adventure a long time ago, and that's where it stayed. Money isn't always happiness right?
            With everything going on in my life right now, I decided to (kinda) try a date thing.  Well, to my knowledge I found out I absolutely do not care to date and here is my reasoning...  I recently went out with a friend (or whatever) for a kind of date thing... and the entire time all I could think about was what excuse I was going to use to get out of the next one.  Honestly, I do this EVERY TIME I try to date someone, or see someone or even like someone.  I always talk myself out of relationships and I pick the other person apart for their bad habits and whatnot.  I don't know if it's my own fears of commitment or if it's just because I'm being selfish and can't find anyone to meet my standards... whatever they are, I have yet to find out myself. It's probably an awful quality of mine.  Then I think about my priorities and what my life really consists of: I think about the kids I work with, school, my job.. my future... that leaves no room for a romance.  Sometimes I get lonely yes, but when that happens a little bird always reminds me about all the fantastic things going on in my life and how I shouldn't be bummed because I have no one.  Reality is, I have people.  I have all kinds of wonderful, magnificent people in my life that make me more than happy.  I'm only 23.  Who cares about romance.  Not I.
           Well, this is my life in a nutshell right now.  Still making way and trying to accomplish too many dreams at once, but I like it that way. And I'm Happy.

OH, and how could I forget.... GO PACK GOOOOO! :)

A little inspiration from my friend Gandhi.  Drawing done by myself. 

I Love America... But I Love The World More.

             Why do people form judgment upon others due to cultural differences?  This is a question I can hardly answer, it wasn't until recently that I really started to open doors to cultural differences myself.  Over the past couple months, I have been learning more and more and being more wise about my choice of words, although this blog post may cause some controversy....I've noticed that it really bothers me when people aren't willing to understand why people are the way that they are due to cultural beliefs...ie. Religion, Language, Gestures & Body Language.  Everyone is brought up in a specific culture, that doesn't mean that everyone follows it. Everyone deserves a chance.         
         Most people don't realize that this country was completely formed by immigrants.  Duh.  I bet that was a lightbulb wasn't it?  The founding fathers of the United States were Christian.. but they did not create to conform our country based on Christianity but rather the freedom to Religion, and that is why America isn't based on just ONE Religion.  Many of the different immigrants that came to our country did so because they were able to practice whatever they believed in.  
        Although in America we speak English and it's the most prominent language here, we do not have a "National Language".  Since our country is pretty much made up of immigrants (like I said above..) that does not make the English language "ours".  Also, once upon a time... the southern states were all connected to Mexico and most of the people that lived there, spoke Spanish.. and still do today.  American's are given the choice to learn other languages when we force upon immigrants to learn the English Language.  The HARDEST language to learn.  Kudos to you.  The world is a small small place, and sooner or later.. even if you hide, you will encounter different types of people and different languages.  No matter where you go or travel, there will be people that don't look like you, don't talk like you, don't gesture like you and don't think the way that you do.  
        Culture is so valuable that it has been kept and passed on for thousands and thousands of years and bits and pieces from different cultures make us who we are today.  Ignorance is bliss, people.  Different countries & different cultures should be respected more because they have enlightened us with such traditions to bring our families up.  Different cultures and lifestyles are so important that it is more than its distinct visible features.  If we extend this aspect to the inner-self of a person, to members within a society, or rather an entire community... maybe, just maybe you can find some answers to how he/she...they... are affected by culture.  
             Knowledge is the key to understanding different cultures.  I'm no wisdom goddess, and I don't know everything, but what I do know is that I had good parents who raised me to be more open minded and teach me about culture as a whole...in the world.  The world would be a better place if we could all learn to accept each other. 


Peace, Love & Knowledge. 

Peace, Love & Veggies.

         Every year I come up with a New Years resolution... and fail miserably, like most of the population.  But this year is a little different for me.  Originally, I decided I was only going to give up red meat and only eat locally.. more of a "slow food" diet to help benefit my local economy.  But then I started thinking and why not just give up meat?  I'm all about challenges and this is probably one of the biggest challenges I will have to face.  Here are the reasons why I'm choosing Vegetarianism: 

• If we eat the plants we grow instead of feeding them to animals, the world's food shortage will disappear virtually overnight. Remember that 100 acres of land will produce enough beef for 20 people but enough wheat to feed 240 people.

• Half the rainforest's in the world have been destroyed to clear ground to graze cattle to make beefburgers. What you may not know about this is in effort to make cheaper Big Mac's and Whoopers, eager Americans are slashing and burning our native rain forests to make room for the "Beef industry".  The burning of the forests contributes 20% of all green-house gases. Roughly 1,000 species a year become extinct because of the destruction of the rainforest's. Approximately 60 million people a year die of starvation. All those lives could be saved because those people could eat grain used to fatten cattle and other farm animals - if Americans ate 10% less meat.

• The world's fresh water shortage is being made worse by animal farming. And meat producers are the biggest polluters of water. It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat. If the US meat industry wasn't supported by the taxpayer paying a large proportion of its water costs, then hamburger meat would cost $35 a pound.

• African countries - where millions are starving to death - export grain to the developed world so that animals can be fattened for our dining tables.

• It's Healthy!!!!! :)