tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35981045269097685242024-02-07T17:36:01.204+09:00Cash's Corner Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.comBlogger604125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3598104526909768524.post-19176814298782981372022-04-26T21:26:00.002+09:002022-04-26T21:26:31.492+09:00The Magic of History and Television<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jM-BoZ-cUo5SKL2MOB0LUy5vRAbW9RMl-vczkF3eL5NA6gthmFMz0GPEPEg1Em_-x0e7K58pbieDjAE9cFJ-m5cJ52A5fp7hw_Z3ddf1WbEUn7v9Zfb-zclwBdGvIZtswoUx1l90V9Y8ikts8X801ahTPvcib3GOP5EsqWQ-awMQ6SK3GZtVSsmf/s6000/IMG_6117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jM-BoZ-cUo5SKL2MOB0LUy5vRAbW9RMl-vczkF3eL5NA6gthmFMz0GPEPEg1Em_-x0e7K58pbieDjAE9cFJ-m5cJ52A5fp7hw_Z3ddf1WbEUn7v9Zfb-zclwBdGvIZtswoUx1l90V9Y8ikts8X801ahTPvcib3GOP5EsqWQ-awMQ6SK3GZtVSsmf/s320/IMG_6117.JPG" width="213" /></a></span></div><span style="color: red;"><br />*This post contains slight spoilers to season six of the the Starz show Outlander.</span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I'd always had a love of all things Scottish and reveled in a short trip to Scotland in 2011. However, my fascination grew greatly when I began watching the hit Starz television show <i>Outlander </i>in late 2014. <i>Outlander </i>the show is based on the book series of the same name first published in 1991 by American author Diana Gabeldon. It chronicles the life of WWII nurse, Claire Randall as he departs her 1940s like and time travels to the 1740s Scottish Highlands. It is a work of historical fiction/fantasy against the backdrop of real historical events. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">While enjoying multiple seasons of this show, I sunk into the <i>real</i> history behind the episodes. The Outlander books and show are known for their mostly historical accuracy and watching real incidents play out on screen left me thirsty to learn more and more about the actual events. Over time I drank up mid-eighteenth century Scottish History. Mostly the history surrounding the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion and the Battle of Culloden, one in which a group of Scottish rebels led by Prince Charles Stuart rose up against the British rule. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Five years later, after my initial viewing of the Outlander series, I got to travel to Scotland to see many of the historical places discussed in the books and show. In fact, I planned about half of my month-long trip to the United Kingdom around Outlander. I journeyed to far locations such as Inverness, Loch Ness, and Culloden moor. Not only to see these locations from the show, but also feel the real history that the show was based on. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Whilst walking around Inverness Castle I saw a statue honoring a women named Flora MacDonald. Never having heard of her, I read the plaque and did some additional research about her significance while in Inverness. I learned she was responsible for aiding Prince Charles Stuart escape to the Isle of Skye after the devastating loss for the Jacobite Rebellion at the Battle of Culloden. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Four months after seeing that statue in person, while watching the current season six of Outlander I saw a scene beginning to play out on screen. I knew exactly who the character was and exactly what she was doing. Not from former knowledge of the show, but from just learning about the exact historical event on my trip to Inverness.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">It was a scene of Flora MacDonald as she was helping the Bonny Prince Charlie, dress as a woman in disguise, flee to the Isle of Skye in a boat. The Scottish hold her as a hero for this act. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">A television show had taken me to Scotland, where my travels taught me even more than I already knew. Finally, I got to see what I learned play out on screen. It felt like a very immersive and full-circle learning experience. What I love about historical dramas is that they bring the past to you. I often yearn to travel to the past, but unlike for Claire that likely won't be possible for me. But, with shows like Outlander, and the courage to travel I might try and get a glimpse of what life was like for people before us. </p>Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3598104526909768524.post-80774899993578257632021-08-15T22:48:00.005+09:002021-08-15T22:48:56.783+09:00Life list item #22: Skydive<p style="text-align: justify;">For at least 15 years, this item has been on my list. My boyfriend Jason also had the ambition to skydive so once we got through the very restrictive times of the Covid-19 pandemic we booked our jumps with Skydive Tecumseh. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Jason had been booked before, roughly two years ago and due to weather he was not able to jump at his scheduled time. Unable to get a weekend that worked, he got a refund and left the dream to later on. For his birthday in April 2021, I bought him certificate for a 14,000ft tandem jump and we looked out later into the summer to actually schedule our time. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">After months (well years actually) of anticipating and waiting we were about to enter a plane to jump at 14,000ft above Napoleon, Michigan. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">When you tandem skydive, you are pretty much just along for the ride. Your tandem instructor is there to explain everything that is going to happen and what you will need to do. But, mostly they do everything. They are basically skydiving with a willing participant strapped to their chest. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">My tandem jumper was Scotti, a guy from Brazil. He was charismatic and lively and spoke with a thick accent that made me have to listen to him extremely closely. As he got me into my harness, he explained what exactly would happen. Of course this part is extremely important and it seems Skydive Tecumseh does a great job at making jumpers feel comfortable. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">When it was finally time to go myself, Jason, and his friend Temma, plus our three tandem jumpers got in the small plan that was made for about 10 passengers. We lined up in the rows, not side to side but front to back as our tandem jumpers would soon be attaching to us. The plane ride was one of my favorite parts, it still felt like there was control. It was a nice moment being next to Jason as we were having this adventure together. It was nice having Jason nearby, but a certain point all my focus was on Scotti and what he had to say and do. As much as I love my boyfriend, this new, strange man strapped to my back was MY WORLD right then! He held my life in his hands. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzvwoskLqtBdhtFIkt26Vy-0mKas6-RG8Dqe_O8s7Wtw3jlL7Xb7BraE8RCbhe_0DjHIKRTMzH0-x12frB4PWk8gucHNvrOPDICFfQcgm9q1hIlEsBo7BQGImng-W52wj8u3u-bW2r6Y/s2048/74899.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1537" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzvwoskLqtBdhtFIkt26Vy-0mKas6-RG8Dqe_O8s7Wtw3jlL7Xb7BraE8RCbhe_0DjHIKRTMzH0-x12frB4PWk8gucHNvrOPDICFfQcgm9q1hIlEsBo7BQGImng-W52wj8u3u-bW2r6Y/w300-h400/74899.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDwwQtO9NFnv0eGdPWI2NIEJF9mGBTC-wjtcIcMHMEtRwfs7utM06G7Y1PKWPd-IykWnSHksA94vFcWrz8WUIjEtvApUla9DhyphenhyphenUJZzw-9nnSlW_U2Zo7Q_lyfsws97zA3LSZllCNVF7Q/s2048/20210814_113959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDwwQtO9NFnv0eGdPWI2NIEJF9mGBTC-wjtcIcMHMEtRwfs7utM06G7Y1PKWPd-IykWnSHksA94vFcWrz8WUIjEtvApUla9DhyphenhyphenUJZzw-9nnSlW_U2Zo7Q_lyfsws97zA3LSZllCNVF7Q/w225-h400/20210814_113959.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">When you are in the plane, there is pretty much no where to go but out, and the only way to get down is to jump. I'm sure if a person is clearly freaking out, they will gladly just fly you down. However, there's not tons of time and space to cower in a corner. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Scotti had given me only two directives for our jump together. The first one was to dangle my feet outside the plane on the ledge then he would do the rest when it was time to exit. This is the moment I think I was most dreading. When you see the Earth below you, I was afraid this is when my mind would go crazy and want to pull back. NO CHANCE for that. Once my feet were out he had pushed his body weight forward and we came careening out of the plane. I was instructed earlier to put my head back and my legs bent between his. Our freefall was to be about 45 seconds, and I read that we were traveling at about 120 miles per hour. It felt like an eternity, and certainly felt like that speed. It was absolutely freezing up there and barreling through the air didn't make it much warmer. I closed my eyes a few times, but was trying my best to keep them open so that I could see what we were dong. This 45 seconds was quite terrifying, not in a I'm going to <i>splat on the ground </i>kind of way but, more of <i>this is so loud, so fast, so cold, so intense</i> kind of way. I couldn't really get my bearings or my wits about me so I just "held on" and hopped the chute would open soon. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-HzruEG8-3Fbl20yRIIC_Ra_NTJjDG_LgyKoFR4jeUZnUuo5spl7SOr2tx0qlO2nllxHH-FM2Cd0DCTkBsD04vSz2BXiYwGGREAzFocTWEtpuJ-hr5QiLUpAyq7UPoj2P_ILXClW65U/s2048/74948.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-HzruEG8-3Fbl20yRIIC_Ra_NTJjDG_LgyKoFR4jeUZnUuo5spl7SOr2tx0qlO2nllxHH-FM2Cd0DCTkBsD04vSz2BXiYwGGREAzFocTWEtpuJ-hr5QiLUpAyq7UPoj2P_ILXClW65U/w400-h300/74948.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">I knew when the chute opened we would be blasted back up into the sky and yes, that feeling was intense when it happened. Definitely yelled a few holy shits!! At this point it felt as if we were just hovering and the ground didn't seem to be getting closer to us very quickly. There were moments here I tried my best to relax, but it was still pretty freaky. It wasn't the fact that I was several thousands of feet of the ground it was just the movement of our bodies through the air. When we were falling slowly it felt nice, then when Scotti would turn or steer us the speed would pick up and more holy shits would come out! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I did get to see Jason in the air. Not close enough to make out his face or anything, but it was neat knowing he was falling not far away. The time it took us to fall the rest of the way was roughly five minutes. Scotti and I chatted a bit on the way down and he kept me informed about what would happen next with our landing. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The landing was perfectly fine and I am pretty sure we landed on our feet. There's a few different good landings that can happen, and of course many bad ones. But, luckily ours was uneventful! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The whole thing felt like being on all the roller-coasters I've even been on in my life, combined! I didn't exactly love all the sensations by body was going through, but being miles above the ground, floating through the air was indeed a rewarding experience. I was asked a couple times what was my favorite part. It was hard to figure that out right away. I was extremely happy with the experience as a whole; being with Jason, being well taken care of by Skydive Tecumseh, the unique plane ride, the perfect weather. I'm ever so glad I got this item checked of my list. Jumping out of a plane is not an opportunity you get every day. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibxjPJ9-MfVMT2imhIs4vbHZwXDYFE61S9c1EItPd86KU9ciYErguUIU-VKYsYMiCPmMYPf3I_LSOfkeZWTolMGRu0k1RKfnZfpN6wNiafgTryPVVeqEpTog9B9l32heLrdFm4sUR_ggE/s1008/74972.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1008" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibxjPJ9-MfVMT2imhIs4vbHZwXDYFE61S9c1EItPd86KU9ciYErguUIU-VKYsYMiCPmMYPf3I_LSOfkeZWTolMGRu0k1RKfnZfpN6wNiafgTryPVVeqEpTog9B9l32heLrdFm4sUR_ggE/w400-h300/74972.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3598104526909768524.post-5267183612504574142021-06-04T20:00:00.002+09:002021-06-04T20:00:16.297+09:00Life List Item #26: Go Sailing<p style="text-align: justify;">This one has been on my list for many years (more than 10) and it was kinda a surprise that it happened. When spending time in Camden, Maine, Jason and I were planning out the short amount of time we had there. When Jason mentioned that getting out on the water was a priority of our trip, I figured I'd do it because he wanted to. We walked to the harbor to see where the boats come and go. There were a couple of companies with tables there advertising their short cruises. Turned out we walked up to one that had a tour leaving in a half hour and it was $50 per person to sail for two hours. With our great luck in timing, we booked our tickets on the Schooner Surprise. Turned out there were only two other couples with tickets for this ride, so it seemed like it would be a pretty low key ride. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">This is when I started to get very excited. For a reason beyond me, I didn't even think about sailing on this trip and I seemed to have long forgotten about this life list item. But as the gravity of the situation was becoming more clear, I was going to be out on the water, in a boat, with sails, I realized I was going to be checking off a dream that day! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjlWB2MpRzwuLD9qLkqmHFPBFRn2nZEvmgClSOM6nNFkrBbeZFOwaRyk6YXOx_x0um5H_b2SLAwc0ow4001JBbp3pJsi7k593lqVBRp_4Prwj68bUGq98BvnDOpaTi3AY_1wPGR1WYa50/s6000/IMG_5288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjlWB2MpRzwuLD9qLkqmHFPBFRn2nZEvmgClSOM6nNFkrBbeZFOwaRyk6YXOx_x0um5H_b2SLAwc0ow4001JBbp3pJsi7k593lqVBRp_4Prwj68bUGq98BvnDOpaTi3AY_1wPGR1WYa50/w400-h266/IMG_5288.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Our time on the water was perfect. We couldn't have asked for better weather, it was cool and fresh as we cut through the air. I learned so much about the boat as our captain shared the information about her. She was built in 1918 and had gone through six owners in her lifetime. Hearing about the craftsmanship that goes into crafting sailboats, I walked away with a newfound respect for them as a work of art. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcG2lKdAbKa1lIt_ITI87XvVcfl_iwhM8pBpbqa3X4a3YNm4BiCqLA3rV1ySzHjnEGu5uF6aHMuGvmAH9NL26TppiBSEZJ58JlA2Mr05YAQL4SKVdlO9MMTKoLpyqB2POEIUMpsD0AJ4g/s6000/IMG_5270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcG2lKdAbKa1lIt_ITI87XvVcfl_iwhM8pBpbqa3X4a3YNm4BiCqLA3rV1ySzHjnEGu5uF6aHMuGvmAH9NL26TppiBSEZJ58JlA2Mr05YAQL4SKVdlO9MMTKoLpyqB2POEIUMpsD0AJ4g/w400-h266/IMG_5270.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">It felt tranquil out on that water. It was long enough and not long enough. Looking at the mansions lining the coastline, I was momentarily dreaming about being from a wealthy New England family and living in one of those homes, having our own boat. (I have since come back to Earth!) </p><p style="text-align: justify;">It was one of the more memorable times of our trip. The sights and sounds of that experience were relaxing and serene. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">We ended up heading over to the Mount Battie trail head right after our sail. Another one of Camden's must do activities. I had heard the trail up the small mountain was just one mile round trip, so I didn't expect much difficulty for us. I wasn't prepared for all the climbing on rock and scrambling across them. We both were not prepared with the right footwear, water, or anything else for this hike, but we made it through. It was more difficult of a hike that I had envisioned, but fun nonetheless and the views were spectacular. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsw2Z68c_Q1F3YaE0VQHWhkOsgtkyU3G_YbCaWbyr7_9icI-u_k8ns1-NkT_IEqjEbXvX5gii0LMywUo0UREatTBQCtBx0gYnC4xvH0iFK68Mwym4HKw3i2k2XER2_FM3D6tCZEQ-zpI/s6000/IMG_5310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsw2Z68c_Q1F3YaE0VQHWhkOsgtkyU3G_YbCaWbyr7_9icI-u_k8ns1-NkT_IEqjEbXvX5gii0LMywUo0UREatTBQCtBx0gYnC4xvH0iFK68Mwym4HKw3i2k2XER2_FM3D6tCZEQ-zpI/w400-h266/IMG_5310.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSOy1ga4kVgh9gMWTdIh2AyaI9kdxhOi45vSyzxBjzOuQnrYe3gOeHzp3JxmXPvebuu8lKFrhXFw-CGNj22PPjNy9_BPR4Kr3rWZ8N_IdOEWH6yFGaI4ZsdJEHfQmwGBrUWFeP8EZbGw/s6000/IMG_5306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSOy1ga4kVgh9gMWTdIh2AyaI9kdxhOi45vSyzxBjzOuQnrYe3gOeHzp3JxmXPvebuu8lKFrhXFw-CGNj22PPjNy9_BPR4Kr3rWZ8N_IdOEWH6yFGaI4ZsdJEHfQmwGBrUWFeP8EZbGw/w400-h266/IMG_5306.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Our time in Camden was made even more special by the beautiful bed and breakfast we stayed in, the Elms of Camden. We were hosted by a great couple, had a tranquil, private room, and had a delicious breakfast in the morning. For my first bed and breakfast experience I was left with an amazing impression. It was fun getting to stay in an old colonial home. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFTh0E3adkZ72gjjkbD1dxR52zTSyOri1O5DdW3xKCmx_JHvlVP5wSGOzD0ALI47s04gqA2rQdA2FKCWqtui6pGBISqHumSq1AKRG4VKl3dq0XmtdDHrDbGexiL_CBMlh8cVtgjwJSaTk/s6000/IMG_5328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFTh0E3adkZ72gjjkbD1dxR52zTSyOri1O5DdW3xKCmx_JHvlVP5wSGOzD0ALI47s04gqA2rQdA2FKCWqtui6pGBISqHumSq1AKRG4VKl3dq0XmtdDHrDbGexiL_CBMlh8cVtgjwJSaTk/w400-h266/IMG_5328.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p>Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3598104526909768524.post-28219881875639841102021-05-28T20:48:00.002+09:002021-05-28T20:58:15.267+09:00Visiting Acadia National Park<p style="text-align: justify;">Just as National Parks never do, Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine did not disappoint. Covering half of Mount Desert Island, Acadia became a national park in 1919.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">We had about a day and a half in the park, so I'd researched a bit ahead of time to see which spots most people were recommending. In our first afternoon there, we drove almost the entire Park Loop Road, a 27 mile loop through the park, just to get a lay of the land and get acclimated to the the area. It also served as a way to see most of the park quickly, at least from a car window. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">After getting my bearings on the place in the first drive through, I made a little list of highlights that I wanted to go back and do on our second day.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Here's what we did and why I loved it:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Jordan Pond Path- </b>A three mile, mostly flat hike around the entire Jordan Pond. It was a fun hike because it was pretty easy, but some rock obstacles and about a half mile of walking on raised wooden planks made it more dynamic. There are lots of things to look at and it was a very tranquil way to spend about 90 minutes. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGCIhP_AFl5-RBubSMpXn6sX6JDmk_nf1qaYPHAM4RQdatT3ICRQnbJPCw-2wpRnz5fg4mr3hhTCUtw9suxWGbyamyKmpYcuQGNeUZyNgXpoI20nRZQoXL7BrPX4U1Ykwai-ghTqOdD4/s6000/IMG_5411.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGCIhP_AFl5-RBubSMpXn6sX6JDmk_nf1qaYPHAM4RQdatT3ICRQnbJPCw-2wpRnz5fg4mr3hhTCUtw9suxWGbyamyKmpYcuQGNeUZyNgXpoI20nRZQoXL7BrPX4U1Ykwai-ghTqOdD4/w400-h266/IMG_5411.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Beehive Trail-</b>This is a trail that is on the extreme side. I read about it ahead of time, knew about as much as I could (not tons) and really wanted to give it a try. I knew it wasn't a very long hike and I also knew that there were iron handles and ladder runs installed in the side of the mountain to help you climb. It is pretty much like rock climbing without any gear on, like ropes or harnesses. My camera battery died about 30 seconds into this hike, so I just had to carry around a worthless piece of nothing the whole time! Check out <a href="https://parksexpert.com/beehive-trail-acadia/">this blog post </a>for a really great description of this and pictures of the trail. It was a fun challenge and admittedly terrifying at times. Luckily it only took about 30 minutes or so to get all the way up, so the fright did not last too long. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Bar Island Path-</b>This is a small island right off of downtown Bar Harbor. It can be accessed by a sand bridge only in the time of low tide. People can walk across on the sand, but then that path is gone at high tide. So essentially we walked across the ocean floor. You need to be sure and walk back early enough before the tide comes in, or you'll lose your way back. Even when we walked back a part started to go underwater already. We hopped between a few rocks to not get our shoes wet. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Bass Harbor Head Light House-</b>This is located a bit away from the main part of the park, but was perfect for us because it was less than a 10 minute drive from where we stayed. This was the first light house I ever went to that you couldn't really stand on solid ground to see. In this case, we had to climb along the rocky shoreline along side the lighthouse to get a glimpse of it. We were there right when the sun was starting to go down, so it made for some heavily back lit photos. It's always fun stepping around on these rocky coastlines. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhjUmEibJom9k-AVh5fLQat4lTs3Qrb7n93LFeryWPncxF-FEOO7bgCtr3IynDsiksCIyilObsOLO4VsFH5fgjcQl8gGJRqoCYWSw7Yb7YsTbsEUB8gj1a_t59cYFI5Y3thGf87ou7OA/s6000/IMG_5359.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhjUmEibJom9k-AVh5fLQat4lTs3Qrb7n93LFeryWPncxF-FEOO7bgCtr3IynDsiksCIyilObsOLO4VsFH5fgjcQl8gGJRqoCYWSw7Yb7YsTbsEUB8gj1a_t59cYFI5Y3thGf87ou7OA/w400-h266/IMG_5359.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Thunder Hole-</b>The thunder hole was a cool stop. There are amazing rock formations to sit around on to experience great views and tranquility. <span style="background-color: white;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Carved naturally out of the coastal rocks, waves have been hitting the small inlet for centuries. Because there is a small cavern at the bottom of the inlet, the combination of the waves hitting the rocks and the release of air from the cavern cause a sound just like thunder. You need to be here at the right time to hear and see the full effect, which is half way between low and high tide. We got a little action while there, but </span>defiantly<span style="font-family: inherit;"> not the amazing powerful display that it's known for. </span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-Cqjfs83-GlYpEO0GTempcgyzeD_uZ6R5x-ypsO4dtqaAiqN3lsTWpM7hi5n0NASI_Zrb4QbZEIdH2O4U_74Wchs5REvfAvPlTPhrBCSIGVXb2Fz0uzLR-wfQgp34bceOvUzKqaoTBk/s6000/IMG_5330.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-Cqjfs83-GlYpEO0GTempcgyzeD_uZ6R5x-ypsO4dtqaAiqN3lsTWpM7hi5n0NASI_Zrb4QbZEIdH2O4U_74Wchs5REvfAvPlTPhrBCSIGVXb2Fz0uzLR-wfQgp34bceOvUzKqaoTBk/w400-h266/IMG_5330.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></span></div><span style="background-color: white;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="background-color: transparent;">Top of Mt. Cadillac-</b><span style="background-color: transparent;">There is a hike to the top of this, but we just drove our car up. It's a popular spot to catch a sunrise, technically the first place to see sunrise in the U.S. I wasn't too enthusiastic about getting up before sun-up to do this. We went in the morning and it was quiet and tranquil, no wind at all. It's the highest point in Acadia and the highest point on the North Atlantic seaboard. </span></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGyrWGNYEddqOn3ehrtyfRLmNeYNiddwi-M-bVppNw2bcp1eiZ5gCtJ7bOYFy_5qeobMj7y2N_CX6tX872oZWkuHoCnvbDMOLqBjFOrvhHqo0zJZAOEEJozddS9ado-sIbMAPBwi6SJ9E/s6000/IMG_5370.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGyrWGNYEddqOn3ehrtyfRLmNeYNiddwi-M-bVppNw2bcp1eiZ5gCtJ7bOYFy_5qeobMj7y2N_CX6tX872oZWkuHoCnvbDMOLqBjFOrvhHqo0zJZAOEEJozddS9ado-sIbMAPBwi6SJ9E/w400-h266/IMG_5370.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></span></div><span style="background-color: white;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">There are tons of accommodations around Acadia National Parks. Lots of small motels, bed and breakfasts, off site campgrounds, yurts, and cottages. Most area all located in the surrounding communities to the park, many in Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor and more. I did some research, but from my computer in Michigan I feel I was only exposed to a fraction of the places to stay that there actually are. I thought it would be fun to try and stay in a small cottage while there so my Google search ended up pointing me to Acadia Cottages in Southwest Harbor. It was adorable, nice, private, and quite as a place to stay for two nights. The cottage was located about 15 miles from entrances to Acadia, so it meant about a 25 minute drive to and from the park a couple of times. I'd probably recommend staying a little closer if you can, but it wasn't too much of an inconvenience. </span></div></span><p></p>Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3598104526909768524.post-53423209460311140172021-05-25T08:06:00.001+09:002021-05-25T08:06:20.660+09:00Visiting Portland, Maine<p>I didn't know anything at all about Portland, Maine before I went. It was just a city name I knew, and knowing that it is one of the bigger cities in Maine, I figured it was a necessary stop. </p><p>As our first stop in Maine, Portland did not disappoint. I expected somewhat of a small, big city and with a population of about 66,000 I wasn't wrong. I chose a small boutique hotel called <a href="https://thefrancismaine.com/history/">The Francis</a> that I found on Expedia. I wasn't sure about the location, but the reviews described it as a good one. The area was pretty nice and close to things including restaurants and attractions like the Old Port. The Francis is a converted home, built in 1881. I'm attracted to unique accommodations, ones that you can feel some history in or at least feel like your room is a little different than your neighbors. It was quiet there, so for the most part coming and going felt like were were coming from a private home. It's the closest to living in a mansion that I'll ever get! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Nmz7hWl6iIYzRs5BfjumAjyM6Y5VXCD2XY6xIFqGlvSeZ4tIYF50z_2n7gnsz-rn9ftfTD9anD2FsUrFbootI7Ekm3hNAylJi5nUq1MDzYaeFxlMvM_aykD5yTTgE6KUNkiH1pqeJp8/s6000/IMG_5232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Nmz7hWl6iIYzRs5BfjumAjyM6Y5VXCD2XY6xIFqGlvSeZ4tIYF50z_2n7gnsz-rn9ftfTD9anD2FsUrFbootI7Ekm3hNAylJi5nUq1MDzYaeFxlMvM_aykD5yTTgE6KUNkiH1pqeJp8/w266-h400/IMG_5232.JPG" width="266" /></a></div><p></p><p>We spoke with the hotel front desk clerk, who was a young Portland native. I enjoyed the opportunity to pick his brain about the general vibe of the city, including what it was like for young people living there. What I got was a description, not far from what I would have expected. A pretty liberal, inclusive town, lacking some diversity however. This is likely once of the most diverse parts of Maine, I still did not see people of many different ethnic backgrounds. </p><p>It was nice to be in a place that publicly took the pandemic quite seriously, even still. There were several signs and banners in support of mask wearing and protecting each other. You could tell the city made a huge effort in marketing a protective stance on stopping the spread of Covid-19. </p><p>We enjoyed some walking around, including in the Old Port area. The night-life areas felt bustling, but not too busy and it was vivacious and full of life. Being a very old city, there are many areas of roads that are still paved with brick and loads of historic architecture to admire. Portland was originally settled in 1632 and incorporated as a city in 1786.</p><p>I came up with Fort Williams as a Portland attraction that I wanted to check out. It was about a 15 minute drive out of the city center in the South Portland area. It was home to the famous<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland_Head_Light"> Portland Light Head</a>, the oldest lighthouse in Maine, finished in 1791. The park also encompasses the decommissioned and mostly demolished U.S. Army post Fort Williams, which was a working fort in WWI and II. We had such a great time hopping around on the rocks along the coast of this area and exploring the ruins of the old army fort. There were also ruins of an old mansion, over taken by nature and time.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC54ladd1SSSa2SNbuxkLLkSuQpQecyJa8rxtwI3Lj5E8o8NVEr54yklB1dXopZfETA3sqrUFGIAxGaPpzFJYHe2pg4CNarCyTYSpXw5E4HcMxo_ReX9ysf8M0GwzS2w4J5jrmAywOcbM/s6000/IMG_5165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC54ladd1SSSa2SNbuxkLLkSuQpQecyJa8rxtwI3Lj5E8o8NVEr54yklB1dXopZfETA3sqrUFGIAxGaPpzFJYHe2pg4CNarCyTYSpXw5E4HcMxo_ReX9ysf8M0GwzS2w4J5jrmAywOcbM/s16000/IMG_5165.JPG" /></a></div><p></p><p>A trip to <a href="https://theholydonut.com/">The Holy Donut</a> was another fun thing to do. When there is a funky donut shop in town, it's always seems to be worth a stop. There were colorful, unique creations with fun flavors. They are actually made from potato and included some that were made from sweet potato. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2j74qksqGQ0Y5m7aUWYr2Hcvr8TpKTdEkuNGC72Ri24yHRKx-w58aIL2hCv-t_xb18h-hIKP9e1xvodFQWLnZMFmYK7WhgJ5gu98ZpRPOQ558NEwF5cRWjnUbpKiMqFEHg_3SDII_yw/s6000/IMG_5161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2j74qksqGQ0Y5m7aUWYr2Hcvr8TpKTdEkuNGC72Ri24yHRKx-w58aIL2hCv-t_xb18h-hIKP9e1xvodFQWLnZMFmYK7WhgJ5gu98ZpRPOQ558NEwF5cRWjnUbpKiMqFEHg_3SDII_yw/s16000/IMG_5161.JPG" /></a></div><p>Lastly, steps away from our hotel, we came upon a <a href="http://www.bramhallme.com/">unique drinking establishment</a>. I was immediately attracted to the stone stairs leading down to what I described as "creepy" and "dundgeon-y." We walked down to what seemed like an old wine cellar, dimly lit with exposed bulbs and candles. I enjoyed a gin and tonic for my pre-birthday celebration.</p><p>Our one and a half days in Portland left me with good vibes about this cool, quaint, and hip city. Definitely a place I'd return or recommend. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3598104526909768524.post-16478077712045170362020-03-18T22:12:00.000+09:002020-03-18T22:12:09.994+09:00My Worry Limit <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I want to put out there what I'm thinking. I can think of no clearer way than to just copy the words directly from my journal. So here you have it, unpolished and uncensored. </div>
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Tuesday, March 17, 2020 7:30 p.m.</div>
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Today I hit a breaking point with this Coronavirus crisis. For the past 6 days-since it started to get really real and life changes snowballed all over the country- I have thought about nothing but it. My mind is full of half baked thoughts that I can't fully reflect on, share, or do much with. My cell phone has been stuck to my hand. I've been obsessively checking Facebook newsfeed, messages, email, WhatsApp, Google News. In part to ease my idol mind, check on my friends around the world, and also stay informed quickly of the next big life change this crisis will inflict. Now, after I'm done with this entry, I'm going to put it all out of my mind until 10:30am tomorrow when I rejoin society. No more being buried in my phone or internet usage. I never thought it would be god to binge watch a tv show and let your mind go elsewhere. I started rewatching Stranger Things and it's been fun to get into their world for a while. </div>
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Right now Coronavirus is spreading and we as a country-as a planet-need to "flatten the curve", stop from continued spikes in cases. This situation feels so surreal. State by state leadership is ordering closures of gyms, restaurants, bars, museums, libraries, bank lobbies. Basically anywhere large crowds can gather. Grocery stores are a bit weird. Mostly they are stocked, but are out of certain things. Stores are selling out of soap, sanitizer and toilet paper as people stock up. I don't know whether to try and stock up on food and supplies if we really get stuck in our houses or not to worry about it too much. I don't even know how to prepare for something like that. I make my grocery list based on what I need for 1 week, not weeks. I mean I know I could buy beans, dry goods, frozen vegetables. But I don't even want to spend lots of money. I don't even want to eat those things long term. Honestly, I'd rather stock up on junk food which can bring me some pleasure. Things that I'd crave if I really can't leave my house. Right now we are just advised to limit outings and stay home. To stay home and self-quarantine if you are feeling sick. You shouldn't go to work because you could be infected and not know it or not have symptoms. So we are all washing hands, sanitizing surfaces, practicing "social distancing"; staying out of places where people congregate. So far outside is still not off limits. :) It's about all we can look forward to doing. </div>
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So how do I move forward after this mental capacity limit? Things are slow enough at work that I am looking at my phone too much to occupy my mind. I need to find projects to keep me busier. The past few days have been slow, but not dead, but I've been annoyed at people that come in. Thinking <i>don't get too close, don't touch me, why are you people even out? </i>But I need to remember that most people are totally fine. If I use the best practices of keeping my distance and washing my hands after working with someone I'll be fine. A lot of hype mixed with uncertainty leaves me as a big ball of nerves. I was wanting a break to reflect and think, lay low and watch t.v. But I am giving it to myself now and since I don't have to be into work until 10:30 tomorrow I'll do it more in the morning. The unknown of whether or not we will close has been getting to me. Whereas I don't want to lose income if I can't work, part of me just wants a break to not have to worry about being around people. But now that we have reduced hours I am getting a little bit of a break and the change of job has already happened-a bit. As for most of those public places closing, even after two days I am accepting it as the new normal. We will have to find entertainment elsewhere.<u> And be conscious of finding joy by using our imagination a bit more.</u> I need to stop being pissed at every little thing. Become more chill, but remember to keep boundaries and respect where I am too. </div>
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I'm not suggesting me, or anyone get all lazy or stop being informed. We all need to do what is in our control. Washing our hands, sanitizing surfaces, being away from large congregations of people, stopping non-essential travel. But if we are doing those things, to the best of our ability there is nothing more we can do. Paranoia, overly worrying, and obsessively checking on the situation isn't going to help us. I'm coming to terms with some of the new <u>temporary</u> normal. </div>
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Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3598104526909768524.post-14231372157383453892020-03-17T08:16:00.001+09:002020-03-17T08:16:23.220+09:00When You Put Your Mind to Something<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have wanted to go back to Scotland ever since 2011 when I visited there for a brief 2.5 day visit. I loved it so much and Edinburgh quickly became one of my favorite placed I'd ever visited. </div>
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Year after year I prioritized other places, ones I'd never been to, above returning to Scotland for my travels. I never could quit thinking about Scotland. Late last year I decided 2020 would be the year and I made this as a motivator. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlsmJrkXjTxaUFPDTlWs1UKQoSJwkGbQ_UmNIZbtnmuV7KABgOCZ6VlidUbuLLK151BHGQtnWIwu5x0swmROoYsAHJ7Ehb71MbGlzrUkDSqwW4xRnC8AcmG2Ung8tZ6kWnG5VViNCby6k/s1600/Scotland.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="820" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlsmJrkXjTxaUFPDTlWs1UKQoSJwkGbQ_UmNIZbtnmuV7KABgOCZ6VlidUbuLLK151BHGQtnWIwu5x0swmROoYsAHJ7Ehb71MbGlzrUkDSqwW4xRnC8AcmG2Ung8tZ6kWnG5VViNCby6k/s1600/Scotland.png" /></a></div>
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I put my mind to making it happen. Nothing was going to stop me. Until the bizarre happenings of the past few weeks permeated our lives.<br />
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It's unclear with the uncertainly swirling all around us whether my trip to Scotland in May will be possible or not. With the feeling of hopelessness washing over me, I'm thinking not. What kind of travel restrictions will be in place then? What will be shutdown?<br />
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I'm sure nearly every single person has an instance of something they were looking forward to that will be cancelled due to Coronavirus. My situation is mild, but it doesn't make it any less disappointing. I really thought this was going to be another great instance of putting my mind to something and getting it. Turns out something completely beyond my control is stepping in and putting a stop to it.<br />
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As a person who loves to travel this situation leaves me feeling deflated, hopeless, and stuck. This situation is unprecedented for most of us and a first time experience. We can't have predicted it or had any expectations for how we would feel. This is what it feels like to me, although I do feel thankful that I am healthy, safe, have food and other provisions. Fortunately, if I am to be off work, I do have a financial safety net. For some others, and in other crisis like situations, this isn't always the case.<br />
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Coronavirus aside, do you have a dream of a trip in your future? Take these tips for making it happen.<br />
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<b>1. Figure out what sacrifices might need to be made-</b> I usually like to take two trips per year, but when I set my mind on Scotland I figured that due to the cost I may only be able to afford one trip and that was fine with me.<br />
<b>2. Make fun visual reminders-</b>I made that picture to put on my computer desktop when I decided that I really wanted to do this. I also have a Celtic ring that I like to wear to give me a fun reminder that I'll be going to Scotland.<br />
<b>3. Set aside money-</b>Any extra money that I am earning on top of my normal paycheck I was putting in an account that I named "Scotland". I was dedicating extra savings to make it happen.<br />
<b>4. Make plans to remove barriers-</b>If you need to save up vacation time, arrange child care, or work around schedules, make a plan to make this barriers possible to overcome. If you really set your mind to it, you can over come all barriers.<br />
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This Coronavirus barrier is a big one for me. One that I can't overcome with planning, will power, or positive thinking. I still may make it to Scotland in 2020, but that is unknown at this point. For now, I'll focus on the wonderful memories and images that I do have of my brief trip to Scotland in 2011.<br />
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<i>*Hang in there, be safe, be well. Be there for each other. This too shall pass. And in the meantime lets think about those who have already lost their lives to COVID-19 and their families. </i><br />
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Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3598104526909768524.post-38819558666129219362019-10-26T06:36:00.000+09:002019-10-26T06:36:34.781+09:00Get Your Kicks on Route 66<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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For two nights between days at the Grand Canyon, Rababe and I stayed in Williams, AZ, 60 minutes from the park.</div>
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When we checked into our hotel, we got an earful from Scott, a fellow midwesterner, who was working the desk. He was full of suggestions on how to enjoy the area. We got our things unloaded and headed off on foot to the main town area, simple walking distance from the Red Roof Inn.</div>
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We found some fun shopping. Several shops full of any type of item with Route 66 on it you could want. The stores are blasting music from the era gone by, the 1950s, when people would road trip through small towns like this one.</div>
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We found a old west setup complete with a jail, courthouse, saloon, and more. We ate dinner in Route 66 diner, again nostalgic of the 50s.<br />
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One of the random small suggestions Scott had given us was to see the cowboy show. From Williams to the Grand Canyon is the Grand Canyon Railway. Visitors can buy round trip tickets for this one-of-a-kind historical experience. The train takes you into the park and several hours later, brings you back. Part of this experience is the cowboy show, before departure. We were not riding the train but since the show took place out in the open before passengers boarded, we could just blend and no one would know the difference. It was fun and a cool historical experience.<br />
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We left Northern Arizona from Williams on our final day of our 4-day road trip. It was suggested to us that we take a detour back and head through the mountain town of Jerome, which we were told was a ghost town. Once we got there it proved to be more of a quaint, mountain town with lots of classy and fun shops, places to eat, and nice views. As explained by a local, to constitute a ghost town a place must have 15% of less of it's original population. Jerome is small, but still alive and well. The only ghosts we saw were the Halloween decorations, which the town seemed to have in great supply due to their festive spirit. It made for a fun place to eat lunch, get some rest from driving, and experience a twisty mountain road. (The last bit being the least fun part!)<br />
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Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3598104526909768524.post-74856073672920455212019-10-19T09:00:00.000+09:002019-10-19T09:00:49.768+09:00One of the Wonders of the World <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My trip to the Grand Canyon began in Phoenix, Arizona where I flew in to stay with my Moroccan sister, Rababe. We rented a car in Tempe and headed out on our Arizona road trip. It would first take us to Sedona (more later), but eventually we made it to the Grand Canyon.</div>
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We waited in a short line of cars to pay our $35 entry fee, which would be good for 7 days. Our first stop was the super busy (at least the parking lot) visitors center so we could get our bearings within the park. I'd done some research and solicited some advice from friends, but without being there it's hard to make a concrete plan. We first headed to Mather Point, 5 minutes from the visitors center and the most popular outlook of the canyon. Once we headed to the edge, I grabbed Rababe's hand in joy. This was it! The Grand Canyon.</div>
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Grand it is. I was completely mesmerized by the view. The colors and the patterns are simply majestic. It's unreal to think about how this was formed. It's impossible to comprehend, so it's best to just admire and awe in the grandiose view of this incredible natural wonder.</div>
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We then traveled to the market and the village. There was some shopping and sightseeing there. It seemed necessary to get the full experience, plus we had lots of time. We knew we had a second day here so we headed out of the park about 5:00. We were staying in Williams for a couple of nights. (More later)</div>
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When we discussed how we wanted to spend our second day we decided we wanted to catch a sunset at the Canyon, so we headed there later in the day. We parked at the village and took one of the 4 free shuttle bus tours on the red loop, to the east of the park. We got off a few stops in and wanted to walk a couple miles on the Rim Trail. Once we found a nice spot we camped out there and awaited the sunset. It was early at 6:07pm. We had a peaceful time.</div>
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We got on the shuttle back at a good time to beat the rush of the many other people needing rides back after watching the sunset too. This is a pretty popular activity at the park.</div>
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Now that I've been there I feel full of advice so here it is!</div>
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1) I recommend staying overnight in Williams, AZ. This town is called "Gateway to the Grand Canyon". It was one hour drive to the park on a simple, straight road. There is lodging in the park as well as in the village of Tusayan (5 minutes from park entrance), but Williams is likely the least expensive option and it offers a fun and interesting side experience. It's located on historic Route 66 and the town plays up this distinction well.</div>
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2) If you are not up for any kind of major hiking (descending into the canyon) or you are not prepared with proper food, water, and gear-walk the Rim Trail. It's a long trail that literally outlines the upper rim of the canyon. You can walk for hours with the canyon directly to the side of you, seeing various different views of the Canyon along the way. It is paved in spots and is dirt in spots. It's perfectly marked and easy to enjoy.</div>
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3) If you just choose to hit hot spots walk down the Rim Trail a bit at those hot spots. That way you can get away from the majority of people and experience the Canyon without a railing. Just don't fall in!</div>
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Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3598104526909768524.post-13996689220126061022019-10-15T08:01:00.000+09:002019-10-15T08:01:04.518+09:00Sedona<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Our first destination on the way to the Grand Canyon from Tempe, was Sedona. I had heard a lot about Sedona for it's natural beauty and New Age intrigue, so it was a place that was important to hit while I was in Arizona. It made for a great stop over point, it was just two hours north of Tempe and two hours south of the Grand Canyon, a half way side trip and rest stop.</div>
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Once we arrived we began hitting the hot spots that someone might try to see with about one day in this destination. I was overtaken by the gorgeous rock formations surrounding this quaint city. The various shades of red, brown, and orange created a palette that I hadn't experienced before in the the U.S. It showed a distinctive corner of our nations landscape. It was very inspiring to witness, much like experiencing the unique landscape of the Pacific Northwest earlier this year. </div>
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One of the highlights of this destination was the Airbnb we stayed in. I chose a quaint little one room apartment that was separate and freestanding from the renters home. Being my first experience with an Aibnb, it was hard to know exactly how it would go, but it proved to be perfect. The place was welcoming, clean, unique, and cozy. A perfect place to have a relaxing vacation night. For our evening we took the renters' advice and watched the Sedona sunset from Airport Mesa. After the sun got through lighting up the sky, we headed to a grocery store to pick up something for dinner and provisions for our Grand Canyon day to be prepared in the morning. We spent our evening enjoying ourselves at "home" and discussing our adventure plans for the next day. </div>
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Sedona is a great place for seeing beautiful wonder, fun shopping, a nice meal, and outdoor fun. The downtown area was crowded but manageable and it wasn't too tough to find a free place to park. A trip to Arizona wouldn't be complete without a stop here.<br />
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Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3598104526909768524.post-64210973008752990492019-08-12T10:53:00.002+09:002019-08-12T10:53:39.371+09:00Tradition and Tattoos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Since my very first tattoo, at age 18, I've been going to the same tattoo parlor and the same artist. At a point, it just became tradition to be tattooed by the same man and I never considered going elsewhere. Each time, however, I was always just a little bit dissatisfied. It wasn't until recently, when my 4th tattoo became my 7th, is when I decided to change things up. </div>
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When I was 23 I got the words "in God I trust" tattooed under my right arm. At that point in my life it was the right choice for me. Several years, and after much evolution in thought, I decided I wanted it covered. I always knew I wanted the tattoo covered, not removed. I wasn't wanting to remove something I once thought, just change it as my beliefs had changed. </div>
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Two years ago is when I began thinking seriously that I wanted to cover it. I inquired about it with my tattoo artist during a separate tattoo session. However, I was torn because I knew that if I wanted to spend the pain, money, and body space on a new tattoo I wanted it to be something brand new. So I didn't think much about covering in God I trust. Not until about six weeks ago when I began asking a couple friends if they wanted to help me create something to put over this old tattoo. These couple of friends have artistic ability and I am close with them, so would have been happy to have their creation on my body. But, I guess I was more serious than I realized about changing this tattoo and before I even got to work with these friends I was already looking for recommendations for different tattoo artists. </div>
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I knew it was time to finally break tradition and go to a new tattoo artist. I specifically asked for recommendations on someone who worked on cover-ups. I got a few recommendations and landed on a local woman named Tricia Santana. I quickly and easily scheduled a consultation with her. </div>
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During our consultation, I realized how much I was needed a feminine touch for this tattoo. I realized how personal this cover-up was. It wasn't me going to an artist with a specific image I planned to have them put on my body. No, this had to be created from the ground up. I wasn't exactly sure what was going to be possible, so I had to start working with her to see what could take shape to cover something already existing on my body. </div>
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I feel like I was full of ideas. I knew I wanted something beautiful on my body, when all my other tattoos were symbols and words of meaningful things to me. Since I wasn't quite sure what we would have to do to cover it, I went to her with three main themes of important things to me. Nature, Universe, and adventure. Soon after connecting with and chatting with Tricia we stuck on the nature theme and a tree took shape. She sketched out my tattoo on paper then began sketching a pine tree over top of it, one of my favorite trees. Then she came up with putting a night sky behind it with some stars popping out. I got so excited to have this on my body! After spending one hour with me, planning, we made an appointment for two weeks out. It would give me some time to think a few more details through. I'm a person who is deeply concerned with symbols and representation so I wanted everything to symbolize what is important to me. </div>
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The day before I decided to have the female symbol hanging off one of the tree's roots. Early on, one of my many ideas was to have some type of feminist tattoo, so I thought representing femaleness in this subtle symbol would check that box. </div>
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This is the first time I ever got a tattoo that was not an image I had already landed on before. Instead Tricia and I worked together to create something from nothing and she put it on my body. It's the largest tattoo I have, and took the longest and is the only one I have with color other than black. It's also taking the most getting used to because it feels the most foreign on my body as I wasn't sure what it was going to end up looking like beforehand. To me, it represents my love for nature, the outdoors, wonder, the universe, and the beauty of the night sky. Before recently, I may have not considered putting this on my body, but as I've grown this summer I thought it was definitely for me. </div>
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Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3598104526909768524.post-61923957216168601512019-04-28T21:48:00.001+09:002019-04-28T21:49:39.984+09:00Pacific Northwest Adventure<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Typically, I travel on my own. However, as my spring travel was coming near, I was feeling less and less like I wanted to make another upcoming trip by myself. I shared this feeling with my long-time friend Dawn and, she, a fellow travel enthusiast agreed we should take a trip together. We bounced ideas back and forth a bit and ultimately we had landed on Seattle, WA. It was a place I had been thinking of going and we could also blend our love mutual love of national parks, by getting in a trip to the nearby Olympic National Park. Dawn also has a goal of visiting all 50 US states before she is 50 years old, so an added trip to nearby Portland, OR would mean she could check off two new states. The trip ended up coming together beautifully. </div>
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We spent our first two days in Seattle where we visited sights like the Seattle Space Needle, the Seattle Japanese Gardens, the Freemont Troll, and the REI Flagship store. Weather was not perfect but we worked with it alright. We had to wear hats but with a light jacket and lots of walking we stayed fairly warm. We never experienced a downpour, but were always underneath overcast skies.<br />
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Our third day started with a picking up a rental car which we then drove onto a ferry for the hour long ride across the Puget Sound to get to the Olympic Peninsula. Our first stop was Cash Brewing, a brewery that my mom had found months and months ago. We thought it was incredibly cool to have a brewery with our last name, but of course we're not related. Once I knew I'd be going to the Seattle area, a visit there was added as high priority. I couldn't stop smiling the entire time.<br />
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We were bound for the Olympic National Park on our journey through the peninsula. After getting our bearings at the visitors center in Port Angeles, WA we knew the spots we wanted to hit and timed everything out. We day hiked a bit around Crescent Lake, visited the Pacific coast at La Push, drove through and ate in Forks, and hiked in the Hoh Rain Forest. Our day and a half was quick there, but a good amount of time to soak in incredible forests there and experience moss covered mammoth sized trees.<br />
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We headed south from there to Portland, OR. Knowing we'd only be about three hours from the city we knew it'd be worth a visit. We arrived at about 9pm and got cozy in our hotel. The following morning we got some much needed breakfast at the famous Voodoo Doughnuts and they were absolutely delicious. We visited the Lan Su Chinese Garden, the Pittock Mansion, and Powell's Books. Portland had lovely weather for us, 70 degrees and sunny.<br />
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The following day we roadtripped back up to Seattle stopping at the Mount St. Helens visitor center and Olympia, WA to meet up with a mutual college friend of ours. I have to say one of the highlights was reminiscing with him over old Facebook photos of our crazy nights in the dorm. </div>
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We soaked in a lot of the Pacific Northwest and got a good view of what it has to offer. Definitely a unique landscape and one that I hadn't seen ever before. We really hit a home run with this trip; it turned out to be pretty economical, very safe, and filled with adventure. </div>
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Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3598104526909768524.post-38296654962985179902019-02-10T08:47:00.001+09:002019-03-02T05:12:25.549+09:00Life Coaching: Creating a business<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When I began my life coaching course, training on how to form a business came along with it. For the past six months I have been slowly chipping away at the details that come with building your own business. Since I've given myself so much time, I've been able to do this in manageable chunks, which aren't intimidating when you tackle them step-by-step. Here is what I have so far:</div>
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<b>August-November 2018-</b>Generated at least 15 business name ideas. Kept a running list and finally landed on what I really loved "Collaborative Coaching." Commissioned an old friend, a professional graphic designer, to create a business logo. Went to a free workshop on how to start a small business. Decided I wanted to use the limited liability corporation or, LLC structure for my business. </div>
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<b>December 2018-</b>Decided on a platform to build a website and began building. Secured a domain name and paid for one year of web service. Began laying down ideas for marketing strategies and pricing options.</div>
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<b>January 2019-</b>Found out that my business name was not available in the Michigan Database of registered LLCs. (Tip-Do this search before you get connected with a business name!) Whined about it for a while, then went back to my list of 15 names and chose another one I liked: Cocreative Life Coaching. Deciding to change my name meant I had to have my logo design working out again. Additionally I chose a website domain name based on my first choice name, so I had to take steps to change that. Began using Quickbooks accounting software to track the few business expenses I had. Began getting creative with some marketing materials I would like to have printed.</div>
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<b>February 2019-</b>Applied for my LLC status through the state of Michigan. Filed out a form, paid a $50 fee, and popped it in the mail. I did some online research to find this information and to be sure I was doing it right, but overall found it to be a very easy process. Filed for my employer identification number (EIN). Wrote my business polices and client contract. Had it looked over by a lawyer<br />
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<b>March 2019- </b>I will open up my business checking account. I want to take a month to reflect on my six month training course, tie up loose ends with details of my business, and finalize my marketing materials.<br />
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<b>April 2019-</b>Want to be open for business and begin taking paid clients.<br />
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Even though I will be this business's only employee, this hasn't been a one-person effort thus far. I'd like to mention some people who have helped me along the way.<br />
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Sara Cash-for always being supportive of my ideas and also for suggesting a lawyer to me.<br />
Greg Carter-for creating my logo.<br />
Tom Cash-for being supportive and also helping me recreate my logo.<br />
Dawn Cenowa, Halle Arehart, Alexa Markham, and Heidi Clark-for being my practice clients.<br />
Rebecca McClusky-for looking over my contract for me.<br />
Lynae Arehart-for looking over my marketing materials with a fine toothed comb.</div>
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Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3598104526909768524.post-74005037425881061842019-02-10T08:47:00.000+09:002019-02-10T08:47:10.073+09:00Life coaching: My training<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Once I decided that life coaching was for me, there was no stopping me. While I could be accused of rushing things, from the time I decided this dream was driving me forward with a life of its own. </div>
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Firstly I began doing research on what it would take for me to become a life coach. After a quick Google search, it is not hard to see that there are many quickie programs out there, some as low as $100. However, holding myself to high professional standards I knew I wanted to do this right. I learned that practically anyone can call themselves a life coach, with or without training. I wanted to learn the craft of life coaching so I began researching more legitimate training programs.<br />
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After looking through several options I landed on a program with a tuition cost that I was comfortable with. I chose Symbiosis Coaching because I liked the ease of use of their website; it really explained what I would be getting with my tuition. I felt confident that I would be not only learning how to life coach clients, but also how to form and run my own life coaching business. I made my decision to become a life coach around July 20th, 2018 and I had my first class with Symbiosis on August 9th, 2018. </div>
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I attend a weekly teleclass in which my instructor speaks with the 15 other students in our class. Since the school is international, mostly based in the US, Canada, and India, we phone in from around the world. Our instructor, who is in Canada, leads us through a lecture topic each week, of which we have been given material in advance for. We usually get broken up into pairs where we complete exercises, just like in an in-person class. </div>
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The material is useful and my instructor is very professional. I have had great discussions with other members of the class and learned a great deal from them. Additionally, I have made one close friend, who lives in Seattle. We talk and text weekly to discuss our progress and encourage each other. </div>
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My class is six months in length and at this point I have just a few weeks left. In addition to the weekly lectures I must attend, I have a few assignments that must be completed by the end of the course. </div>
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<li>A log of 12 hours of practice life coaching</li>
<li>3-20 minute practice coaching calls with a classmate partner, critiqued by our instructor</li>
<li>A profile of my ideal client</li>
<li>A client assessment that I have written myself</li>
<li>A final exam </li>
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This training program has given me the skills and knowledge to be confident as a life coach. For the past several months I have been applying what I have learned with my four practice clients. It give me a great foundation to be providing quality life coaching to my future paying clients. </div>
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Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3598104526909768524.post-38350919075918550092019-01-14T07:25:00.001+09:002019-01-14T07:25:47.444+09:00What's the Greatest Compliment You've Received<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6CKp49RxhCKsDw6PLLtLDIi40n3eLpIZ0fnmXfrdcOud8TsFhK8PTUDsAAr30iSm9PrXgGEU_DpvF5rm92G86vDI3IVovo7DQSrOs4fwvfI6wCT337YnUqNavtQPXuPDM_OZPj5odwtY/s1600/253087_10100859921751734_7808553_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6CKp49RxhCKsDw6PLLtLDIi40n3eLpIZ0fnmXfrdcOud8TsFhK8PTUDsAAr30iSm9PrXgGEU_DpvF5rm92G86vDI3IVovo7DQSrOs4fwvfI6wCT337YnUqNavtQPXuPDM_OZPj5odwtY/s1600/253087_10100859921751734_7808553_n.jpg" /></a></div>
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If you ever catch the John Tesh Radio Show, you’ll find that
he gives simple yet intuitive pointers that can be super useful. A long time
ago I learned from him a great question to ask someone that you are just
getting to know. <o:p></o:p></div>
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What is the greatest compliment you've ever received?</blockquote>
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That person’s answer can reveal what they value most whether
they mention is was something about their looks, their personality, or their
character, so on.When answering the question for myself, mine is as follows. </div>
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You have a great energy about you.</blockquote>
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I wasn't doing anything particularly energetic at the time, just being myself. When I got this compliment, I thought wow, this person
has observed something very important about me. </div>
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I think when we receive a compliment when someone hits the
nail on the head, it feels particularly good. This was a compliment about
something that was below surface level and an observation about how I truly
want to be seen. I think sometimes we really get excited when someone sees us
in exactly the way we are trying to get across. Sometimes we aren’t sure if we
are successful in showing people who we are. When someone sees it, it feels
truly validating. <o:p></o:p></div>
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For me, I do want to portray a good energy. A calming one, a positive one, one that makes people feel good. In just an extremely short time, this person saw that. </div>
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What’s the greatest compliment you’ve been given?</div>
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Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3598104526909768524.post-80759265122798310742018-12-11T11:19:00.000+09:002018-12-11T11:19:46.936+09:00Becoming a Life Coach<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2OjWsZ2GcKIHJyAdOt7CKcZA81g1NgopyGj7uYzD2icwF1YH7DMuuBZHDCkVUSq8zlLLyUu7drecpZH-lOwvXtgQaN5p9VnnbQ4gFF_rVtI5Fb8_iFTkdr9dxO5Y3PkVwem1gb4RdRCY/s1600/Untitled+design+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2OjWsZ2GcKIHJyAdOt7CKcZA81g1NgopyGj7uYzD2icwF1YH7DMuuBZHDCkVUSq8zlLLyUu7drecpZH-lOwvXtgQaN5p9VnnbQ4gFF_rVtI5Fb8_iFTkdr9dxO5Y3PkVwem1gb4RdRCY/s1600/Untitled+design+%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
For many months after returning to the US from Japan I felt as if I'm a spinning ball of energy, aimless, unsure of where to direct my focus. When thinking about "what's next" for me I realized I didn't want to latch onto some temporary dream that could be lived out in a year or two. After which I'd be stuck yet again having to reinvent myself. No, this time I wanted to find something that would take time to build, something that I could begin basing my life off of. Something that would keep me driven and focused for years to come.</div>
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I see my experiences of my 20s as a series of great events only loosely related to one another. At 32, I was feeling that I wanted to do something to pull all those experiences and skills that I've picked up and point them in a direction that can help me achieve the lifestyle I want. A lifestyle that could offer me freedom of movement to travel, manage my time my own way, and be able to use my experiences in a positive way to help others. </div>
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It was this summer that I began thinking I might need a life coach to help me sort this all out. I had motivation, I just wasn't sure where to direct it. I knew what life coaching was and I thought this would be just what I needed to help me find my way. As I was seeking out life coaches in Jackson, I had a sudden change of heart. It happened in a flash as I was reading an email response from one of the life coaches. </div>
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Maybe <i>I </i>could be a life coach! </blockquote>
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There is was! I had my answer, my solution, my dream, my goal. I had that thing that I could begin building, something that would give me everything I was searching for and use everything I had. The more and more I thought about it, the more and more sense this solution was making. </div>
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It wasn't long before I was researching what I needed to do to become a life coach. After a few weeks of comparing programs I chose a 6-month online course that I felt very excited about to learn the ropes of life coaching. This field is not something that is legally regulated, so to become a life coach technically a person does not need any formal training or certification. However, I decided I wanted to to this right, I knew I wanted to get some comprehensive training as well as a certification to be able to do the best job possible. </div>
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That was July/August and now I am just over half way through that course and loving every part of it. I even have a great friend that I talk to outside of class to compare experiences. Through this course not only am I learning how to be a coach, but also how to develop a business around life coaching, and being encouraged to practice my skills as a coach. </div>
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Every part of this journey so far has been so incredible. I am moving forward toward this goal with excitement and motivation like I haven't felt in quite some time. I'm excited now to be screaming this from the "cyber rooftops". There will be lots more to come about my journey and future as a life coach, but for now I just wanted to share with you all how excited I am about these next steps. </div>
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Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3598104526909768524.post-62423714558018618992018-09-28T22:15:00.000+09:002018-09-28T22:15:37.925+09:00Talk Therapy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYySzJ99z73QHC41Z9l_TV0LA4TkoKfpPslvtoh4Kowj67MxUoy2gOyzteUj9kGexLYauV5Ir5-DvaLmHgGRtpOXud5EfyJWM7ce8NR3re3ta-rrNnicwD5TXg7Yt6mYA7nOXBjnKNlTk/s1600/Untitled+design+-+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="678" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYySzJ99z73QHC41Z9l_TV0LA4TkoKfpPslvtoh4Kowj67MxUoy2gOyzteUj9kGexLYauV5Ir5-DvaLmHgGRtpOXud5EfyJWM7ce8NR3re3ta-rrNnicwD5TXg7Yt6mYA7nOXBjnKNlTk/s1600/Untitled+design+-+copy.jpg" /></a></div>
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I want to tell you that I see a counselor. </div>
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This is something that is taking a slight bit of courage to write about. That is due to the fact that we still live in a time where there is a negative stigma attached to the fact that sometimes we just need someone to talk to. We still stigmatize mental illness and in turn mental health. But, the reason I'm writing this post is because I don't believe it should be stigmatized and it should be much more out in the open. </div>
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I began seeing Kelly last October when I was looking for an person who could be an unbiased third-party in my life. I was looking for a sounding board, someone to bounce my feelings off, to help me make sense of them. Someone who wouldn't judge me because they had no skin in the game of my life. Someone who wouldn't take offence to the things I thought or felt. A person who's job it is to validate me. A lot like a journal, but would talk back. </div>
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Throughout the winter, a time that can get rough for me, I talked to Kelly about a lot of my feelings. Thinking that winter helps accentuate any negative feeling I have, having her by my side through this season was exceptionally helpful. She's been there to listen to my ever running journey and was someone I enjoyed very much bearing my deepest thoughts to. She had an incredible way of understanding me even when I didn't think I articulated myself well. She always seemed to get what I was trying to say. </div>
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I talk about her in the past tense, because very recently she informed me she would be moving to Canada. Our last session together was this week. I have found another counselor in the same practice and am looking forward to hopefully a similar relationship. However, I will miss Kelly and the comfort we built with each other. </div>
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When I first began seeing her I had Meridian Health Insurance through Medicaid. They paid for unlimited visits. For the first time in my life I could see a therapist weekly if I wanted. The bouts of therapy that I have had before were short lived due to limitations of my insurance. About seven months into our sessions I was dropped by Medicaid, but upon hearing of this Kelly offered to take me on pro bono so we could continue seeing each other. </div>
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I don't have a mental illness, I have a generic diagnosis (for insurance purposes), but I truly believe that we don't have to be mentally ill to need talk therapy. We don't even need to be going through anything particularly difficult. Life is difficult enough and I believe talking to a good therapist makes it much easier to bear sometimes. I know we have friends and family for that, but at times it helps to have a truly unbiased person to allow you to talk while they just listen. Even though I don't feel sick I still want to have a relationship like this in my life as preventative maintenance. It helps keep my mind well. </div>
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Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3598104526909768524.post-85494675878542620842018-07-31T21:04:00.002+09:002018-07-31T21:04:52.404+09:00Balloon Chasing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Getting hooked on balloons was something I had heard a lot about from the people around me that also know about hot air balloons' pull. After I got my balloon ride at this year's media flight night I witnessed how cool it was to work as crew for the balloon. I realized it was something I wanted to try. I'm get excited by thing that require amounts of functional strength, something that I strive to earn in my workouts. </div>
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I built a relationship with my balloon pilot, Al Smith, who flies Northern Lights out of Grass Lake, MI. After the Hot Air Jubilee was over I let Al know that I would like to offer myself as a volunteer crew member, should he ever need me. Turned out he needed me pretty quickly and the very following weekend I got to try my hands at balloon chasing. </div>
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I joined the rest of the crew at 6:20 a.m. at Ella Sharp Park. Three balloons would be going up, taking up a few sponsors from the Hot Air Jubilee. For about an hour we waited out rain and poor weather conditions before it was decided that we were going to launch from a more southern location. Once we finally got in position to launch the balloon was rolled out onto the grass. Myself and another newbie crew member stood on either side holding the massive balloon open as the large fan inflated it with ambient air. I think we both were just as giddy to be there and though we couldn't talk, we kept smiling at each other from across the balloon. When the balloon is almost fully inflated with air the burner is turned on to heat the air up. At this point the balloon was becoming harder and harder to hold onto so I was glad when Al let me know I could go ahead and let it go. Before we knew it the balloon was standing fully upright on its own.<br />
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We held down the basket as the two passengers climbed in. Once the final tether was released we waived goodbye and we calmly but some of the supplies back in the van, hopped in, and started on the next phase of our journey-chasing.<br />
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The pilot uses an app called Glympse on his phone and he is able to share with us a GPS signal of where he is going. We spent the better part of an hour keeping an eye on him in the sky, watching him move across a small cell phone screen, and determining where he was headed and what roads would lead us to him. It was a fun and exciting morning with three other women.<br />
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We had eyes on the other two balloons that were flying and from time to time would cross paths with the other chase crews. Having the app was very helpful, but I can't imagine the days when that was not available. We had radio communication with the balloon too, but hardly used it.<br />
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Once we finally determined Al was ready to land we sat and waited in the van just ahead of him to anticipate his arrival. Once we saw him coming down quick three of us jumped out of the van and sprinted about the length of a football field to be there the moment he touched down. He landed in a field so we ran through rows of cut down straw. It was a pretty gentle landing and we got hold of the basket right away. The basket was laid down and the passengers hadn't gotten out yet, so it was a hilarious sight seeing them curled up in the fetal position and we tried giving them a hand to climb out.<br />
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Once squeezing out all of the air from the balloon it's stuffed into a large circular bag. It feels a lot like stuffing a sleeping bag for a giant. After everything was loaded we all rode in the van to the launch point for us to get our vehicles.<br />
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Ballooning can have a lot of waiting involved, but when its "go" time it can be one of the most exciting things ever! </div>
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Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3598104526909768524.post-56696415823692063752018-06-28T10:49:00.000+09:002018-06-28T10:49:48.503+09:00Women, Bikes, and Wine<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I love cycling and I love female empowerment. Marry the two and you have a super excited Alex. </div>
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I got the idea for a women's workshop when I helped with another maintenance workshop with my male boss. I noticed that some of the women in the room were quiet and I sensed that they were agreeing to knowing more than they really did. It made me want to offer a workshop for just women, in a safe setting, taught by a fellow woman who could present the information in a non-intimidating way. </div>
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What resulted was my Ladies Only Bike Maintenance and Safety Workshop. When I made the flier and posted it on our P&T Fitness Facebook page it got a ton of response. In the three weeks it was posted, it got shared 45-50 times and was seen by 4,500 to 5,000 people. I had 19 people sign-up to come to it. The women of Jackson had spoken; they wanted to know more about bikes. Being the only female working in a bike shop in the whole town it was great to know that there were other women out there at least interested in getting more comfortable with the mechanics of their bike and how everything works. </div>
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Now, this started from a feminist point-of-view. I wanted women who usually say, "when I need my seat raised I ask my husband", to be able to raise that seat themselves. I don't have a husband, so I do things myself. I wanted to empower women to be able to do things on their own too. </div>
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When the time came to have the workshop I set up the refreshments and snacks; a cheese and cracker tray, lemonaid, water, and of course WINE! Hey gotta give the ladies what they like, right? I gave each person a booklet of safety information as well as a diagram of the components of a bike. I started out by sharing by background, my street cred to be talking about this subject, my potential shortfalls/limitations, and how I wanted to help empower them to understand bikes better. </div>
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I went through cleaning of your bike, components and how they work, how to ride safely including accessories needed, and finished with the crown jewel, changing a bike tire. I ran low on time, so my bike changing demo was rushed. I wanted it to be a bit more interactive rather they lecture-y, but my 90 minutes flew by. </div>
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It flew by, because in between topics the women were able to talk about their own biking experience and learn from one another, in addition to me. I liked this the most. The atmosphere seemed to be a round table of women talking to women and the company was great. I could really sense the appreciation that we were all women, together and safe, and we could say what we wanted without sounding dumb. I told many embarrassing stories about how I did something wrong with a bike, and learned, and didn't want the others to make the same mistakes. I had hoped to sound relate-able and hoped maybe I'd mentioned some silly thoughts that had crossed their minds too. </div>
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The ladies were very thankful and smiley when they said goodbye. It filled me with joy to have my goal met; empower more women to understand something that they thought maybe was beyond them. Giving them the attitude that they can try something that they couldn't before. Before, some of them were just riding their bikes, now they understand what is actually going on with their components. I am fairly sure I was speaking to a mixed audience when it came to levels of knowledge, but they all agreed to come to a "beginner" class. I could sense that even the women who already knew the information I was presenting enjoyed having that knowledge reinforced and just enjoyed talking about bikes period. </div>
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Maybe it's the love of women, or maybe it's the leftover WINE that I'm celebrating with, but I'm on Cloud Nine tonight. I got to educate, I got to empower, and I got help people be more active, not sure what more I needed to make me happy. </div>
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Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3598104526909768524.post-44791980393214127292018-05-04T10:58:00.000+09:002018-05-04T10:58:22.265+09:00Life List # 86: Go to Savannah, Georgia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When I first started working for Girl Scouts, I began learning about its founder Juliette Gordon Low. Being from Savannah, Juliette's historic home had become a museum. Known as the birthplace, this is a place that Girl Scouts from all over the world like visiting, to see where the original Girl Scout herself, once lived. </div>
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This was one of the main things that led me to adding this item to my life list. The second thing that called me to Savannah was the Spanish moss hanging from the oaks.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I got to experience both of these things on this trip. </span><br />
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A couple things I learned at the Juliette Gordon Low house:<br />
1. Juliette (Daisy) had an unhappy marriage to William Low, and they never had children. But, when her husband died when Daisy was just 45 she was searching for purpose in her life. This led her to the founding of the Girl Scouts. Had she been a wife longer and a mother, she may not have had the time and drive to create something that would effect girls and women for 100 + years.<br />
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2. In 1953 Daisy's home was saved from the threat of destruction when it was purchased by Girl Scouts of the USA. True to Girl Scout ways there was massive fundraising to restore the house. Now it is said that the house is owned by all Girl Scouts everywhere.<br />
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When I first got a glimpse of Spanish moss while driving into Savannah, I started to get that excited feeling when you start to see the tops of roller coasters in the distance when driving into an amusement park. Once I parked my car, the very first place I walked was to Forsyth Park, just two short blocks from my hostel. It's a beautiful and bustling 30-acre park which acts as one of the most beautiful backdrops for Savannah photos. Dozens of oaks hold seemingly perfectly placed Spanish moss draped from its branches. It was every bit as lovely as I hoped it would be. I spent as much time as I could in that park admiring and sitting below the trees.<br />
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I also visited Wormsloe Historic Site, where I got to travel down a long drive covered in a canopy of hanging oaks.<br />
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My final destination was Bonaventure Cemetery where I had a wonderful time walking the historic grounds, observing the beautiful monuments and graves of people long since past. There was plenty to photograph there and the calm and serene atmosphere soothed me.<br />
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Check out my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHTJWqtbsM0jgPzeJpjMKhQ" target="_blank">YouTube</a> channel to see videos of my trip! </div>
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Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3598104526909768524.post-91128090189632663412018-03-25T21:44:00.001+09:002018-03-25T21:44:55.537+09:00Journals Revisited <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNItTwf3be96uTz7pnhp5ff41IyYxu_D3gZpepdqv8EF4eTwYSmI_yl78J7KXGbS9Aw4CvmS5mhbDw63VojD2Ky-rByogkBbc1nzf3-wn_qAumGZRS8ylrR94ynWbP4Q36LDot1IGYRcI/s1600/20180325_083419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNItTwf3be96uTz7pnhp5ff41IyYxu_D3gZpepdqv8EF4eTwYSmI_yl78J7KXGbS9Aw4CvmS5mhbDw63VojD2Ky-rByogkBbc1nzf3-wn_qAumGZRS8ylrR94ynWbP4Q36LDot1IGYRcI/s1600/20180325_083419.jpg" /></a></div>
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One of the more consistent habits of my life is keeping a hand written journal. I couldn't stop now if I tried. For 15 solid years I have filled books with my frustrations, my annoyances, my hopes, joys, sadness, and inner most feelings. I've filled 35 unique books with the story me, and the script keeps on being added to. </div>
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I keep all my journals in a plastic tote in my basement. A very heavy piece of my life that would be a high priority to save in a fire. I've gone back and read about different parts of my life by picking out a specific book before, however now I'm starting the project of reading them all. </div>
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I don't believe I've ever written my journal with the priority of documenting my life for memory's sake. I journal because it's therapy. With thoughts, feelings, and experiences bouncing around in chaos in my head, they seem to drive my a little nuts from time to time. But in writing them down they become more clear and I'm able to quiet my mind from all the thoughts that build up. What's left as a byproduct of this therapy is documentation of time when I was upset, happy, hopeful, hopeless, and all those times I wouldn't get around to remembering. </div>
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Going back to the journals of my late teens and early twenties is a bit of an embarrassing experience for me. If 31-year-old Alex met 17-year-old Alex, she might give her a good slap across the face for some of the things she thought about relationships. It's refreshing to know I don't believe some of the same things anymore that I did then, but it's a bit hard to believe some of the ways I felt then. </div>
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I always say "you never know how you are going to feel tomorrow" so I can't fault myself for feeling the way I did in the past. This experience is showing me that there are many things about me that are very different, and for that I am thankful. But, interestingly enough I'm finding so many things to be the same. Documenting things from that far back shows me a foundation for what I am now. Some things make a lot of sense now. </div>
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One thing I will never fault myself for are the countless entries about me and my friends having good fun. Some of my earliest entries are filled with stories of nights going to movies, playing games at someone's house, and me being fully aware that I was a young woman appreciating a carefree life of living in the moment. </div>
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<i>Sunday, November, 23rd, 2003 (Age 17)</i></div>
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<i>Last night was so amazing. Just like Friday, except maybe better. The first hockey game was a blast. I totally let go and screamed my lungs out for the team. I made a sign for my friend L.T. After the hockey game all of us went to Kahley's for a little bit and ate. After that we played this really fun game that the boys made up. It was hide-n-seek in cars in the dark. We went to this neighborhood by Allie's house and played. It was so much fun and very funny. Our team; Matt, Colby, Kahley, and I were really bad! LOL. But after about two hours of that we all went to Rock-n-Bowl from midnight to two a.m. We had fun there too. After that we were all burned out, but it was such an awesome weekend with so much fun. </i></div>
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Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3598104526909768524.post-445899025038817532018-03-05T22:23:00.001+09:002018-03-05T22:23:55.051+09:0030 Days of Women's History<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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For this month's 30-day challenge instead of giving something up, I'm adding something to my daily life. In a flash of inspiration I decided I wanted to research one new woman from history each day. It began on the night of March 1st, when I watched a documentary called <i>Brave Miss World</i>. Former Miss Israel and Miss World, Linor Abargil became my first women researched. </div>
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I've created an icon on my phone's home screen to a biography.com page listing dozens of women with amazing stories throughout history. Each morning, shortly after waking up, I choose a women I don't know much about and read a short bio on her. </div>
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After five days, here are the women I've learned more about:</div>
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1. Linor Abargil- Former Miss World who survived a brutal rape and turned to public speaking on the issue. </div>
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2. Sappho- archaic Greek poet, known as one of the first female writers. </div>
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3. Boudica- Leader of ancient Britons who helped lead rebellions against Roman rule. </div>
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4. Mirabai- 16th century Hindu poet and devotee to Sri Krishna. </div>
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5. Margaret Fuller- 19th century journalist and women's rights activist. </div>
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Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3598104526909768524.post-64847964460674419322018-02-06T22:09:00.002+09:002018-02-06T22:09:45.933+09:0030 Day Challenge: No Lying<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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For this 30 day challenge, I am going to channel my inner Honest Abe. For 30 days I am going to be conscious not to tell any lies. Am I some kind of pathological liar? Of course not. Few of us are, but, what most of us are guilty of are the little white lies we tell everyday for various reasons.<br />
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<li><b>Self-centered</b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px;"><b> </b>(lying for one's personal benefit) </span></li>
<li><b>Other-</b><span style="text-align: start;"><b>centered</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> </b>(lying for someone else's benefit)</span></span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;">Prosocial lying </b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px;">(lying to look better in the eyes of others)</span></li>
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More specifically:<br />
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<li>Not admitting we don't know something, to appear smarter</li>
<li>Being embarrassed about something we've done or haven't done</li>
<li>Not wanting to hurt someones' feelings with our opinion</li>
<li>Wanting to appear stronger, faster, more capable than we might really be</li>
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<b>Why I want to do this challenge:</b><br />
I want to overcome these reasons. We want to be liked, be accepted by a group, and be looked at in the best possible light. But, we are human, we make mistakes, we should own them, and we are not perfect. Lets stop trying to pretend to be.<br />
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This challenge will mostly consist of being conscious of when I might want to fib or bend the truth. If I feel that coming on, I want to fight it and tell the truth no matter what the consequences will be. In truth, the consequences will likely be nothing, showing me that we don't have to be afraid to just be honest.<br />
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Being honest all the time is about confidence in who you are. If you accept yourself, your decisions, and your actions, you will less likely have the need for others to accept them.<br />
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Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3598104526909768524.post-3714846622209803712018-01-24T00:45:00.000+09:002018-01-24T00:46:38.469+09:00Using No Disposables<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0433/9857/files/BUNCH_OF_PAPER_CUPS_large.jpg?v=1493016592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="480" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0433/9857/files/BUNCH_OF_PAPER_CUPS_large.jpg?v=1493016592" /></a></div>
<i>*Paper cups are happy to serve us, but are they serving the environment?</i><br />
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I am now three weeks into my 30-day challenge of using no disposable, one-time-use products. So far, I give myself the grade of a B. </div>
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I've done really well with not using any conventional disposable products like paper products or throw away cups from restaurants. Where I have struggled is with food packaging and the few times that I have eaten out that had some disposable products.<br />
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I have stopped myself on several occasions from using a product that I knew I would just throw away after one use. For example, I had a couple of times that I forgot my reusable coffee up in my car when getting coffee. One time I ran back out to get it, the other I just used a glass mug inside the coffee shop. Where I could have carelessly said "oh well" and taken a paper cup, I really tried to stick to my rules.<br />
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Food packaging has been tough because it is so out of control. Since I don't have easy access to a bulk store or a farmers market, most of the food I have access to has packaging. I have deliberately tried to buy products that aren't individually wrapped and don't have much inner packaging. I haven't been 100% successful in eliminating this, but I have tried to be more conscious of what I am buying. However, I have turned down many purchases that I know come in an individual wrapper, knowing that I just can't buy something like that this month.<br />
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I have been more thoughtful when I go to reach for any type of paper or disposable product. I have been successful in using cloth towels when I need to dry anything and using washcloths to wipe up any messes. Just because this is in the front of my mind, it helps me to be more conscious and not just mindlessly reach for a convenient wasteful item.<br />
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For this challenge, I bought a reusable Keurig refillable cup. I use a Keurig at work to make coffee each day. It is a mesh cup that you can load up your own ground coffee in and empty once coffee is made. I recently found this <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/elenamgarcia/products-you-can-buy-reusable-versions-of?utm_term=.yuawDwgrP#.yq8ZoZNpR" target="_blank">Buzz Feed List</a> of 24 resuable products for things you usually throw away. In case you are wondering, no I do not use #24. It's one disposable product I don't have thoughts of eliminating!</div>
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Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3598104526909768524.post-41955871146136270292017-12-26T10:46:00.001+09:002017-12-26T10:52:11.607+09:00My Debt Story<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: justify;">People of my generation are graduating college with piles of debt from their education. Is it worth it? Is it hurting us? Is it harming our economy? These are questions I ponder a lot. In the world of personal finance, most of us have debt stories. This one's mine. </span></div>
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I went to community college right out of high school for two years. At that time, the tuition and book costs were reasonable enough that my parents were able to pay cash each semester to pay for those school years. All the while I knew I'd be going to a more expensive university someday. </div>
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Once I knew it would be Michigan State University I got to work figuring out how it would be paid for. Since my parents made enough money, I wasn't necessarily that academically or athletically talented, and I had no unique struggles in my background, no scholarships or grants were in my future. My parents had loans themselves to finance a chunk of my education.</div>
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Just at the same time I began taking on debt my dream to join the Peace Corps was born. Most of that time I wasn't sure if I could actually live that dream, due to my mounting debt. <i>How can I go and live as a volunteer and still fulfill financial obligations after graduation? </i>Then, a chance encounter with a waitress in Jackson appeased my fears. As luck would have it, her best friend had joined Peace Corps and she assured me that student loan debt could could be deferred during Peace Corps service. Once I learned this, my dream continued to blossom. </div>
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That's just what happened. My loans were frozen with no interest accumulating for the entirety of my 26-month Peace Corps service. Once my service was complete, my first payment came due the very next month. At first, I had minimum payments of about $400 per month with a couple different loans. I didn't earn super high wages for a few years after Peace Corps so minimums were about all I could handle. Plus, I had living expenses of an independent, single woman. One who still liked to travel and have adventures.<br />
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Six years later, and about $35,000 paid, here I am now. DEBT FREE! </div>
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<u><b>Here's how I did it: </b></u><br />
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I had one loan from a local community trust with a 2% interest rate. It had a five year term and I paid it off in four years. My second loan was a federal subsided loan with an interest rate of 6.5%. I plugged along on that one, but after about three years of payments I hadn't made a very substantial dent. My minimum payments were doing little more than feeding the interest.<br />
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When I got my job as Executive Director of Fitness Council of Jackson and I was making the highest salary of my life, I wanted to get much more aggressive with my loan payments. I had a conversation with my dad that year where I expressed disdain at the fact that too much of my hard earned money would be going to interest instead of helping me get dug out. Then we made a decision that helped me get to where I am today. My dad made the incredible offer of paying off my loan in full and allowing me to pay him back with low interest. Since fall of 2014, my federal loan has been held with the Bank of Dad, at the reasonable interest rate of 2%. Then, we both felt better about the fact that my payments would whittle down the principle much faster. We both can agree that our country has a huge problem with out of control interest rates and he didn't want to see me subject to suffering because of it. It shouldn't cost so much to finance an education.<br />
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Whenever I earned extra money, I threw it at my loans. Any side hustles, tax returns, or unexpected gifts went to dwindling those balances.<br />
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<b><u>In summary:</u></b><br />
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Put extra money that you can live without toward your balances. Consolidate if you can. Pay down small loans and roll the amount you were paying on larger ones. Pay down ones with large interest rates. Find out if there is anyone in your life with the ability to pay off your balance and allow you to pay them at a reasonable interest rate. Live your life, do what makes you happy, don't stay home all the time, and live your dreams.<br />
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There are a couple of extremes with debt repayment. One being that a person does absolutely NOTHING for a period of time and spends every last dollar on loan repayment. Another being that a person pays minimum payments for decades, basically only feeding interest and never sees themselves out of debt. Myself, I went middle of the road. I knew I wanted to experience places and things, so I've been doing that. But, I also wanted to be a responsible adult and get out of debt as quickly as possible. I got to see the world, live my dreams, and reach my financial goals. </div>
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Alexandra Cashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701012055064695147noreply@blogger.com