Category: swing trading

A Little Direction

December 30, 2025 by Cassandra Johnson

I took a couple of local trips. Perhaps, I will be able to work something out in January too.

I am working out some combination to include volunteering and working but with some significant changes that work better for my schedule and the assistance I can provide to the organization I choose. I will circle back around as updates come.

The first year of my blog captured a lot of my volunteer thoughts abroad. I highlight Peru and my previous experiences with disaster relief, in particular. I also have some time that touches a little on volunteering in the US. I always wanted to do both, but there are times when I feel it becomes tainted by the leadership structure.

There are other times I joined projects in my home state before doing so in DC, when I first moved to DC, and other projects in places like Ecuador and Bolivia, but what I want to do also becomes limited by my job. Overall I am intrigued to volunteer some more, because I feel it fits well into continuing to learn with others and grow together. This time, perhaps, my efforts will just be a little different. My work experience may lean a lot more to what I can do and also changing who I am.

Between Time

September 29/30, 2024 by Cassandra Johnson

My post was initially going to begin about money lessons learned, after spending quite a sum in Peru. However, I enjoyed the freedom it brought me, and I also realized that what I was beginning to write was a thinly veiled manner of beating myself up. So I have to find the healthy medium between blaming the powers that be, blaming myself and realizing there is a whole lot I have to contend with, being a freelancer, just as there were many other things I had to deal with being an employee. I note how I have worked really hard in both circumstances, so the lamenting may come but I cannot allow for it to stay.

First of all, I am willing to keep up the work. Mini breaks and this more chiller way of life is helpful. I just need to lean into the tweaks. So I have pretty soberly come face to face with the idea of adding to my workload as a means to eventually not having such a big workload. but wait, hear me out, as I want to pay off every bill, hold on to my investments, trade and just have my current freelancing and side hustles as extra cash that are not needed. I am looking for a low-maintenance completely remote job to meet my goal and, hear me out, for all those reasons above.

Added bonus: I am starting from a place of still hoping to continue my traveling dreams. šŸ˜Š So the search is notably hitting different. I feel like such a job will be a bonus to an already palpable life, much less like the times I applied within my country, (though these will be US employers) . . . much less like the times of feeling I needed to make my bones and eventually giving into my way of attempting to meet the expectations of the people and the work environment, which can be fruitless with some managerial situations as I learned more than a few times. I would get to my tasks after so many others and if we put ourselves last along with others putting themselves last is an inevitably deteriorating combination.

So easy to lose a balance.

I also noted an inherent issue with my freelancing relationship in which allotting time towards work cuts into time I can make money easier and quicker in other ways, since a lot of time is then used chasing payments. Also noted: I could be learning on working on managing my freelancing contracts better. Advice welcome here.

So far, I have revisited one of my favorite sites, Idealist.org along with a ton of others which is quite daunting but encouraging, depending on how inspired or discouraged I am at the particular moment. šŸ˜Š

August

August 31, 2023 by Cassandra Johnson

2006 to 2023. Have I been here a little longer than I expected? I suspect I am just surprised how much time has passed. I was open to different professional and personal outcomes, but I see most experiences lead me back to the same clarity.

August 1st: I completely accepted that I am again ready for another setting, more interested in connecting with friends and family more often.

Similar to yesterdayā€™s reflection, I am fairly set on how much I am just going to look forward to visiting here.

August 4th: Downsizing proves to be just as much effort as I have been forewarned about. Naturally I did not want to see this as daunting for my own wellbeing. Couldnā€™t this just be extra busy work? Couldnā€™t this still be seamless?No. Not at all. I also need a lot of other aspects to fall into place like the availability of people and their interests in acquiring more stuff along with me having the time to deal with all such circumstances. Also factor in unexpected events like todayā€™s impromptu dental appointmentšŸ˜Š (Enter August 31st).

August 12th: Feeling reality. Iā€™m feeling confident and uncertain. These two exist together, somehow. I dismantle some furniture and clean out my end tables. I go through old mementos. I remove unnecessary items from my bookcase. With so many details, I push my trip back (admittedly with some procrastinating comfort). I canā€™t push back my desires. This could get messy. This is also okay.

The month flies like so many with me determined not to forget my everyday demands.

August 26th ā€“ DC United Soccer ā€“ My good friend and I spend the evening at the home game and hanging out. Perfect timing for a nice outing. There was the thought of how long ago it had been since we watched the game in person, so much so, we were just now getting to enjoy the new Stadium. I was reminded of my younger more impressionable years when I first arrived here. I was reminded of the now defunct stadium we once cheered in.

Everything was welcome in its own time.

August.

The challenges remain.

The goals do too.

You Are Here

SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 BY CASSANDRA JOHNSON

Discouragement is part of the territory. Sometimes pain is self-inflicted. Sometimes we consider ourselves not to be reaching enough of our goals fast enough.

There was an incredibly simple song I enjoyed in primary school. Beginning with ā€œlittle by littleā€*, there was such a polite nudge and a naturally successful logic to the ending of ā€œlittle by lotā€

I have been known to overwork in some fashions, obsessively moving towards some ends. However, I have become wiser in avoiding so much additional strain. The bruises have their own lessons.

Lifeā€™s leaps have not been exactly what I would imagine them to be, but I am fortunate to have the freedom to test my limits.

Work has been my latest attempt but getting to work for myself took considerable courage and I need some more. Nothing is certain.

Imagining exactly what something is like before you try is not expected. Personally, going away to college was one thing. Moving to a city where I did not know anyone was another.

Liberation and fears are included with your steps forward. You get discouraged some days and on other days you see your dreams as plausible.

Experiences up or down can hopefully change us for the better. My stress and pains have prepared me a little more. Discouragement can also have a way of giving us more to consider. Can we get past our believed and true obstacles? Success is the reminder.

Traveling alone to another country was better than I could have ever invented in my head. The trips like the leaps sometimes feel so natural. I have had these nudges to continue going where my goals are shifting and the what-ifs torment me way more than what seems impossible.

Figuring out our own puzzles is reaffirming as well as just giving ourselves the chance to try.

And Again

SEPTEMBER 28, 2021 BY CASSANDRA JOHNSON

I finally got the chance to visit my family again since lockdown. The visit was much needed. I first talked about the gift of getting to see them here. You May Go Home Again.

Now I just need to get there more often.

I need to get there as often as I plan to travel abroad again. Navigating this new world is tricky. I was at first uneasy about flying for the first time since the pandemic, but the airline and airport was pretty organized. It would be nice if we had reached a definitive goal in which we could all be sure or almost certain that we could not get ill, but uncertainty has lingered with us for what seems longer than 2 years. 2020 remains surreal to me. Life still feels adjacent because I think we may have also thought there would be a clear point when we could go without certain precautions, when cases would be mild. I imagine there could be a day when we see this but now the picture looks a lot more like adjusting to the new normal.

Being able to do more cautiously has been comforting. Knowing there is a lot to get through is daunting. Maybe life is not knowing exactly what we need to do next yet and figuring out our most responsible alternatives as we go.

Connection is needed and I am glad I got to do some more this past month. A variety of connection is needed, and better answers are welcome. We can be assured and admit what we do not always know. So I personally imagine I will keep making new decisions as I go. The path may not always be clear. The destination still calls us there.

Good Health

AUGUST 25, 2021 BY CASSANDRA JOHNSON

I think I have determined for me and some others, we may crave more variety than we know, hence the empty feeling of falling into a rut. What we may need is challenging work, a type of routine, dependability, spontaneity, vacation, and rest in different amounts depending on what drives us. Too much of one at any time has left us stuck, I am seeing.

Image Credit: Gerd Alrmann

We may crave variety more than we know while we also need stability. The wistful feeling of falling into some monotony while establishing a reliable routine became more apparent to me recently as routines became incredibly routine. I did not mind doing what was needed but I began to see how we all have to really take care of ourselves and have the proper outlets, entertainment, and recuperation.

In the natural flow of life, I found I seek comforts but also want to be challenged. I want to be pleasantly surprised, feeling safe with some place where I can continue to take risks.

Just when there has been enough rest and vacation, I actually find it nice to have the challenge of fulfilling work where I am accomplishing something.

Just when feeling like work is relentless and not wanting to deal with any stress that comes with communicating work politics and meeting proper deadlines, a nice getaway filled with idyllic scenery is a great touch or a staycation is a nice reset.

Within the layers, we can revel in a night out with friends dancing and laughing or a quiet walk outside with just a headset in tow. Working from a different part of my home office or mixing remote work with office work when I was still at my last company, I began to look forward to both and the change in scenery. Inserting some variety helped me appreciate the options. Distinguishing between what I prefer and what I do not like, which could also change, fit my big picture.

A healthy emotional state can be hard to maintain and should not be expected. We remember being ā€œonly humanā€ and ā€œthere is no such thing as perfectionā€ but those sentiments still seem rejected, striving in ways that sometimes are not perfectly attainable and forgetting some significant wins.

We still have a lot of possibilities for what life may bring and I would like to find my way by mixing it up. Variety, itā€™s true, is the spice of life*. Even in our interests, we should consider uncovering as much as we can.

Boss

March 31, 2021 BY CASSANDRA JOHNSON
Image Credit Nugget Market Recipes #morehealthygoals

My days are predictable and then they are unpredictable. I am able to get my fitness in very regularly and sleep well and then some days, my tasks have to get juggled a little differently. Meet today. Wednesday. What is this sleep and I promised myself dinner would be better than lunch (although ironically lunch involved fruit and dinner was pizza, but you see what I mean šŸ˜‰).

Chilling and casually ticking tasks off my list or rapidly typing away. In either scenario, I am feeling at ease. I adore my new schedule. My worst complaint and grumbling as a freelancer does not even come close to touching the upside. I now donā€™t feel pulled in several uneven directions. My multitasking is there but she is tailor-made for me, now that I have left my office job.

Today had me working nonstop (from the night before) until I met my targets and deadlines but on days like this, when I am working particularly hard, I notice I have more peace of mind than the days I was not my boss. Now, of course I do have to answer to deadlines and consequently to some people, but there is such a different aura in being able to rest whenever I am done and not having to answer to any extra work issues.

Since I worked on getting my official certifcation, I have always been glad I started on the path to becoming a freelancer. My previous jobs did enhance the skills I need to progress and handle work so I give credit where credit is due and acknowlege the fun and perks of having an employer.

At the moment, what I am particularly taking away from previous work is how I should be incorporating a much better to-do list for myself. I could be doing what I did for others for myself. šŸ˜Š I also miss friends/coworkers but I am much more excited to stay in touch when we can without work-related items pulling at us.

I have not wavered although some days are noticeably downward emotionally and nonwork related. I think that is human and natural. I am excited to do more, so I am working on my own performance review to move me and my business goals a bit further each week.

Therefore I will be working on other projects like writing and as I mentioned, connecting and reconnecting with like-minded and/or supportive people. I see some travel in our future.

For now, as I wait and plan and save, I will be having more fun with my long and short-term investments. Currently, life is about staying in touch with folks, translating, teaching and learning. I like to stay open to see what interesting people and circumstances happen to be next. My main objective is still taking care of my passions and getting to see my friends and family whenever I can.

Reminders Welcome

MARCH 29, 2021 BY CASSANDRA JOHNSON

I had a moment where I realized the need to continue connecting and reconnecting with more like-minded people. I had an acquaintance I had not been in touch with for a number of years who recently and ultimately unconvincingly tried to let me know he would be so excited if we could ā€œget a chance to catch upā€. Ā He made it seem almost urgent.

image credit Canva

I do also want to be mindful of not dismissing him for his behavior. Arguably, I am particularly set in my ways as well so being different from each other is not a mark against either of us. His particular outreach however in trying to get my latest contact info was more about adding me to his financial planning prospect list. I had no problem with the product (well perhaps in the limiting perspective he had about it) but mostly, I had a problem with the pretense of this being a true mutual reconnection.

A little introspection was next. Not necessarily making the right judgments will rapidly take you there. During our conversation, I quickly determined he had not really heard my perspective. At the minimum he was barely acknowledging it. I am glad I did not expend much more energy catching him up on what I have been up to over the past several years. Often it is not all that difficult to tell when someone is invested in what is significant to us. A few moments can give this away.

He definitely seemed more interested in moving to the next thing, which put the focus on his ventures. He briefly asked what I did for freelancing while his next inquiry sounded pretty par for the course for capturing leads at a networking event. Networking is needed and nice but this felt so out of place with how excited he spoke on soley just being able to catch up and chat.

I am glad I instantly recognized the lack of space for me. Now, there is this appreciation of being so aware of those who do support me and who I support. Why not channel my energy there? Sometimes we can get caught up in trying to prove ourselves to others and even to ourselves. I almost went there with him to let him know there are more ways than just his way. Yes, there is a time to choose our battles. Yes, there are times we need to knock over the hurdles and be seen. We figure it out.

Fortunately, my circle now is of like-minded people including those who think differently, but still really get me. It was intriguing how this acquaintance reconnected and reminded me of leaning into limitations. There are so many non-limiting connections and people I still click with from the past so perhaps this was a good reminder of individuals who I simply will not get, who are not meant to get me. I appreciate the people here who share my interests and appreciate the support in general.

Time Well Spent

OCTOBER 31, 2020 BY CASSANDRA JOHNSON
Image credit: bertvhul on Pixabay

ā€¦Cassandra Johnson hasĀ resignedĀ her position with the association, her last day will be Monday, November 2.Ā  We are sorry to see Cassandra depart the association, but wish her well! Thank you-

Above is how the announcement to my colleagues read.

The letter to my Director read:

ā€¦Thanks for our talk! It has been a pleasure getting to work with you and I appreciate all your support. I am going to take this time to continue focusing my time around traveling and volunteering. I am thankful for the opportunity I have had to meet so many dynamic and committed people, both as members and as colleagues and I will miss you and [the company]. I would like my last day to be November 2, 2020. I thank you for some very well-spent time.

The nervousness was intense as I went back and forth on the moment I knew this was right.

I am grateful I was able to step through the experience when in some ways, life remains seemingly easy when it is more predictable. Equally, I am also truly grateful for the opportunity to work at this last company for five years, This is not to say work was simply easy, but there have been plenty of nice times with plenty of cool people.

Following an even lengthier time of working away in various offices, I am surprised at how I no longer seem to be as nervous as guessed I would be upon leaving. Opening this next chapter feels more like a personal evolution.

Everyone is different and every soul requires something uniquely personal to grow. It could be inside an office or far from one.

I am interestingly satisfied and hungry at the same time. There is no blueprint because none of our paths can be exactly the same. I have no one to follow exactly. Still I am seeing how excitement overtakes the nerves and I am sensing the possibilities in being even more myself. Now it is a week from yesterday (updated) that will be my last one at work and changing careers for me has become more unorthodox than ever. Still I have my fellow travelers like many of you and nomads alike who inspire me and let me know what is possible. More to come. More to grow. Thank you for your time spent with me.

This Is It

OCTOBER 20, 2020 BY CASSANDRA JOHNSON

This is what I have most likely concluded: I am just about two weeks away from walking away and stepping into my new uncertain schedule. I am excited and deeply nervous. Notice the two weeks or rather the two-week notice.

Will I work? I would say I am interestingly unprepared because I have very little lined up for stability aside from some very interesting prospects which I developed on my side hustling detours.

My calculation: Being nomadic with one or two home bases. That is ideal.

One note about the objective: I have already learned a lot about myself and my process when it comes to working for myself. It is both encouraging and scary.

The question is how will I sharpen my skills and finally turn into the leisure traveler and volunteer, who has big plans but a fairly open agenda.

Nothing is written in stone. Thank goodness. Will I be back to an orthodox life? I hope not. My goal may change, and I welcome new knowledge. My goal may become a variation on a theme.

Okay, but truly how vague is this blog entry going to get? šŸ˜Š You know the key elements: freelancing, nomadic, traveling-when-it-is-safe-to-do-so, and a pending notice to give up my current work life as I have known it. I am so accustomed to working a certain way, I sense life will be odd, yet I cannot ignore a growing excitement.

Right now, I also have my eye out for the gigs which are most supportive of me, as my true self, as my new lifestyle is growing. I need the support of all things less draining and which actually fill me with energy. I can tell the difference. This drive compels me, and I feel less washed out. I feel like I can work longer or like I do not always need to work so hard, and rest comes much more naturally. These days it sometimes just feels like exhaustion and I suspect that to be more so from the mental gymnastics.

For now, this is it. I laid out a lot in my related posts below but just as much as I do not know the details of what is next, I am leaving this open.

– except to say thanks to you.

Your time is always appreciated.

*image: Canva designed + Cassandra written