Category: volunteer travel

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January 31, 2023 by Cassandra Johnson

Hearing so much of the opposite, I will interject that becoming older is not a gradual way to start unliving life. I think about it more as I become older and as I hear some older people talking about what they supposedly cannot do. The list sounds more like what they think they should not do or even more lamentable, what they feel others would not expect them to do.

Through various media, everyday encounters and common knowledge, however, we know people who keep learning, keep seeing every sight on their bucket list, stay healthy and even body build as they become older.

Being here is not the sign some see to prepare themselves for pain and losses, although we know they can come. Alternatively, I want to see more of the nonconformist crowd who sees being here as more time to be okay mentally and physically and sees it as more time to keep investing in themselves and their paths to more adventures.

Why is getting older not equal to letting go of a quality life? I see and hear people all the time, who stay the course and still work on experiencing what excites them while working to take care of themselves. Seemingly out of context, I would easily answer Because JLo. People chuckle, but examples of stars are, after all, the most prevalent and easily aspirational. The fact of her, a YouTuber and that anyone who may not be an influencer can continue to achieve healthy life goals is enough proof to at least try.

She, like others, is not so irrelevant, and one of the reasons I feel inspired to consider all my options. With her being 50+, in great shape and driven, she is definitely high on my motivation list. Through ups and downs, there is no sign that being better while being older is impossible.

I just wonder when I hear foreboding about no longer being expected to feel good, have a lot of fun, go certain places, or learn something new. Why not have an equally easier time believing the reverse or aspiring in that direction?

Along with taking it easier, I still want to be focused on what seems like non-traditional expectations as we grow up, (as they say). Illness can happen at any age as well as accidents. When I saw that 60-year old retirees were considered the young people in a large number of expats in one group in Mexico, I found another easy reason to ask, why not try embracing what is nice, feeling what is easy, feeling more motivated and letting those good thoughts wrap around your well-being. Resignation is not so welcoming an explanation.

One Ways

January 30, 2023 by Cassandra Johnson

Strictly spontaneous.

Contrary but true. I realize I have to let my path take on a life of its own and the most planning I can do now is air tickets to my quasi destinations plus organizing all the administrative stuff that comes with a move.

I’m happy to take my welcome income with me on the road and in the air for a change of pace. I only wish I could be ready sooner. Still, I want to live up to the notion I had, and others realize I could have, of working from anywhere. I am still curious, however, if changing locales will distract me when I am otherwise not supposed to be having downtime.

I could maybe just pick up and go in several months. However, that excitement sounds as overwhelming as going a year from now, even though I have done this before. I still have some familiar reservations of turning away from those comforts and securities of just staying put, even where I feel restricted. I have a strong sense of freedom of trying somewhere different or even being somewhere tried and true (like home in Peru).

However still choosing to go, I instantly noticed the overwhelm of deciding to make a big change. Excitement lays my foundation, but uncertainty is just as familiar too. Fortunately, whatever you wish to do is being done by someone and as I looked at the work laid out before me; I was recently comforted by some forgotten advice. I was thankful for the nomad YouTubers I have especially been enjoying lately (Picky Girl Travels the World and Stephanie Perry), but especially a friend to both of them (Ivana Robinson) She quickly reminded me how next steps can unwittingly become too broad or too vague.

Ivana’s example was the item on her friend’s to-do list which read: “update website”. Naturally, the item kept moving down the list and further along the calendar. This is not to say every venture needs to be broken down, but her friend pointed out how much of a tall order this was to tackle. Similarly, I was recalling how many items were currently getting postponed on my calendar.

Ivana was suggesting a step back, maybe start off pinpointing what exactly you want to update. This alone would be one step forward. She proposed more examples amounting to just one task completed per day or per week.  She said maybe spend another day on just your bio, etc. There went my spirit lifting again. Good thoughts. I had forgotten how I primarily captured a lot of momentum in small ways before accomplishing some substantial goals. Work outs. Travel. I have been down these paths before. There is a big picture to reach but little pieces go towards each moment forward.

Although I have the panoramic outlook of being away for a long time, I was ultimately led back to the building blocks. The initial steps can begin simply. How soon I forgot. There was a lot of planning and organizing in my past. I did as much as possible in the time I had and managed to be more than okay. Simply beginning means a lot but also just knowing what I truly want, what you truly want, is the back story for everything we must choose.

Easy Stress

December 31, 2022 by Cassandra Johnson

I gave up on the notion of celebrating outside of my place. I’m happy for the New Year but also happy to save some money and even make some money during the holiday. I previously felt the pressure when asked what I was doing for the holidays, but sometimes I think it’s okay to just be okay with enjoying the day as normal, just as cities and towns may shut down a bit early or have a lot of revelry, respectively.

I think I’ve celebrated when I’ve liked and of course there’s even been times when the holidays are depressing but sometimes they’re just not and you feel like being quieter, reflective, just plain old chill. I’ll bring in a little extra dough and who knows, be on a beach about this time next year.

Every once in a while, It feels good to let go of the notion of having to have big plans or having to share time with a lot of people, when you can just catch up on face time or calling or text. Sometimes, pure relaxation is the order of the day.

I remember a few times when I really was just happy that I didn’t have to go into the office on a holiday. I was getting the day off and I relaxed at home against the misperception that you have to be out and about, in public or at someone’s home. Sometimes you want that, sometimes you don’t and just like what is expected of us such as having a certain job, having certain titles etc., we can quickly forget what we truly feel like doing.

As I relaxed and worked on Christmas, I felt really good letting go of the notion that I had to be doing something else more traditional. I welcome tradition and good food and company of course but I also don’t mind taking it easy, making my solo travel plans and having fond thoughts of being with others later on and just as I have been doing it in general, so much lately.

Lessons in letting go of small parts of my life have already brought me ease. I have traded bigger stressful situations for the kind of stress I can more easily remedy. Letting go of a job that did not serve me was my first step. I then let go of a lot of tasks that were like jobs but mostly just overextending myself. There is still a lot I want to do to help communities, but I have to make sure I am okay first too and not going on fumes like I previously have. I would be neglecting my true needs and hopes, being unkind to my mind and body. I realize it’s better to give back to people from a healthier foundation and take care of myself as well. There is a mutual respect in that.

So as I ring in the low key New Year, I am just as pleased for all the catching up with people through the various magic of technology and reconnecting with them in person throughout the year.

Consider This

December 29, 2022 by Cassandra Johnson

I am entering decision time. I guess I should not renew my lease for another year. Foremost on my list would be living in Cusco. I would get to live in one of my favorite cities in one of my favorite countries, enjoy all the good food and lively atmosphere, celebrate and enjoy more relaxation.

The cost of living in Washington D.C. has proven itself to be among one of the highest. More so lately, I cannot help imagining how much easier I could live as a freelancer elsewhere, perhaps even in my own ideal paradise.

Still, I have thoroughly enjoyed the setting of D.C. and had longed to come here for the fusion of people and cultures, plus DC has the DMV aspect of very easily being able to cross between DC itself and parts of Maryland and Virginia. One can naturally work and live in or among one of the three.  

Times have shifted here, however. I do not feel all the same ease I previously felt, even as a mostly laid back soul who works on holding space for a lot of people. Maybe that can be attributed to all the tension across multi-governmental levels. I cannot be sure about that. Very much depending on the venue and crowd, from place to place, I feel some ease or a lot of ease and fun and in other bars, restaurants, museums, etc, there is more of a tension, feigning to be relaxed. Maybe, there is something to me being “the other” that I just do not get everywhere. For some reason, it seems to be more apparent now and the exact opposite feeling I loved getting everywhere by moving to a cosmopolitan area. Perhaps, it is definitely a sign to get away again for now or for much longer. Recall the expression “good vibes”. There really does seem to be something to feeling the energy in the room and the energy you get and give to other people. There is an overall energy you sense in the air and the ambience compounds your feelings.

I am thankful I have been reminded of an earlier goal and drive to not just work and hang out abroad but to consider living there as well. I immediately felt renewed when I started mapping it out (even just at seeing the vision) again. I saw myself in Cusco’s main square again. I saw the historical landmarks and architecture. I felt the music of the bars and clubs. I again tasted the good food at the Peruvian, European and American styled restaurants where I had appeased my appetite during my past stay and trek. Yes. The comforting and tantalizing tastes also filled my memories. So for longer-term peace of mind and enjoyable goals, I’m going to continue to work through the rest of the holiday season and determining savings for travels vs. bills vs cost of living. Where am I living and where am I going? A reset was clearly needed.

How To Go

November 30, 2022 by Cassandra Johnson

Keep showing up. Keep checking in. What is it you really want to do? I repeat those encouraging words to myself although I have felt awkward these last couple of months. Awkward but excited.

I decided to be in venues by myself in addition to hanging out with friends and usually it is admittedly easier to have friends along with you. There are different levels. Museums and the like are easy places to go. Restaurants and sports bars have a different energy.

I am glad I showed up anyway as a matter of not always taxing my friends with my random plans and just as a matter of mixing it up, trying some new things nearby, relatively easy to get to or especially interesting to just me. Just chilling, I am never late nor early. I do at times feel like there is that initial customer radar, the passing glance of: “What’s her story?” “Date coming?” “Friend coming? “Stood up!” “Rowdy person?” Quiet one?” The radar subtly and not so subtly flickers out. Sometimes it doesn’t come, and servers and other employees are already pretty chill. What is intriguing is that I instantly feel more comfortable doing this abroad and I maybe chalk that up to the perspective I wrote about in The Uninhibited Life. I do get comfortable here and people are really friendly and/or flirtatious. I just never know, and I really think I have been more often pleasantly surprised this way.

By the end, I am encouraged to keep reminding myself not to limit what I do to whether I am with people or not. I am reminded you are always meeting people, or you can be chill and relaxed too. Travel underscores this so well.

So I know the encouraging words will not always encourage me. So I do appreciate the company of friends.  However I also want to keep being curious and doing what is a little different. No judgment if I don’t always have the nerve but nice to know I have the possibility to experience adventure, comfort and my freedom.

Success?

November 29, 2022 by Cassandra Johnson

I mentioned how much I tend to overwork in my last blog and realized this was true for other companies as well as for myself (though notably in conjunction with a company as well).

Consequently I decided to make serious plans for socializing. Determined to find some balance,  I needed to keep those plans. A lot could become of the next message I sent myself. I could fail and get discouraged but I also knew I had to set a better standard of balance between work and being good to myself.

Primarily, I was a little surprised that “being my own boss” could be challenging in ways outside of distraction and wanting to goof off. Zeroing in on my goals, I had gone the other way. Alternately, I am not all that surprised. My whole family puts in quite a lot of hours and while I can become distracted, I still expend a lot of energy on my projects, even when delayed.

I also recently heard some YouTubers talk about the pressure many of us feel to be productive. So even if we are not earning, many people feel like they need to accomplish a lot on their daily to-do list. We may even carry those sentiments into vacation mode.

I had some success. Maybe? In a way. From watching my university alma mater play that following Saturday with fellow alumni in the area, brunch with my former boss the next day and meeting with a good friend at a local bar to watch most of the election results come in, I was seriously on a good social track.

I additionally sat in ease over my delicious wrap and mimosa at Busboys and Poets as I realized I am better diversifying my income. I had been somewhat dabbling into possible side income but only now see true leverage among not being dependent on one source of revenue. The prior results were almost negligible, and it seemed so much easier to be at my previous job, having stable benefits like PTO. The fact is, however, I just can no longer imagine pursuing my true dreams from that angle.

I know balance does not always come in equal parts. The process is just more about not being too unhealthily unbalanced, especially in work and pressurized situations. Surely I have to note that week after week was not being spent with friends and family the way I had imagined.

For the sake of sanity and health, I realize we have to also take some moments to wind down and hitting reset is the only way we can continue to operate.

Overtime

October 31, 2022 by Cassandra Johnson

I tend to overwork. I now confirm this is for others and for myself. I did not do as much yesterday and the day before (Sunday and Saturday) but to my credit that is because I did not receive as much to do for freelance translating and to my credit, I have been taking off when I need to spend quality time with friends and family.

Put simply however, I still have been waiting a bit late to factor in how much I can take on.

The good news: I am in a better position to focus on personal goals and financial freedom.

The bad news: I am so used to working hard in general, I have to rethink how to accept taking things easier, sleeping more, and having more simple times with myself and others. I get a chance to embrace more of what I know really matters.

Better news: I look less stressed and there is absolutely next to no work politics.

The list continues:

My pros and cons can be flipped on different sides, but mostly I am realizing this is a mindset along with organization where I can make sure I work enough, but no longer to the detriment of health, downtime and time with people.

So watch to see that I follow through when it comes to catching a game with my fellow Ohio State Alum buckeyes this weekend at the bar and lunching or brunching with my good friend and former cool boss.

This is the beginning of getting another life lesson done. Being on my own and being flexible does not mean filling my time with more work. This is the beginning of teaching myself how to work as long as I enjoy it (including healthy challenges). This is the start of me showing myself how to fit in the quality time of me and others, learning to travel while working… travel while playing… feeling what it is like to be more at ease.

Good and lost

October 30, 2022 by Cassandra Johnson

I lost myself in the best way over these last couple of months. I felt how I did most days when I began traveling on my own, getting away from limiting thoughts just related to myself and following moments that captured my focus.

As I was getting increasingly enthusiastic about my student’s latest accomplishment, I realized something I had practiced unknowingly before. I knew the feeling but could not put a name to it. Now I have a better understanding of how lost I have been recently… how lost I can get.

You see … in my spare time, I teach English to a number of people with lessons online or we just have conversations to help them grow their communication skills with our chosen/random topics and my tips. Although one of my most recent students and I were excited about future prospects, I really came away knowing we were wrapped up in the present moment. Time flew and has been flying each time.

So I have been carrying on lately, not absent of visions of dreams and goals but trying more so to mimic the calm the mind has when I’m interacting with my students. I’m only just a bit ahead in where we can go in our lessons and we are getting to know each other. The clock takes care of itself and lets us know when we have 5 minutes, 2 minutes, 10 seconds and then our goodbyes.

I want to be more grounded in daily activities, especially with the help of other people. I want to be everyday-satiated like travel-me, teacher-me and translations-completed me.  I see there is some peace to be had there. There is peace away from a demanding world.

The world otherwise seems to demand our planning. We easily get to forgetting the idea that we can be okay right now, not one step ahead, too much into what is next or lingering in some unhelpful past feelings. We could easily think to ourselves how happy we will be to live there in that achieved future or recall how vividly beautiful a past experience or relationship was.

As the teachings go, (mostly I read Eckhart Tolle), you really just always have the present moment. The past and future could be guides, can be celebrated and appreciated but recall that moving out of one and into the other simply once was and will become the present.

I like this lesson just from being caught in truly how excited I am for students to be sharing their lives and goals and with this particular one, to be caught up in how she is nicely improving and what she is doing during the last of her university days.

Here we are, being truly alive and not lamenting or hoping to either extreme. We will naturally reminisce (I think that’s lovely). We also naturally plan for the future (that’s normal and needed for hope). I still feel that’s okay just like I feel it is okay and natural to have a range of emotions. It is only getting stuck in the past or distractingly projecting ahead that keeps us from our present chances at having satisfaction.

Certain

September 30, 2022 by Cassandra Johnson

What I also realized about the uninhibited life was an added self-assurance. How easy it was to state my cases and/or preferences.

Some of the most comfort I had disagreeing with people I really liked was far from home and where I would not have expected to feel so secure. Even when I was wrong (and had to make up for it), I realize how much more self-assurance came with what I was doing, what we were doing, what I really wanted and not getting everything perfect.  

I speak my mind when necessary in the States, but usually leave a lot more room for others to voice things themselves (and so not always when necessary). Both angles probably have their ups and downs, but I really seem to be quite comfortable coming out of my mouth with something with conviction when I am already on an adventure. I might be risking an awkward situation but somehow do not seem as worried. Maybe I am less sensitive, less worried about the perceptions of others. Again, I note the uninhibited life (linked above). Yet, I seemed to be liked just the same. What if it is more? I guess the friendly, helping nature I still offer abroad helps but I cannot help but notice I am considerably less reserved in stating my opinion or about trying something that could be exciting or end up a complete disappointment.

I guess there is a certain comfort in already being outside your comfort zone, having made it comforting. Before I departed, how nervous (though excited) I was to be abroad, how unsure I was if there could be any danger. I really did not know much about what was certain.  Yet, finding your niche and finding more friends, you can be more certain of your daring nature and personally this could be what helped me be more adamant as well.

I remember telling my new friend in Puerto Rico that I, in fact, was not the reason we were late to our first day of volunteer service. (We actually were not that late) but definitely off track. In the moment, I just knew it took two and we both had a hand in our goal that day. Understandably, in his frustration, (I believe just human nature) he sought a target. I was rather satisfied with that not becoming the narrative that got produced that day. How easy it could have been once getting there and asked, “did you find everything okay?” We were over it and into what we were meant to do in no time and just enjoying the sights in between.

I remember telling my friend in Peru that there were plenty of people to fill in for me one day when I wanted to properly see another friend off (what if I did not get to see the friend who was leaving anytime soon). I felt as stubborn as I must have been as a small child. No way I was letting Margaret leave without going sandboarding with her and spending a whole day with her and others where we had met.

I remember taking my friend to task for what I thought was inconsiderately taking my sleeping gear, although this definitely falls into the aforementioned category of things that I should apologize for (a true misunderstanding). We were still close after that. Thank goodness. I am glad he did not hold it against me.

On the less confrontational side, I was more apt to be out and about too, ready to be dragged along or doing the convincing of others, myself.

Knowing who you are does seems to come with the territory of putting yourself out there, trying new things, daring yourself to travel alone or with others to a totally unexpected place. I am true in a sense to in my everyday goals, when I am not away, but somehow I sense a little more reservation, perhaps leaning towards stability and knowing what’s coming. Understandably, I get how this speaks to safety and security but eventually it also gets me quicker to craving an adventure at some point. I am learning from both life versions, both truly me. Learning. Taking notes.

Rhythm

September 29, 2022 by Cassandra Johnson

Seeing people in the limelight seems like glamour exists alone or at least is so highlighted that not much pain seems to exist. No matter how much one may hear of a struggle, easier is imagining someone on top as you see them having some luxury. Hard to imagine them chiseling away at their craft, sweating it out, losing sleep, losing money, losing motivation but I have to imagine this is also a lot of people’s experience before they make it look effortless.

Rihanna must be right. I take a page out of what I think must be in hers,  JLo’s and the books of many others about work, including a lot of successful people who are not necessarily famous, who I also admire.

Being successful at passions you are pursing is satiating, whether that means being well known celebrity wise or considerably fulfilled in other respects. Attaining goals is a reflection of ourselves and what is possible and even just putting in the effort is reaffirming.

For that matter, I am still going at it. Being in charge of me is not necessarily easy sailing. I keep getting the reminder.

Funny, I do not think I would receive criticism from others for going back to my old work but probably the most stinging critique would come from me. I know I have wanted to explore for a long time so this would not exactly be okay for me, perhaps probably better off for a moment but mostly I would definitely come out mentally worst for the wear.

There would be a different kind of easy that comes with throwing in the towel. I am happy to put in the work. I am happy with the new freedom. I just have to get more accustomed to the idea of working every day, even some partial days as I am still at what I consider my first steps. This is when I think of some particular people like those above.

Artist and influencers of all kinds just happen to be who we see the most. I imagine them still grinding away or most definitely before they had enormous success. Some may find it odd that I work for extended periods of time on any day although I take breaks. I recognize a need to build first before having more of my values met. More time with family. More time with friends. More time traveling. More time volunteering.

Considering there are still no guarantees, I want to see how attainable work and non-work objectives can be, still taking some breaks daily and regularly to stay healthy, especially to get through so much focused work on longer shifts. Variety is needed.

Trying to settle on the right timing for me, luxury is not necessarily unwelcomed. We shall see. No denying all the flash packing, open bars, tasty food and naps in between.