Arrivederci, Buongiorno!

Tomorrow will be the beginning of another BeautifulNomad adventure! Arrivederci, America! Buongiorno, Italia!

At 9:30pm CST from Chicago O'Hare I will embark to Istanbul, Turkey for a quick layover before making final departure to Milan, Italy where I will thus begin my 10 day backpacking journey across a country known for its rich food, wine, carbs, art, literature and romance.

I have loved Italy since the first day I began my Italian course in college. As my Italian teacher
showed us slides from Milan, Venezia, Firenze, and Roma, I fell in love and vowed to take a trip to explore all that Italy had to offer. However, years passed quickly with excuses as to why the trip had yet to become a reality. Italy became a glaring reminder on my bucket list.

Five years ago, I made a promise to myself that I HAD to make the trip for my 30th birthday. No matter where I was living, what job I had, or who was in my life at the moment; I was GOING to take the plunge and trek my way through the land of pasta. Finally, a dream becomes a long awaited reality. [I should probably print my tickets...]

BeardedNomad [my hunky traveling partner in crime] proposed a trip to Romania this winter, however, I quickly batted his choice down with firm protest, "NO! I HAVE TO GO TO ITALY. I'm turning 30." It's a good thing he understands and nurtures my fiercely stubborn  independent ways.

Luckily enough, he has family connections in Bergamo [Lake Como] and has lived abroad in Italy for some time, so we both agreed Italy would be fun to explore together [mainly me]. He speaks the language better than me, understands transit, and has visited many of the cities on our itinerary, if not more, so it's a relatively easy trip to plan be spontaneous. Perfetto!

I am quite certain I will not sleep tonight [packing, procrastination, and generalized excitement]. Tomorrow is my Christmas. My roommate has already graciously agreed to party, I mean pack, all night [more like 2am] with me. YOLO!


Be sure to follow me for posts | pictures | foodgrams of our adventures throughout Italia! Ciao!

xoxo, 

The Beautiful & Bearded Nomads

Beautiful&Bearded Nomads Adventure List

Lake Como | Bergamo | Milan

Venice | Murano

Florence

Rome

Naples | Amalfi Coast

Oh hey, 30.

Guys, I turn 30 tomorrow.

Birthdays have normally been one of my favorite things to enjoy about life; another year wiser,
celebration, a time of reflection, and a time to love on the person who made it another 365 days around the sun. I love birthdays, all birthdays--young and old.

Each time my friend has a birthday, I get excited for them. Usually, I pour a lot of effort into birthday cards, picking out the right gift that reflects the person's interests, and showing genuine joy as it really is a beautiful thing for a person to live one more year. 

We all know life is precious and time is fleeting, whatever adage stands true, and it is important to celebrate our loved ones and the accomplishments and milestones reached.

However, birthdays are not my favorite this year...as I have reached an important birthday milestone: Thirty. years. old.

I had a panic attack on the train this week. I couldn't breathe, I felt trapped, my skin was crawling, my heart was beating furiously, and I couldn't relax or focus. It was my first panic attack; I only know it was a panic attack because some helpful and insightful people pointed out to me that I have been extremely overworked, stressed, and just not myself lately. Panic attacks don't really need triggers per se, they can happen within an instant because your body needs a physical release from the tension building.

Panic attacks stem from intense fear or apprehension and the body responds physically to protect you from harm. It's an alarm clock, if you will... sounding off to alert your brain that you are in immediate danger. Fight or flight. WAKE UP, JEN... our body is in overload.

Hey body, it's really sweet of you to alarm me that I'm stressed, but it's super embarrassing to hold your head between your legs as other train passengers try to help calm you down. [True story]. I'm incredibly grateful for the medical student who just "happened to be there" and for his calm, assuring, and helpful tactics to help me control my breathing. I'm not entirely grateful for the stares, the whispers, or the overly concerned ladies who wanted to call 911. No thanks, I don't need to buy another ambulance ride here in Chicago [I've already paid for 2].

People who are already 30 tell me that it's no big deal, age is just a number, and 30 is the 20 or whatever advice seems to be hip at the moment. Dirty 30! 30, flirty, and thriving! I could go on...

30 feels impeding because [to me] it means this overwhelming amount of pressure to get my life in order. No more running off to foreign countries to teach English, no more job hopping, time to look for a partner to settle down and have babies, buy a house, buy a car; time to fulfill the "American Dream."

Photo by the lovely Cornelia Klimek Photography

Puke, puke, and more puke. I would rather spend the rest of my life in uncertainty, exploration, adventure, and wanderlust than commit to any of those things. I hate losing my independence; it's one of my favorite qualities. I am strong, I am woman, hear me roar! 

Can I just become Benjamin Button and work myself backwards? Before we know it, 30 becomes 35, and then 35 becomes 40, and then before I know it; I am staring at a woman with wrinkles, grey hair [and not the cool, hip kind] and liver spots. Will she be just as fierce, independent, free-spirited, and adventurous? Will she have lived her life according to the beat of her own drum and not what others expect? Will she have many cool stories to tell? Will she still be tattooed and sporting a pixie hair cut? Will she be alone or loved?

Apparently, these questions were enough to send my body into a resistant state of mind... and I panicked. Big time.

Happy Birthday to me. 

Lessons learned and adventures ahead.

Happy New Year my fellow adventurer(s).

2016 is here, a year beaming brightly with renewed hope, goals, and plentiful of aspirations among us all. Now is the time where most of us set aside a list of goals for the new year; many of which are physically, mentally, emotionally or even financially related. We all vow to eat a little healthier, spend a little (or a lot) less, and be more open and in tune with our relationships among friends, family, or significant others. Whatever the goal, the reason, or the timeline, it is good for our souls to be refreshed and shined for a new year ahead.

2015 was a year of learning and growing [multiple times].

Relationships
Romantic or friendship, this year brought several morsels of growth opportunities; some painful, some nurturing, some renewed, others failing. Whatever the outcome, I'm incredibly grateful for the moments my friends opened my eyes to see that you should never take your friends for granted [old or new] and that you should always speak with your actions first, mouth second. If you want to be a good friend, show it first with your actions.

Through many hardships and trials, some friendships were lost--and that's okay with me. There is a timestamp on everything; it begins with life and ends with death. I will part with all of my friends eventually, and that is a natural process we can't ignore. If I can help the timestamp from ending too soon, I will certainly do my best to nurture and pay attention; other times, it's just better to go separate ways.

I loved and lost a LOT this year. Probably more so than my entire dating career combined; men entered quickly and left just as quickly. Through each date, adventure, and experience, I learned this: no one can love you greater than you can love yourself and set standards for yourself and stick to them--don't ever sacrifice for anything less than your worth. It took a lot of crying and late-night phone calls to my dearest 'people,' and with their steel-like patience and love, they helped me see my ultimate worth. I also learned a newer bit of wisdom recently who shared this, "[Their] behavior isn't any different than before... they just liked us a lot less." Hard fact of reality but it is true. It's all about investment.

Gush alert: I found [and fell pretty hard] a pretty neat bearded nomad who loves traveling and exploring adventure as much as I do. He was the worth the wait. [Insert awwww].

Employment
When I decided to move back to the US, it was a hasty decision based on irrational
 fear that life was moving too quickly without me. Well, turns out, life moves just as quickly when you're back with your people. My choice of employment was scattered, free-spirited, and lacked direction [like most of my life]. I settled into being a nanny because 1) It paid pretty darn well 2) It was short-term and non-committal. But then reality set in... people asked, "What are you going to do next, Jen?" "What's the next adventure in store for you?"

I had no effing clue. [Still don't]. I tried out a few goals I had been meaning to reach such as applying for grad schools, teaching programs, and getting my teaching license. Got into 2 out of 3, so that's not that bad, right? But....I bombed my test for my teaching license. Well, bomb isn't a correct term since I only failed by 2 questions. But, that's like saying, well.... I almost won the Superbowl, but just happened to fumble that last touchdown at the last second. [It STINGS either way].

Failures aside, teaching would have to wait. I started to ask myself the really hard questions like, "Do you really want to be a teacher in an inner city school? Do you really have the patience needed? Is this program right for you? You realize there will be more tests and hoop-jumping later on...?"

If there is one thing I'm super good at... it's walking away from dreams and onto the next.

My biggest lesson this year in terms of jobs? Be a good employee in any job, network and build strong relationships, and kiss ass.... kiss a lot of ass. Because, you never know when your old supervisor will call you up, take a chance on you, and offer you a rewarding job in Real Estate. Relationships are gold.

Home
This last year brought a lot of challenges and fruitful rewards in settling in with roommates again. I lived solo while in Korea and while I enjoy my solidarity, independence, and the freedom to eat dinosaur chicken nuggets alone in my underwear... I still craved community. [RA nerd alert]. I love building community--whether it be uniting strangers, hosting, cooking for friends or roommates, or even talking to my neighbors. I gain so much from serving others [and I enjoy it]. I made it a lesson this year to learn what it means to build a home and provide hospitality--making others feel comfortable, safe, accepted, and loved. I hosted several people this year and tried to make each visitor feel special and unique. Chicago is a wonderful city, come visit!

Lesson learned: go with the flow, baby.

Travel... anywhere & everywhere
I made the wrong assumption that if I move home to the US, I wouldn't get to travel as much. I'd be stuck in some boring job that doesn't allow vacation time or I would be miserable waiting to use the next set of PTO. However, this year has brought on equal travel opportunities that I had while living in Korea. I had the wonderful privilege of traveling to LA/Vegas, camping in the wilderness with some pretty awesome gal pals in Colorado, and of course, visiting the bestie in DC for our annual Turkey day celebration which somehow turned into "Baconsgiving." [Be on the lookout for more themed Thanksgivings...] I had a fantastic time traveling in my own country; setting out for new sights, foods, drinks, and new mountains [and new friends]!

My lesson: it doesn't take a passport to travel... it doesn't take much to have an open mind to exploration and adventure... just be willing.

Goodbye 2015... hasta la vista.
New Year, new adventure. I'm excited just as anyone to welcome the new year with childlike wonder... what comes next, where will I go, who will I meet, what adventure lies next around the corner?

There is absolute beauty in any New Year's Resolution or aspiration. I love having the opportunity to recreate yourself each year! Why not? A chance for redemption, growth, and lessons. These resolutions are not to brag, to self-loathe, or to create failure. Really, the goal is to set yourself down a path of intrinsic happiness, balance, and create opportunities for change. I look forward to the new lessons that 2016 will bring.

What will make you happy this year? What goals have you set for yourself? What change do you look forward to in 2016? What steps will you take to make these changes?

Cheers my friends, to another year of beautiful adventures.

I personally look forward to traveling to Italy, backpacking the John Muir Trail, taking woodworking classes, exploring photography opportunities, earning my Real Estate license, biking more, arguing less, drinking less, going to Yoga regularly, visiting my family more, expanding my savings account, turning 30, and celebrating the little moments with friends. 2016 holds plenty of adventures ahead! 

#worldmess

A few weeks ago, an eccentric bearded Southern gentleman wearing a backwards baseball cap and what appeared to be a 9mm in his waistband became fed up with one of the largest American corporations (now worldwide) all because the design from his coffee cup no longer promoted his cookie-cutter idea of 'Christmas.' [Ensue outrage].

Apparently, this #1 corporation hates Christmas AND Christians.

Apparently, snowmen and ornaments represent Christ and a prominent world religion.

Apparently, tricking overworked baristas into writing 'Merry Christmas' on blank red cups is a leading example of the man who befriended the underdogs of society and often led people to mountains to hear his morsels of Truth.

Apparently, carrying (and not so much concealing) a weapon is going to tell others that there is a greater hope, love, and mercy from a God whose heart breaks for His people. [so man could fight the Dinosaurs and homosexuals].

Apparently, thousands of 'Christians' don't even stand by this man's actions or words, and they are simply "embarrassed" on behalf of his misleading representation of what it means to be a true follower of Christ. Many simply shook their heads and turned the other way. We casually jest one another, "Oh that guy is nuts" (he doesn't speak for ALL Christians nor does he accurately represent Christianity).

Why, then, do we hold such objections for the Syrian refugees (and alike) who are trying to escape a horrific society of violence and oppression from a few crazed individuals misrepresenting their culture and religion? [An extremist organization branching from a religious concept does not make all who practice Islam terrorists or a nation threat].

Why do we hold our noses in the air and close our borders, our homes, and our hearts because people are 'different' from the American dream and perhaps will destroy that precious facade of what it means to be a "American?"

Why are we trying to pretend that we are such an elite, pious, God-fearing country when our actions are screaming otherwise? Do you not understand the foundation of our country? Did you fall asleep in American History 101? [It's okay, most people do]

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

I'm sorry, do you see anywhere in those lines that life is only for Christians....
only for white people
only for the upper class
only for the educated
only for those with homes
only for those with insurance
only for the ____________. 

These refugees (Syrian, Ethiopian, Kenyan, Somalian, etc) need life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

We all started as immigrants, foreigners, strangers, revolutionists (unless you have Native roots) seeking freedom, liberty, and new beginning. This land was not ours. We stole. We killed. We fought for what didn't belong to us. As of result, we have now become the super secret club of kids sitting high in a tree house making fun of anyone else who doesn't fit our idealized expectations of citizenship.


Shame on you, America. Shame on you, Christians. Shame on me. 

While I realize our immigration policies need thorough oversight and change; I simply don't think think deducting our logic to Refugees = Islam, Islam =ISIS/or Terrorists therefore Refugees = Islamic Terrorists is any better solution. To make such [idiotic] deduction would be to cheapen the lives of people merely escaping a world of hatred, confusion, and abuse.

"To cheapen the lives of any group of men, cheapens the lives of all men, even our own. This is a law of psychology, or human nature. And it will not be repealed by our wishes, nor will it be merciful to our blindness."
-William Pickens

The dinosaurs had it right, they got the hell out because they knew 'people' would run the world into the dirt. 

Voice

To the voice within,
I hear you deeply in the night.
Reminding me of this space,
I share alone.

Voice, it tells me;
You'll be here forever,
reaching out to an empty arms,
speaking words no ears will hear,
loving a heart that will not beat in return;
running past the familiar,
drowning in a sea of vast depths,
sinking.

Voice, I cry;
will you let me reach out with open arms,
will you let me speak the words,
will you let me love anyway;
I let my feet touch the earth in rapid motion,
I let my arms push through waters in strength,
I push myself to collapse on warm sand, safe from sea.

Voice,
You have been heard.
My heart remains open;
hopeful for tomorrow,
grateful for yesterday,
fully aware and present today.

Effort

"Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty... I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well." --Theodore Roosevelt

Lately, I've been pushing myself to stop being so lazy.

Unemployment hit this girl hard; eating healthy, exercising, and reducing stress all became non-existent. I became unmotivated and stopped caring about the world because I was tired of feeling like I'm constantly in pursuit of something bigger, better, and more adventurous. 

There is a difference in battling unemployment when your life path wanders aimlessly versus distinctly already knowing your life purpose and calling. If you know you were absolutely created to be an architect, engineer, nurse, doctor, fill-in-the-blank career choice, you rest a bit more easily when your job ends because you know the exact field to begin your anticipated job search. While you still fluidly move through the emotions of panic, stress, and uneasiness as to how you will budget and afford this moment of uncertainty, there is a teensy-weensy morsel of relief still waiting in the background.

This morsel of relief was nowhere to be found in my search for employment because I was grasping onto my continuous doubts of 'what shall I be when I grow up?'

People have often made remarks as to how they envy my "adventurous life," and how they wished they could just drop their adult responsibilities and travel the world. [You can do this at any time in your life; it's just a sacrifice]. Funny thing is, I envy those very people who make the conscious decision to be a "grown-up." I use this term very loosely because when do we ever really grow up? 

However you choose to view the term "grown-up," there are responsibilities and adult milestones I wish I could just settle down and accomplish already: pick a job, be financially stable [again, loosely interpreted], own a car [I love public transport/biking but also love the grocery store], own/build my own house, get married, and have a baby [my brother keeps reminding me...].

To those of you who have proudly accomplished these, I applaud you wholeheartedly. 

There is beauty in making an effort, working hard, and/or discipline. As I have been slowly making changes in my life, I am realizing fully how awesome it is to cook my own food, to push myself to visit the gym daily [even if just for a Yoga class], and to be more aware of my surroundings [enjoying the scenery on the train vs staring at my iPhone]. I feel more energetic and wholesome when I force myself to make healthy, nutritious meals for the day vs. grabbing Jimmy John's or a slice of pizza [I still love you]. There's a satisfying feeling when you stand back from what you created in the kitchen.

People can mock me all they want when I post foodgrams of my meals. I feel proud for my sense of hard work and effort. I want to inspire others that eating healthy and taking care of yourself is a beautiful process that does require hard work and effort but the results pay off. It's certainly not because I'm bored, vain, or self-absorbed. Rather, it's a creative effort that I'm engaging in to share and inspire. I want you to feel good about yourself and be inspired by the unlimited food options out there. Healthy is a lifestyle, not some quick fix, pill, or powder that will magically erase our bad choices.

We have become a nation of quick fixes and pure laziness. We will try countless fads, diets, pills and powders, what-have-you to replace hard work, effort, and good ol' fashioned discipline. My grandpa always warned me about shortcuts and laziness. If I wanted something, I had to work hard to get it. A man of principle and strong work ethic; he was a part of a lumber yard for many years. He came from a generation where they built things with their own hands, got down on their hands and knees to clean, and worked until the late evening to bring home the paycheck. I admire him and the effort he put in to feed my dad and his 5 rowdy siblings, put a humble roof over their heads, and clothes on their backs. This hard work mentality and ethic needs to resurface in our society. I'm forever grateful for the lessons my grandparents and parents passed onto me. It has taught me to be more mindful in my life and to realize the beauty in a hard day's work.

Sure, it took me an hour and some minutes in order to prepare my lunch today. But, I had fun and the results were amazing and delicious. Definitely a better choice for my body than some equally tasting Philly-cheese steak sammie from a food truck across the street from my office [damn you]. Do I still cheat and take short-cuts? Of course, I'm human and I do appreciate the art of indulgence from time to time. But, if I discipline myself to make better choices 90% of the time, then that 10% feels more like a reward than guilt.

Today's reward: Baked Tofu | Baked Nectarines | Tomato & Cucumber Salad

Baked Tofu
-Wrap a block of extra-firm tofu in flour-sack towel, place between two plates and put a stack of cookbooks on top.
-Prepare marinade:

• 1 tbs soy sauce
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1/4 cup citrus juice (I did a lemon/orange combo)
• 2-3 packets of duck sauce (Thanks Chinese restaurant)
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp grated ginger

-Cut tofu block into 1/4 thick slices (12 total) and place in marinade overnight


Next day:
-Bake tofu at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, flip and brush marinade on tofu then bake for 10 mins
-Flip tofu again after 10 mins, brush marinade on tofu and then bake for 5 mins
-Burnt edges are okay :)

Baked Nectarines
-Cut 4 nectarines of choice in half (I use a spoon to help pry the skin from the pit)
-Drizzle honey on top and season with choice of spices (Cinnamon, sugar, poppy seeds, vanilla, etc)
-Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes
-Garnish and enjoy :)

Tomato & Cucumber Salad
-Dice 1 cucumber into 1/4 pieces
-Slice grape tomatoes in half
-Combine cucumber and tomatoes together with 1 tbs olive oil
-Season with fresh basil, salt, pepper
-Top with feta crumbles

Community

The need for connection and community is primal, as fundamental as the need for food, air, and water.
-Dean Ornish

As I'm preparing myself for countless job interviews, I have been learning a great deal about myself. Nothing like unemployment to allow for further introspection and rediscovery. As a former Psych student, I know my personality like the back of my hand: (E)/(I)NF(P)/(J). Man, did I love the semester where we studied personality exclusively. My nerdy little heart nearly burst in excitement.

To those of you scratching your head in bewilderment or if you have never taken a Meyers-Briggs personality test, let me explain my personality in depth:

Jen is community focused. She receives her energy from people around her yet has introverted qualities and sometimes needs a breather to relax. She prefers hiking, camping, and outdoorsy activities solo. She enjoys a good party and can socialize with others but craves intimacy, deep, and meaningful conversation with people 1:1. Jen is very intuitive. She can deeply empathize and sense what others are feeling around her. Sometimes, this can create chaos in her friendships or relationships because she knows when there is a problem and will seek to find an answer even though she was unasked. There are times where she feels people are mad at her or she did something wrong [even if untrue].

She likes to push boundaries, not because she is insensitive, because she desperately wants to fix things.... she is a helper, a fixer, a healer. She would search the ends of the earth to find a solution for her loved ones. Therefore, when her loved ones are in pain, she deeply feels the pain as well. Jen struggles with decision-making; there are times where she can fluently make decisions by logical reasoning and analysis, other times she would just prefer to not choose as she values both ends of the spectrum.

Jen fights for the underdog; she is impassioned, brave, courageous, spontaneous, carefree, spirited, and full of wanderlust. Jen thrives on adventure and dislikes monotony. She finds enjoyment in a variety of activities, hobbies, and interests... which leads to her inability to concretely pick a career path.

She is a campaigner; she advocates for all. [Find your personality/cute info-graphic cartoon here]

Jen simply wants: community.

I've come to accept it: I'm an ENFP who is just unpredictable and switches invariably with my energy and perception of the world. I'm fluid; a river wandering through the Earth that can change kinetic energy, direction, velocity, water flow rate, and discharge from start to finish. Rivers are a unique geographical feature of the Earth. Just as a river follow a path of least resistance; so do I as I approach life.

My life in Chicago has been lacking the exact thing I'm in a constant state of pursuit: community. I need people in my life. As a nanny, I am continuously investing in my "littles" and their families, but I can't exactly ask my employers to constantly hang out or go to coffee with me. Life changes you as you become married and you fill your home with children. They have different priorities; I've accepted this truth as most of my closest friends are married and on their third child now. My roommates are never home; they are busy working, dating, or fulfilling their own paths. I usually connect with them once in awhile as well as with other friends on an individual basis. Now, I am completely content with connecting with them individually as that is what my introverted heart prefers 70% of the time but I also can't neglect that 30% of my heart that longs to be a part of something.

While I lived in Korea, I was downright spoiled. I had community. It wasn't an easy search in the beginning, as making new friends in your ripe old age of late 20's isn't a natural task. However, over time, I built a wonderful, tight-knit community of fellow teachers and expats where we had one thing in common: we were all displaced from our homes [near and far]. We bonded over being expats, then teachers, then insert your common hobby here [_____]. We built a life together, became each other's families; a community of wild-eyed adventurers tackling Korea together. Then I packed up my suitcase because I saw life moving quickly before my eyes back home: siblings graduating, friends getting married, friends having babies, loved ones moving, everything changing without me. 

Now I'm in Chicago. With any adventure of mine, it hasn't been easy. This city has definitely eaten me up and spit me out on the pavement. As I reflect on my time here, I can't but help think, why on Earth did I move here? Your community is back home. Your people are not here. Why would you forsake everything you came back home for in order to begin a new life in Chicago? As I've said before, I struggle wholeheartedly with the decision making process. I always second-guess my so-called intuition and it bites me in the ass. [Just ask me about my multiple lock-outs and loss of licenses because I second guessed myself]. My wanderlust kicked in and saw an opportunity for a new journey, so naturally I packed up and headed for Chicago.

Change is hard to accept. As I'm on my path for [another] soul-searching endeavor, I need to accept that people change; they move away, they get married, they have babies, they evolve, grow, and find new paths. Regardless of the miles, I will always have my Korean community, my Minneapolis community, and soon to be my Chicago community. I need to look at it with new [fresh] perspective. I need to spend more time looking inward as to how I can change to keep up with my community.

As I reflect on being home for nearly a year now, I've set some new goals for myself.

1. Become a part of a Yoga community-  I've found an Ashram where I'm excited to seek out meditation, relaxation, and a healthy lifestyle. I'll be slowly changing my eating habits and eradicating unhealthy foods/drinks that have been polluting my body.
2. Run for enjoyment- While living in Korea, there was an amazing path/wooded lake area that I miss but I hope to find that same enjoyment while running through some of Chicago's parks. I hope to not focus on weight loss like I have in the past but simply enjoying the sound of my foot hitting the pavement and building a natural rhythm.
3. Read more- I've unfortunately developed what I call "screen induced ADHD." Quite simply: I spend too much time looking at my phone and less time picking up a real book. Because the internet has condensed everything for us in 180 characters or less, we have unfortunately built this habit of skimming things and not paying 100% to the words or content.
4. Adopt a dog- A lot of my friends have shared the emotional and psychological benefits of having a pet [more so a dog]. I miss having a four-legged friend in my life, and I feel that the act of caring for something else besides myself could be beneficial and self-soothing at the same time. Of course, my responsible side kicked in and has made finding a job my #1 priority, but a dog comes in as my #2 priority.
5. Volunteer- "I believe that to meet the challenge of our times, human beings will have to develop a greater sense of universal responsibility. We must all learn to work not just for our own self, family, or nation but for the benefit of all humankind. Universal responsibility is the key to human survival. It is the best foundation for world peace, the equitable use of natural resources, and through concern for future generations, the proper care of the environment."- The Dalai Lama

So, Mom, you were right: I do need to get out, be active, and volunteer.