Trust Your Gut

As I wrap up my first stint in the corporate world, I've been doing a lot of meditating on what my next steps are and what I envision my life to be. When I left for the winter, I could feel myself physically rejecting my job. I was getting sick, lethargic yet had trouble sleeping, and gaining weight. As soon as I left, I immediately felt better and lost the weight. So, when I returned in March and fell right back into that pattern, and fell back into bad personal habits I used to deal with these other problems, I knew I needed to make a change.

So far, my gut hasn't steered me wrong. It may seem really bizarre and not quite rational, but if you listen to your gut, you'll probably make the right decision for you. Doing what is right for you versus what is right for someone else are two very different things. If I had listened to my conservative colleagues last summer, I would be twenty pounds heavier, depressed, and passionless. Instead, I lost the weight, discovered diving, and realized that life doesn't have to be miserable. I've had enough close calls to know that life can end unexpectedly. I've been accused by those close to me of living too much in the moment, that soon the funds will dry up and I'll look back and think I've wasted so much time.

An ancient building being subsumed by the jungle;
even so called permanent things change

I'm not concerned. I know I'm not alone in the world. If the worst happens and I can't take care of myself, I have family and friends who will help me get back on my feet. I would do the same for them, and I hope they know that. Life is too short to not enjoy it, so once I walk out of my office for the last time today, I'm opening myself up to new adventures and not looking back.

The Savings Account that Everyone Needs

via aviaforum.ru

Back in 2010, JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater made headlines with his dramatic exit from a twenty year career. This incident came just a few months after I graduated from college and a month after I started my first full time job. It got me thinking about how a person could be driven to do something so dramatic and what the consequences for those actions are. I was raised with the belief that financial independence is something to aspire to, but also that it is fully attainable for everyone with the proper sacrifices.


Growing up, we talked about money a lot; how to save, different financial strategies, the importance of an emergency fund, how compound interest works. My first major financial decision, one that still affects my choices today, was where to go to school. I had a few options ranging from free to nearly $50k/year. I made a calculated decision to go with the $50k/year option. People still like to tell me I made a bad choice. It wasn't easy, but I do not regret this decision. I was able to study in an environment that challenged me on every level; it was this challenge that allowed me to thrive. Additionally, working through school made me better appreciate what I had. I promised myself that if I didn't feel it was worth it I would leave school and just work until I knew what I wanted; I graduated in four years. I was also given an additional push to take a job when I graduated because I knew that the best way to get rid of those loans was to pay them early.

After graduating, living my relatively frugal lifestyle, I came up with a financial plan. My primary goal was to pay down my loans as quickly as possible. I know this is not the right choice for everyone, but I wanted to be free of debt more than I wanted to put a down payment on a house or buy a car. I knew I needed an emergency fund, but, after hearing about Steven Slater, I decided that I needed an additional liquid fund at my disposal. This fund grew to be almost equal in size to my emergency fund. However, the two had distinct purposes and were equally untouchable for daily use: the emergency fund would be there if I lost my job or something catastrophic happened while the second fund was there to cover me if I lost my cool and did something impulsive, much like Slater.

Last summer I was planning a two week vacation to Hong Kong, working extra hours to offset any time that I took off so that I could spend as much of my precious vacation time as possible in Asia. After a series of emotionally charged decisions, I decided that I was bored and unchallenged at work and that I didn't enjoy getting out of bed and going to work everyday. My solution: I bought a one way ticket to Hong Kong. I didn't know what I was going to do or how long I'd be gone for but I did know that my secondary emergency fund was sufficient to cover me through a comfortable, fun, and exciting winter in Asia. Given that I planned this trip about two months before I left, having this fund available to me was the only reason I was able to take an open ended leave of absence without much worry.

I recognize that not everyone is in a position in which they are able to sock away enough extra cash to float them for a few months of travel. However, skipping a meal out every week or walking to the grocery store instead of driving will free up a few extra dollars that may turn out to be the peace of mind you need when everything around you is crazy.

Goal 4: Complete One Unassisted Pullup

I realize that pullups are second nature to many people, but I've generally just treated pullup bars as a fun place to play.  Despite having one in my kitchen, I still am unable to complete a full pullup unassisted.  So, my newest goal is to complete one full unassisted pullup (any grip) by my next birthday.  Definitely an attainable goal, but I need to stop simply hanging from the bar and start trying to lift myself up :-)

Hustle Up the Hancock 2012!

I just registered for this winter's Hustle Up the Hancock race.  The race is 94 flights (1632 stairs) up the Hancock building in Chicago.  The race is a fundraiser for the Respiratory Health Association in Chicago.  I already usually take the stairs instead of the elevator and I commute by bike so I think my base is okay, but climbing specific training starts next week.  I expect to do a lot of training on the actual stairs (fortunately I work in a building with a 300 stair long stairwell) and stairmill; I'm also planning on working some lifting in to increase my upper body strength (I've heard it's helpful to pull yourself up the railings), yoga, and swimming.  In the past my biggest issue has been pushing myself to train so I'm hoping mapping out a training plan for this race will help out.  Let me know if you have any suggestions!

Goal 3: Swim More

Although I never swam competitively, I have swum for pleasure and exercise my entire life.  However, now that I moved two blocks from a pool, I just never seem to go anymore.  My number one excuse is that I like how my hair is at exactly that day.  A lame excuse, but completely in line with my priorities in life.  So, I will set a day and time where I at least have to go to the pool.  If I don't want to get in that's fine.  I figure once I'm actually at the pool it should be easier to just jump in.

Goal 2: Bike Tour

On my vacation this past summer, I was hiking in the Cinque Terre with a Belgian retiree who asked me where were some interesting spots to visit if he were to go to the US.  I initially rattled off the major eastern cities like New York and Washington, but beyond that I had no idea.  I started thinking about why I seemed to vacation in Europe more often than the US.  Obviously, the foreignness of it is appealing, but the west coast is just as foreign to me as a New Englander as the UK.  I think the major factor for me is easy accessibility.  As a non-driver, travelling the US can be difficult; this issue is not as substantial in western Europe.
I got to thinking and decided that in order to see the US, I would be self-reliant and ride my bicycle.  So, for my next big vacation, I want to do a bike tour.  I have several options in mind; I plan to have this accomplished by the end of summer 2012.

Goal 1: Learn to SCUBA Dive

I have always loved the water and the feeling of freedom that comes
with being able to float around, twisting around any which way without
gravity reminding you that you aren't designed to keep your hips over
your shoulders. A goal that I have for the next year is to learn to
SCUBA dive. This would allow me to explore new areas and increased
freedom in the water. I have never done any freediving, so I have
never been able to hang out under water for sustained periods of time.
I have signed up for a SCUBA class in November, and given that I have
a lot of domestic airline credit to use this winter, hopefully I can
escape to the Caribbean or Gulf of Mexico to get my open water dives
in some particularly cold and bleak DC winter weekend.

Reflections on the Past Year

I figured a good way to get started on my goal setting for the next year is to determine what I have accomplished in the past year.

1. Completed my 200 hour certification to teach yoga.
This was a long term goal of mine that I was not expecting to accomplish this year.  I began working at a new yoga studio last summer.  They offer a training at the studio, three or four weekends a month for about three and a half months.  When it came time to apply, I realized that at that moment, I had the time and money to commit, the willingness to do it, and the ability to do it easily as I already worked at the studio and spent a lot of time there.  I realized that the only thing at that time stopping me from doing the training was me.  So, I signed up, didn't get much sleep for a few months, and came out with a different outlook on life.

2. Lived in one house for longer than 9 months.
This may not seem like a real accomplishment, but given that I haven't lived in one place for more than nine months since I was 17, this was definitely a change in my lifestyle.


3. Bought a bicycle.
This was a major change to my lifestyle and has played a large role in my future goal setting.  Prior to the bicycle, I walked most places.  If I didn't have time to walk (distance was not much of a factor) I would metro.  This limited my ability to do things that were not on the same metro line, or within a mile or two.  Upon getting my bike, I began traveling almost exclusively by bike.  I began to see the metro area differently.  I was able to cover more distance and see areas that are not easily public transit accessible.  I have harbored an interest in transportation and regional and urban design since I was very young.  After getting the bike, I began to realize that a personal car free society is really possible (it might take awhile though).  In a future post I will write about my transportation and planning focused goals.


4. Learned (basic) Swedish.
I studied Swedish during the fall semester (2010) and this summer.  I started studying as a step toward accomplishing my goal of living in Northern Europe (topic for goal setting post).


5. Learned (some) Finnish.
I took Finnish lessons this past spring semester, despite not really having the time to fully commit to it.  However, it was fun, I did learn some Finnish, and took a step towards one of my goals of moving to Northern Europe.

6. Vacation on the French Riviera
This vacation came into being very haphazardly one day as my friend and I were half joking about going to Monte Carlo.  A few hours later, we had plane tickets to spend two weeks wandering around Southern Europe, between Barcelona and Cinque Terre.  One of my favorite movies is Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch A Thief so I chose to spend the largest allotment of time in and around Nice.  The glitz of Monaco was surreal; I had never seen a yacht store before, never mind a dozen within a few blocks of each other.  While it seemed very superficial, in that everything was so perfect, it was absolutely stunning and I wish I had been able to spend more time in Monaco itself.  I was shocked at how nice I found Nice considering that I had heard from so many people that it is a gritty industrial town.  The art was great, the beaches gorgeous (I'm not a huge sand beach fan) and the city so laid back, but not lazy.
This vacation also made me realize that I am capable of traveling on my own in places where I do not speak the language (in Spain and Italy) and that I am the type of person who likes to roll with the punches and see where life takes her.

Birthday Reflections

As I mentioned in an earlier post, birthdays are my favorite time of
year to reflect on the past year and set goals for the next. It is
also a great excuse to spend time with friends, who are not
necessarily overburdened as they would be around other holidays. This
past birthday was fun for me, but sad for Georgetown. It came out
that Syracuse is planning on leaving the Big East which would leave GU
without a strong in league rivalry. More seriously, Jack the Bulldog
(the older one, not the current mascot) died. So, birthday day was
fun, but somber for GU.

Over the next week I will begin posting on the status of the past
year, and my goals for the next year.