You know, you try to be a good child. Maybe even the perfect child and still, somehow, nothing is ever good enough for the parents who bore you. For someone like me who has never done drugs inside or out of the home, rarely, and I mean rarely, drinks and listens and follows instructions given by her parents, I sure am treated like a second-class citizen these days.
As young people, we are expected to go to college, land great jobs and build a life for ourselves, leaving the comfort of our parent's home. That is the normal thing to do. The right thing, but I do think parents need to understand something about today, about our generation. Those of us fortunate enough to get a job may not be making enough to afford our own places. With rent as high as it is and salaries as low as they are, it is only reasonable and smart that we remain in our parent's home if they so allow us to.
This is my current situation. But of course, it is not good enough. Since I graduated college three months ago, I am no longer a member of my own household. Instead, I am a temporary guest who, at any time, can have her privileges taken away. With any error I make now, I will be kicked out. I am being watched like a hawk. This means that I am not allowed to be in bad moods, raise my voice or even breathe in the wrong direction without constant threats of my termination in my childhood home.
You know, I can care less about money or being taken care of. I am not a mooch, hence why I have my own job, and I contribute what I can to my own household like a good daughter should. But, I'm not part of a family anymore because my status as a helpless student has been removed. No, instead I am a helpless adult trying to get by in an overpriced world. For those of you reading this, wherever you are from, I don't know how living/working situations operate, but here, it is very difficult. You must have a roommate. That is why many couples move in together before marriage, because it is just cheaper that way. This brings me to the next part of my rant. Moving in with my boyfriend.
So, if I move out of my parent's home, I will most likely need a roommate due to expenses. Splitting them is just smarter and easier on the wallet and nerves. My boyfriend is looking for an apartment too so this means we will try and get one together, I mean why not? However, the watchful eyes of the hawk, aka my parents, are scouting this out. They would never like this, but because they can't stop me, they will drop me from everything. Look, I am not complaining about being an adult and having bills and responsibilities. I am just scratching my brain as to how in God's name I will afford all I have to afford with the small salary I am making presently.
Basically, my point of my whole rant is that you are damned every which way possible. Life's a crap shoot, especially for young adults trying to begin their lives right now. We stress about getting into college, then we stress about getting out, and then we stress about finding jobs. Then when we have a job, we wonder how we can afford high rent when companies refuse to pay us anything near what we paid for college. Look, $100 doesn't last a second these days, yet prices get higher while salaries get lower. If I could see the future when I was a little girl, I would have started working at 10 just to save money.
So parents, if you are reading this, take it easy on your kid. You know how it is and that it is much worse out there today. Stop breathing down their necks and making threats. And if you are going to try and kick your kid out, don't. If he or she has a job right now, right after graduating from college, they are doing a fantastic job. Give us a chance for God's sake. Doesn't our generation deserve that? Don't we deserve the benefits people have received for years before us? That's all I have to say. Comments, thoughts, stories, leave me a post.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Sunday, August 11, 2013
I Got Number 45
Tomorrow morning, in approximately nine hours and 50 minutes, I will be starting my new job. Yes, that's right, you read correctly, a job. After months of bitching, stressing, complaining and sulking, I received my first full time job as an undergraduate. And, it is actually under the umbrella of what I received my degree in: well sort of.
I will start the position as a caption editor at a company that does closed captioning of a wide variety of programs for the hearing disabled. It is a company called the Video Captioning Corporation and is located in a small town bordering northern Connecticut.
Is this my dream job? No. I never even thought about the work that goes into those sometimes annoying white blocked letters that scroll across my television set from time to time. Nonetheless, it is actually pretty fascinating. I get to help the deaf enjoy television programs, and I get to watch T.V. I mean, what can be better? It might not be so much editing as it is typing and listening, but it's useful work. It beats my second option of going back into retail as a part-time cashier. (No disrespect to those cashiers out there, but you all know you are underpaid and overworked.)
I was really aiming to work for a health or medical publication, maybe even a pharmaceutical company. You have to start somewhere, and getting job number 45 on my growing application list is not half bad at all.
So tomorrow when I look out the window from my desk, instead of seeing New York City skyscrapers and crowds of people rushing to get somewhere, I will see grass, a lot of trees, and a deer and squirrel or two. Instead of hearing car horns, subways and the clamored speech of hundreds of people at once, I will hear crickets, silence, a car or two passing on the main road. This is not a bad scene at all. Some might even call it beautiful. It is an environment I am familiar with. I grew up in it my whole life. I'm a small town New York girl, always have been, and maybe always will be.
And while those I grew up around start their lives in California, Florida, the big city and even up north, I will remain in the Valley. Not everyone makes it to the city at first, not even at all. Even though I will have to live with my parents in my childhood house in a place I like to call the Hopeless Jungle, I think it is exactly where I need to be, at least for now. I mean how many recent grads can say they have a job, or say they found one basically in their backyard? I can. And it is a pretty damn good one. It is in such an unexpected location, but here it is. Shit, and even though most of my close friends will be gone by the time September rolls around, I will be here, and I will make the best of it. Maybe I will join the community orchestra, join the gym down the road and make the best of life.
This is not to say my blog will end. The list will grow. There will be a time when I will want to extend my career and explore new things. I am planning to go to Graduate school in a year for Bio-medical writing and get a job in that field. But as they always say, some experience is better than no experience.
Peace, and good luck to all those still searching for work. My advice, keep looking and look in the places you may not have thought to or wanted to. If that means you have to stick around your run-of-the-mill home town and work, do it. You will save money that way and gain career experience. After all, you deserve that much. You have a degree! That is supposed to prevent us from going backwards. Move forward, and do so with confidence. You will find a good fit for you, might not be perfect, but good.
I will start the position as a caption editor at a company that does closed captioning of a wide variety of programs for the hearing disabled. It is a company called the Video Captioning Corporation and is located in a small town bordering northern Connecticut.
Is this my dream job? No. I never even thought about the work that goes into those sometimes annoying white blocked letters that scroll across my television set from time to time. Nonetheless, it is actually pretty fascinating. I get to help the deaf enjoy television programs, and I get to watch T.V. I mean, what can be better? It might not be so much editing as it is typing and listening, but it's useful work. It beats my second option of going back into retail as a part-time cashier. (No disrespect to those cashiers out there, but you all know you are underpaid and overworked.)
I was really aiming to work for a health or medical publication, maybe even a pharmaceutical company. You have to start somewhere, and getting job number 45 on my growing application list is not half bad at all.
So tomorrow when I look out the window from my desk, instead of seeing New York City skyscrapers and crowds of people rushing to get somewhere, I will see grass, a lot of trees, and a deer and squirrel or two. Instead of hearing car horns, subways and the clamored speech of hundreds of people at once, I will hear crickets, silence, a car or two passing on the main road. This is not a bad scene at all. Some might even call it beautiful. It is an environment I am familiar with. I grew up in it my whole life. I'm a small town New York girl, always have been, and maybe always will be.
And while those I grew up around start their lives in California, Florida, the big city and even up north, I will remain in the Valley. Not everyone makes it to the city at first, not even at all. Even though I will have to live with my parents in my childhood house in a place I like to call the Hopeless Jungle, I think it is exactly where I need to be, at least for now. I mean how many recent grads can say they have a job, or say they found one basically in their backyard? I can. And it is a pretty damn good one. It is in such an unexpected location, but here it is. Shit, and even though most of my close friends will be gone by the time September rolls around, I will be here, and I will make the best of it. Maybe I will join the community orchestra, join the gym down the road and make the best of life.
This is not to say my blog will end. The list will grow. There will be a time when I will want to extend my career and explore new things. I am planning to go to Graduate school in a year for Bio-medical writing and get a job in that field. But as they always say, some experience is better than no experience.
Peace, and good luck to all those still searching for work. My advice, keep looking and look in the places you may not have thought to or wanted to. If that means you have to stick around your run-of-the-mill home town and work, do it. You will save money that way and gain career experience. After all, you deserve that much. You have a degree! That is supposed to prevent us from going backwards. Move forward, and do so with confidence. You will find a good fit for you, might not be perfect, but good.
Friday, August 2, 2013
My Guide to Physical Fitness
Some people have been asking me lately how I got so fit and thin. Honestly, up until recently, I didn't even notice how much weight I had actually lost. I was never heavy or even chunky, but I had "baby fat" for awhile. At the start of my junior year of college, I was 145 pounds, and now at 22 years old and 5 feet 5 inches height, I am 124. So, how did I do it? Well, it didn't happen magically, although it kind of seemed that way at first.
The number one reason for my drastic, if you want to even call it that, weight loss is my sudden, severe allergy to milk, commonly known as lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance occurs when a person does not produce enough lactase enzymes which break down the sugar lactose found in dairy products such as milk, cheese and creams. Enzymes are large molecules that act as catalysts in chemical reactions such as the breakdown of food particles and even the "unzipping" of DNA strands in cellular division and sexual reproduction. I digress. Anyway, long story short, my body decided not to produce any more or enough, so there is nothing there to properly break down the sugars and disperse the nutrients throughout my system. This means that when I consume ice cream, cheese or milk, my stomach bloats, aches and then I run to the bathroom. So dairy products and I are no more.
I go into this because dairy has a high percentage of fat. Evolutionary speaking, I am at an advantage. Most adults loose a normal amount of lactase enzymes, causing some discomfort when dairy is consumed. This is advantageous because in the long run, dairy fat is not healthy or necessary for developed adults any more. As children, we need the vitamins in milk to support and sustain bone growth. As adults, too much of it makes us fat and might even cause fatty spots in our bodies that can be very detrimental.
I am not saying to become lactose intolerant or cut out dairy all together, but replacing milk fat with healthier options like soy, almond or coconut milk will trim your body and keep fat off. Humans still need calcium, don't get me wrong, but calcium is not only found in milk. Some vegetables like broccoli, contain calcium. Soy milk is also fortified with calcium and of course, there are calcium supplements. This becomes really important for women of post-child bearing years. Too much soy can be harmful too, but everything in moderation.
The second, most important thing I did that contributed to my knew physique was cut out saturated fatty foods like cakes and cookies. I was never a cake eater to begin with, but for those of you who are, pay attention! It is really important to switch these saturated fats with polyunsaturated ones found in fruits. Instead of taking a huge piece of pie or enteements cake, try blending some bananas, berries and ice together. You will still get a sugar fix and feel like you are enjoying a delicious treat with half the calories, fat, guilt and all natural sugars.
Third, I limited my carbs. Kick those carbohydrates to the corner and substitute it with fiber instead. Fiber bars and fruits rich in fiber will fill you up while cleaning your digestive track out. Eating a bagel in the morning is an all too quick-fix, common routine. But, carbs are meant to be quick energy, stored in the body for high-energy movements. So a bagel will leave you feeling empty, drained and sluggish. Too much intake that doesn't get burned turns to fat, especially around the belly. Plus, carbs will make you feel hungry between breakfast and lunch causing you to snack more. Try some fruit and eggs or a fiber bar instead.
Fourth and really the key to all fitness is exercise. All too often people use their busy lives as an excuse to not moving their bodies. I get it, believe me I do. But, there are things you can do in just ten minutes that will help. I started doing these things most nights before bed, and I felt and saw the difference. Core body work-outs like sit-ups and planks help build stomach muscles. These can be done on the floor of your bedroom. Doing 50 sit-ups and 30 second planks tighten those abdominal muscles. Wall-sits are also a favorite of mine. Find a place against your wall and just sit. You will feel the burn in your thighs, but that tightens up glutes and thigh muscles. Doing cardio work like running, elliptical, biking, walking or swimming is always effective when trying to burn more fat.
If you have a gym membership and time to use it, great. Bring a friend, significant other or family member for motivation and support. If not, that's ok too. Tag along with someone who does have a gym membership and can bring guests, or you can try the above exercises at home. Also, using work out videos on YouTube are really helpful and fun. There are so many of them and on so many different work outs. You can find a cool zumba video or dance routine.
All of these things and more will contribute to the health and physique you are striving for. You don't have to be a skinny thing or even a body builder, and you don't have to starve yourself on diets. You just want to be confident in your own skin while feeling healthy and fit. Everyone is built differently and has different metabolisms, however, everyone benefits from a healthy life style one way or another. It starts with you and simple changes in habits each day. So put on your yoga shorts and jogging shoes and come along for the healthy ride to fitness!
The number one reason for my drastic, if you want to even call it that, weight loss is my sudden, severe allergy to milk, commonly known as lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance occurs when a person does not produce enough lactase enzymes which break down the sugar lactose found in dairy products such as milk, cheese and creams. Enzymes are large molecules that act as catalysts in chemical reactions such as the breakdown of food particles and even the "unzipping" of DNA strands in cellular division and sexual reproduction. I digress. Anyway, long story short, my body decided not to produce any more or enough, so there is nothing there to properly break down the sugars and disperse the nutrients throughout my system. This means that when I consume ice cream, cheese or milk, my stomach bloats, aches and then I run to the bathroom. So dairy products and I are no more.
I go into this because dairy has a high percentage of fat. Evolutionary speaking, I am at an advantage. Most adults loose a normal amount of lactase enzymes, causing some discomfort when dairy is consumed. This is advantageous because in the long run, dairy fat is not healthy or necessary for developed adults any more. As children, we need the vitamins in milk to support and sustain bone growth. As adults, too much of it makes us fat and might even cause fatty spots in our bodies that can be very detrimental.
I am not saying to become lactose intolerant or cut out dairy all together, but replacing milk fat with healthier options like soy, almond or coconut milk will trim your body and keep fat off. Humans still need calcium, don't get me wrong, but calcium is not only found in milk. Some vegetables like broccoli, contain calcium. Soy milk is also fortified with calcium and of course, there are calcium supplements. This becomes really important for women of post-child bearing years. Too much soy can be harmful too, but everything in moderation.
The second, most important thing I did that contributed to my knew physique was cut out saturated fatty foods like cakes and cookies. I was never a cake eater to begin with, but for those of you who are, pay attention! It is really important to switch these saturated fats with polyunsaturated ones found in fruits. Instead of taking a huge piece of pie or enteements cake, try blending some bananas, berries and ice together. You will still get a sugar fix and feel like you are enjoying a delicious treat with half the calories, fat, guilt and all natural sugars.
Third, I limited my carbs. Kick those carbohydrates to the corner and substitute it with fiber instead. Fiber bars and fruits rich in fiber will fill you up while cleaning your digestive track out. Eating a bagel in the morning is an all too quick-fix, common routine. But, carbs are meant to be quick energy, stored in the body for high-energy movements. So a bagel will leave you feeling empty, drained and sluggish. Too much intake that doesn't get burned turns to fat, especially around the belly. Plus, carbs will make you feel hungry between breakfast and lunch causing you to snack more. Try some fruit and eggs or a fiber bar instead.
Fourth and really the key to all fitness is exercise. All too often people use their busy lives as an excuse to not moving their bodies. I get it, believe me I do. But, there are things you can do in just ten minutes that will help. I started doing these things most nights before bed, and I felt and saw the difference. Core body work-outs like sit-ups and planks help build stomach muscles. These can be done on the floor of your bedroom. Doing 50 sit-ups and 30 second planks tighten those abdominal muscles. Wall-sits are also a favorite of mine. Find a place against your wall and just sit. You will feel the burn in your thighs, but that tightens up glutes and thigh muscles. Doing cardio work like running, elliptical, biking, walking or swimming is always effective when trying to burn more fat.
If you have a gym membership and time to use it, great. Bring a friend, significant other or family member for motivation and support. If not, that's ok too. Tag along with someone who does have a gym membership and can bring guests, or you can try the above exercises at home. Also, using work out videos on YouTube are really helpful and fun. There are so many of them and on so many different work outs. You can find a cool zumba video or dance routine.
All of these things and more will contribute to the health and physique you are striving for. You don't have to be a skinny thing or even a body builder, and you don't have to starve yourself on diets. You just want to be confident in your own skin while feeling healthy and fit. Everyone is built differently and has different metabolisms, however, everyone benefits from a healthy life style one way or another. It starts with you and simple changes in habits each day. So put on your yoga shorts and jogging shoes and come along for the healthy ride to fitness!
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