Well, I spent an hour writing a detailed post about the updated math of having pet insurance. And then it somehow didn’t save properly and disappeared. I’m taking that as a sign that I should just tackle that topic another day. Here’s a very quick update of what’s going on in my life.
Continue reading “Life Updates”Travel Hacking My Way to Jordan
Here’s the deal. My mom is awesome. Like super awesome. Like raised-two-daughters-as-a-single-mom-and-still-got-her-Ph.D.-in-the-middle level awesome. She’s always been supportive and wonderful, and I love her bunches. And she turned 60 this year, so I wanted to do something extra special to celebrate. For the past year and a half, I’ve been saving up credit card points to take her to Jordan (without spending a whole lot of money), and I figured I’d outline what I did here in case it’s of interest to others. I couldn’t write about this travel hacking strategy sooner because I didn’t give her the gift until last month, but we won’t be going until Spring 2020 (for her birthday I told her that we would be going, then we picked dates…).
It’s Official: I’m Moving To…
Damn straight that’s a clickbait title. You’re just going to have to keep reading to find out the answer to where I’m moving.
Priorities and Traveling
I’m traveling out of the country this week (and next). When people learn about my job, a lot of times the response I get is “Wow, it’s so cool that you get to travel!” And in some ways, it is cool. I’m visiting three new countries on this trip, and one of them has been on my travel bucket list for years.
But that doesn’t mean it’s “cool.” It’s usually exhausting and stressful. And, as evidenced by the pet-sitting line item in my last post, it ends up being really expensive. Yes, it is awesome that I get to visit new countries, but I would be traveling on my own anyway. And once I’m not working a traditional 9-to-5 job, I’ll have more time and flexibility to do so.
Don’t get me wrong–I am so excited for this trip. And for the extra week that I’m spending on vacation at the end. But this is also reaffirming that my new career path is the right choice for me and a better fit for my mental health.
Priorities
My priorities of flexibility and freedom mean that even traveling is hard when it’s under a rigid schedule and with strict expectations. There’s also the fact that it’s hard to explore a country when you have specific responsibilities in a professional role on a trip. I’m glad that the direction my life is moving in better lines up with my priorities because I really believe I’ll be happier as my job lets me do more of what I love and on my own time.
Anyway, this is a short post this week; more of an update than a fully fleshed-out post. It’s just nice to get my thoughts in writing and know that even the most exciting aspects of my job come with their own downsides that I’d like to mitigate moving forward.
Next week, I’ll put out the full list of books I read in the first quarter of 2019!
What I’m Saving For: 2019
2019 is shaping up to be a wild and exciting year for me, so I want to make sure that I’m saving for what’s coming up. There’s a few things listed in my budget categories at the moment, and I thought it would be helpful if I went through those here (as well as how I’m approaching each). I use the YNAB Budget System, so when I refer to categories, that’s what I mean. You can read more about my love for YNAB here.
Also, today is a very special day, and my GIFs are themed accordingly. You’re welcome.
via GIPHY2018 in Review
It’s been a wild year. Actually, 2018 was pretty rough for me, with a lot of turmoil and uncertainty. But this last month, it feels like things have started to clarify in my life, and I’m hopeful for what 2019 will bring.
I’m going to break this post down by my three main categories–financial security, happiness, and health.
Continue reading “2018 in Review”Weekly Update: A Month of Habits
Well, we’re at the end of September, so it’s time to report back on how I did with tracking habits this month. In some respects, I’m happy with my progress, but I can definitely tell that it’s been a hard month in terms of stress. Continue reading “Weekly Update: A Month of Habits”
Weekly Update: Family Time
This weekly update is going to be super short because I’m currently with family celebrating my mom’s birthday. It’s great to be with loved ones, and I’m even more glad that I was able to surprise her for the weekend!
And StarDog is thrilled to be staying with the pet sitter. He views it as his own extended sleepover, and he always has a ball. She doesn’t have cats, so he gets to sleep in the bed there…
Weekly Gratitude
Like I mentioned last week, this will be a weekly section on what I’m grateful for every day. I’m hoping that by documenting these, it will remind me to be more mindful about the good things in my life.
- Monday: Sold something on Poshmark! It’s been awhile…and I’m grateful to get something else out of my apartment. And…money.
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The handsomest kitty. Tuesday: StarCat had a relatively painless annual checkup at the vet, and everyone there could not get over how handsome he was!
- Wednesday: I heard back from a super awesome company that I really want to work for, and we’re going to do a preliminary phone interview next week. Fingers crossed!
- Thursday: I finished the second case interview in the first round of one of my job applications. Glad that’s over…
- Friday: I managed to get a business lunch scheduled at my favorite ramen restaurant. And I’m always grateful for delicious free food! We event got bubble tea afterwards.
- Saturday: Spending time with family! My flights were pretty painless (despite a 6am departure), and my mom didn’t suspect a thing, so she was shocked. That’s something worth celebrating because she’s pretty sharp, and I was sure she’d guess.
- Sunday: Well, this is technically taking place in the future since this post goes live before dinner, but I’m taking my mom to her (and my) favorite steakhouse. I’m grateful for good food and people that I love. And dessert. I’m always grateful for dessert.
Whatever you’re doing this weekend, I hope it brings you joy. I’d love to hear about your plans, and what you’re grateful for this week—write me a comment below!
Financial Flexibility for What’s Important
I have a confession: I’m dropping $2,500 on a completely elective purchase in October. And on two weekend trips that were planned pretty last-minute. And I have no regrets. Having my finances together gives me the flexibility to address what’s important in my life. Financial flexibility isn’t necessarily frugal, but it does mean my money is going to things I value.
Continue reading “Financial Flexibility for What’s Important”
Why I Travel (And Why You Should, Too)
On a good day, I can name all 197 countries in the world (I’m using Sporcle’s country list. It includes Taiwan and Palestine BECAUSE WHY WOULDN’T IT). Clips like the Jimmy Kimmel video below make me worry about the United States and how we interact with other countries (well, that clip and a whole lot of other things happening in the news lately…).