Investigation Case Closed - M.I.A

Case: Open

After blog post for Day #8 in Boston - Tiffany has become M.I.A 

After investigation went under way, reports tell us that she enjoyed her last few days in Boston - away from the computer and job search boards. She flew back to Florida and moved all of her things from storage into an apartment, so she has a home! She then traveled to West Palm Beach, so she could ride with some of her friends to Miami to attend the FSU vs. UM game, were UM got worked...

After a week-ish of enjoying herself and the company of her friends, phone interviews and getting settled in, she got another call for an interview in BOSTON! 

Flight was booked - and off to Boston she goes ... again!

Saturday, October 16 - 7 am flight!

Case: Closed!

Basically, after my job search in Boston, I wanted to take a little break from the internet and enjoy the little things in life. I spent a lot of time with friends and by myself. I have decided to adapt to a new life style , where I have slowly become a minimalist. Getting rid of the old and simply just living ... minimally!

But, I am back on the blogs! 

Workin' on my fitness: Day 8

Happy Tuesday!

After my last post about food I decided it was time for me to get the next one-way ticket for the fitness train. I started my day with a Core-Strengthen class, followed by Spinning! I forgot how great it felt to just 'sweat it out'. Lately, I have started to feel the anxiety and fear of not knowing what is next ... stressing and getting worried about not being able to find a job was slowly caving in again. 

Since it was still wet and rainy out, I decided to stay in and work on some more job applications. After a couple hours, I started feeling suffocated, so I decided to venture off into the city. I put on my sneakers, packed a backpack (iPod, zip-up hoodie, wallet, keys, etc) and grabbed an umbrella. I didn't care that it was raining, I was going to walk around. I walked from South End, through Tufts Medical Center, through China Town and into Downtown Crossing. I went to GNC and bought some vitamins and I also ventured off into H&M. I got 2 pairs of earrings and a card of plain studs. I fell in love with a pair of 'Boyfriend' jeans - but I couldn't bring myself to spend the $40. I figured if I walked away and a couple days later I still really wanted them, then I'd go back and get them. While I was in H&M, the Cupid Shuffle came on (that made me smile). 

I got onto the T (Boston's subway system) at Downtown Crossing and traveled over to Central Station (MIT area). The T was packed! I forgot there was a subway rush hour also!

 

I met up with an old friend, Eric Cruz - to take his hip-hop class. Meeting up with an old friend, resulted in making a new friend! Fiona and I walked together after dance class. I felt like I was talking to my twin. It was nice to not have to travel alone in the city. After I got home, I watched Glee! I have to admit, I am not an avid TV series fan, but I am slightly obsessed with Glee! I am looking forward to tomorrow, the weather is suppose to be nice!

What I love about Sunday/What I don't love about Monday: Day 6 & 7

Sunday was a beautiful cool, crisp day in Boston. After a night on the town, I woke up refreshed (surprisingly) and we were off to Taiwanese Brunch! For those of you who are not familiar with what this is, it is very similar to Dim Sum. You order a bunch of small dishes and enjoy a little bit of everything. Oh, and of course, it is family style (there were 9 of us)! I also learned a new way of making a paper chopstick holder!

It was a wet, rainy Sunday afternoon. A nap sounded like the best thing to do ... except, my 'nap' turned into 4 hours of sleep. Thanks a lot MSG! After waking from a long slumber, Wenni and I watched some shows that were DVR-ed early in the week (Dexter, Glee, Vampire Diaries) until we were tired and ready for sleep again!

Monday was also a rainy day! I spent the whole day, once again, applying for jobs. Later in the evening I was feeling spontaneous, so I went and got my Tarot cards read. I went to the Tremont Tearoom - located across from a cemetery near the Boston Commons. It was interesting and fun! I feel like that is more of an entertainment thing rather than something to live your life by. But I must say, it was kind of scary that she knew some things about me and all I told her was my name! 

On my way back from my Tarot card reading, I ventured into China Town to find 'The Original Dumpling House' (Wenni wanted take-out from there). That place was bumpin'! There was a line out the door! I ordered: Scallion Pancakes, a Pork, Veggies and Rice dish and a Pork, Bamboo Shoots and Rice dish. 


I need to leave Boston before I become morbidly obese from all this amazing food.

Everyday is the weekend for me, well at least right now: Day 5

After still feeling the results of Tuesday's Zumba class, I decided I needed to work my soreness off. I started my Saturday at the gym! After my work out, I came back to the apartment and ate a delicious granola bar and showered for my busy day!

We spent the whole day car shopping! Yay - not so much! After 5 long hours, 4 car dealerships and no lunch ... I was getting irritable. On the way back we stopped at Yi Soon Bakery (Chinese bakery goods). We also got Honey Green Tea with Boba!

After indulging in our food, as if we haven't eaten in years. I took a power nap. I went to see a comedy stand up performance by Julie Goldman. It was hilarious. Julie was on the Big Gay Sketch - she is a Lesbian and she is Jewish. One can only imagine what kind of jokes she cracked during her show! It was great and well worth the $22 dollars!

After the show, I went out in Back Bay to some spots off of Boylston. I sat at a bar by myself while waiting for a couple of my friends. It was the first time I had ever sat at a bar completely alone. It was kind of awkward at first, but after a few minutes... I felt comfortable! It was one of my first nights out in the city besides the Fenway area and I enjoyed it. 

The consuming of some ice cold brews definitely helped get me some good Zzzz's!

T.G.I.F - Day 4

It's Friday! Wait, everyday for me feels like Friday right now. My big girl job search in Boston continues! I spent a lot of time on search engines today, but instead of for a job ... I am helping my sister find a car! (I know, I know, I am such a wonderful sister). After spending half the morning doing that and then I took Morgan to the dog park. Since the fall is coming there are lots of acorns falling off the tree - while the puppies frolicked around, I was dodging flying acorns!

 After the dog park, I went to the Allston/Brighton area and got a Honey Green Tea with Boba and a roasted pork bun with scallion snack (one of my favorite things to eat since I was a kid)!  

Later in the afternoon, Wenni and I rented a ZipCar. It is a rental car services that allows you to rent a car by the hour! You register for the service, they give you a little swipe card and when you need the car you just reserve it online. They have multiple pick up sites for the cars and you don't even have to pay for gas (there is a gas credit card inside the car). Nifty and handy little thing to have, especially if you live in the city and don't do much driving. We got a little Hybrid Honda - about $21 for 3 hours. Cool, eh?

After coming home from the Mazda dealership, we freshened up and headed down to Red Fezz (right down the street from Wenni's apartment) for a birthday get together. I was able to network with lots of Boston professionals and enjoy some good eats! We had a Lamb Burger (which was better than I had anticipated), Calamari (with a spicy jalepeno sauce) and Avacado Salad. 

Saturday we are hitting up the car dealerships again ... sigh! 

Holla!

...and the search begins: Day 3

I was suprisingly sore this morning from Zumba. Does that mean I am getting old? Or, (dun, dun, dun) I am out of shape! Note to self: starting tomorrow I am going to the gym everyday (even if its just an hour of cardio)! Moving on ...

Today was a somewhat productively unproductive day. Sorry friends, I do not have a bunch of cool photos to share today. I spent my whole day slaving away on Google and numerous job search engines (between the couch, bed and dining room stools). Tailoring your cover letter and resume to make yourself a fit for a job that you are truly interested in is a lot more difficult than the average person thinks. I ask myself: How many other people are reading over this job description? How many other people are applying for this job? How many people are on the other end reading the applications? ... to answer myself, thousands are probably looking, hundreds are probably applying and a team of a 'few' people are probably reading them. It is convenient to apply for jobs online because you can sit on the couch in your pajamas or you could be sitting at Panera Bread enjoying some brocolli and cheese soup while applying for a job - it's convenient! But, I am finding it difficult to sound like an exciting person on paper.

Finally, after rubbing my tired eyes (from looking at the computer screen so much)... I walked to the kitchen to start prepping for dinner. I turned to my handy, dandy, trusted Pandora Radio and put it on the Citizen Cope channel. As I began to cut the squash and zuchini (while humming to some stellar tunes, might I add)... I looked out the window and the sky looked beautiful ... just as my dinner tasted (Lemon Pepper Salmon, Oven Roasted Spice Potatoes and Sauteed Squash and Zuchini - BON APPETIT!)

Although I am in Boston, I did NOT forget that my Canes were playing tonight. I turned on the game during the second quarter - need I not say more, I turned it off because Jacory threw an interception (what else is new)! The rest of my evening consisted of some Strawberry Banana Chobani Greek yogurt (so delicious)... and Grey's Anatomy! I cannot wait for next week's episode. Tomorrow I have a full day planned, so I must get some shut eye!

Buenas Noches!

Getting settled in while on a journey... is that possible?!: Day 2

Day 2 began with me waking up after a refreshing night of sleep. My plan for the day was to get settled in ... unpack my stuff, get some groceries, make myself feel at home... I didn't know it was possible to get yourself 'situated' while on an unpredictable journey. Needless to say, I was going to try my best! I took Morgan down to meet up with Wenni (my sister, for those of you who do not know). I leashed her up, walked her downstairs and we walked across the street. She obviously did not want me to walk her because she plopped down on the brick sidewalk and just laid down.

After taking her to the dog park I ventured up to the Prudential area and had some Indian cuisine for lunch. I had Basmahti rice, Chicken Tikka Masala and Squash Chana Masala, it was served with nan bread. If you are into trying new cuisines, I highly recommend this! It was very tangy at first with a little kick of an after taste - so good, but so filling. Snaps to India for some amazing food!

After my Bollywood lunch experience, I ventured over to Shaw's (grocery store; note to friends in Florida: they do NOT have Publix here in Boston). Shaw's had a really big organic food section, much bigger than the selection at Public (what up Greenwise, still giving you a shout out). I bought enough groceries to make Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice, Veggie Stir Fry, Buffalo Chicken Dip and Salmon. I also got some snacks (greek yogurt, blueberries, vitamin water, cereal ... etc). I decided to cook early so dinner would be ready when my sister got off of work (I know I am such a great little sister, right?)... let's say that the Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice was a hit! (because it was all gone). GREAT SUCCESS!

This evening, I signed up at the BSC (Boston Sports Club) of the Southend so I could work on my fitness. Only $1 a day for 30 days... it was the best deal since they didn't sell weekly memberships. I took Zumba tonight (by far the BEST one I have ever taken). I was drenched at the end (and I am already sore). While I was walking out of the group fitness room, I met one of the personal trainers ... his name is Chris ... he was from Daytona Beach! What a small world. The rest of the night was just about relaxing ... tomorrow I am beginning my proactive search for a big girl job!

Ta-ta!

Embarking on a new journey: Day 1

Friday was my last day as the public relations/social media intern at Chico's! As much as I was feeling relieved that I completed my third internship ... I was also secretly panicking on the inside. Okay, it wasn't secretly because I was voicing how I felt to all my close friends! I was freaking out. I decided that if I didn't get another position with the company that I was going to embark on a job hunt journey. As much as I love the vitamin-e from the sunshine in Florida ... I need something new. I kept talking about wanting something new. I had to smack myself in the face and say, "Stop talking about change, just do it!" So ... I booked a one way ticket for $67 (Thanks to Spirit Airlines) and here I am ... in the amazing city of Boston! It feels so good to be back here! My flight was at 7am (way too early), I was up at 5:20 this morning... I laid over in Atlantic City, NJ (less than an hour). By 11:30am I was in Boston (not too shabby).

For lunch, I had to get my culture fix ... went to a Vietnamese restaurant in Brighton and had summer rolls (shrimp, mint leaves, vermicelli noodles and lettuce wrapped in fresh rice paper) served with a spicy peanut sauce and crispy spring rolls (mixed veggies and minced meat) served with a spicy fish sauce. That was a great way to start my lunch... Then, I had a Vietnamese Pho Bowl (noodle soup, served with beef, rice noodles, basil, lime, bean sprouts and peppers). You can also add hoisin sauce and sriracha (spicy Thai sauce) for more flavor. 

 

After lunch, I took a much needed nap and awaited my sisters arrival! She got home from work around 6 and we had dinner at a little bakery called Flour. I had a pressed roasted chicken sandwich with brie, alfalfa sprouts and some kind of amazing sauce. I washed it down with some yummy black tea! Walked around the city a bit and then spent a couple hours at the dog park! 

I am excited to see what tomorrow has in store for me!

Ciao!

Food for thought

Drink FRESH water and as much water as you can. Water flushes unwanted toxins from your body and keeps your brain sharp.

A daily hit of athletic-induced endorphins gives you the power to make better decisions, helps you be at peace with yourself, and offsets stress.

Do one thing a day that scares you.

Listen, listen, listen, and then ask strategic questions.

Write down your short and long-term GOALS four times a year. Two personal, two business and two health goals for the next 1, 5 and 10 years. Goal setting triggers your subconscious computer.

Life is full of setbacks. Success is determined by how you handle setbacks.

Your outlook on life is a direct reflection of how much you like yourself.

That which matters the most should never give way to that which matters the least.
 

Stress is related to 99% of all illness.
 

Jealousy works the opposite way you want it to.
 

The world is changing at such a rapid rate that waiting to implement changes will leave you 2 steps behind. DO IT NOW, DO IT NOW, DO IT NOW!
 

Friends are more important than money.
 

Breathe deeply and appreciate the moment. Living in the moment could be the meaning of life.

Take various vitamins. You never know what small mineral can eliminate the bottleneck to everlasting health.

Visualize your eventual demise. It can have an amazing effect on how you live for the moment.

The conscious brain can only hold one thought at a time. Choose a positive thought.
Live near the ocean and inhale the pure salt air that flows over the water, Vancouver will do nicely.

Observe a plant before and after watering and relate these benefits to your body and brain.
 

Practice yoga so you can remain active in physical sports as you age.
 

Dance, sing, floss and travel.

Creativity is maximized when you're living in the moment.

Nature wants us to be mediocre because we have a greater chance to survive and reproduce. 

 

Mediocre is as close to the bottom as it is to the top, and will give you a lousy life.
 

Do not use cleaning chemicals on your kitchen counters. Someone will inevitably make a sandwich on your counter.
 

SWEAT once a day to regenerate your skin.
 

Communication is COMPLICATED. We are all raised in a different family with slightly different definitions of every word. An agreement is an agreement only if each party knows the conditions for satisfaction and a time is set for satisfaction to occur.
 

What we do to the earth we do to ourselves.
 

The pursuit of happiness is the source of all unhappiness.

Appreciating the moment for what it is

Something that I have been working on is appreciating the moment for what it is... On Sunday afternoon I was laying in bed and all of a sudden I got a deep appreciation for the moment. I was listening to the Dave Matthews Live at Radio City album and looking out the window.

The wind was caressing the palm fronds which then made a gentle brushing noise against my window. The subtle wind also created ripples in the lake; they were at a consistent flow with such an inconsistent pattern. The sun was hitting the lake at the perfect angle; it was glistening in the most beautiful way. Listening to the strings of a guitar and watching the blades of my fan spin; I couldn't have asked for a more perfect little Sunday afternoon.

I took a deep breath and appreciated that breath.

I closed my eyes and appreciated the live jam session from DMB.

I glanced out the window and appreciated the snap shot of scenery outside that I take for granted every day by not seeing its true beauty.

Love yourself.

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Focus on self love. 

Being yourself.

♥

Making connections

Not only was this Memorial Day weekend amazing because I got to spend it and share it with my family and close friends, I was also able to make a lot of connections...

I was able to make connections of my past experiences with my present life, make connections with old friends, make connections with new friends and make connections with my family. I chose to put this picture on my post today because I firmly believe that we have the ability to make our own connections. We choose to create the relationships that we have. Although, we cannot control the path of these relationships, we are able to create that initial spark in creating an interpersonal connection.

I was fortunate enough to have a handful of incredible conversations and connections today. It is amazing how we create these pre-conceived thoughts about people and it is not until we take the time to get to know them and have an in-depth conversation that we realize how alike we really are (we, referring to society as a whole). I feel that a majority of people are close minded when it comes to creating friendships with certain people because of what they have heard or because they feel that looking from the outside they would have nothing in common with that person. But - in actuality I am no different from you (yes, I may look different, talk different, walk different, have different taste in music/style  ... I think you get the point). I am a human being, just like YOU!

I have emotions; I feel mad, sad, happy, afraid, ashamed, insecure, pain ... I want to belong. I want to feel comfort and security. I want to be accepted. I want to experience intimacy. I want to be comfortable in my skin. I want to be able to be me. Doesn't everyone feel these emotions? Doesn't everyone want these things? Instead of looking at social/financial status, skin color, ethnicity ... let's embrace the fact that we are all living, breathing, human beings.

I feel very privileged that the people I conversed with tonight, were brave enough to share some of their very personal things with me. I am genuinely excited to see growth in each of them and am excited to take bits & pieces of their experiences and relate them to mine. One of my conversations tonight I could closely empathize with - very, very closely. It was so bizarre because through making this connection, I saw the amount of growth that I've had. It was a little pick me up to know that I have achieved so many things over the last 2 years and I am only continuing to go up that ladder.

Sparking connections ... yup, it's what I am passionate about. 

It's what I love to do.

Got my thinkin' cap on

Besides the fact that I am always thinking and analyzing ... I found this picture online today and the little wheels in my brain started turning. The concept of this photo was created by Dr. Edward de Bono; he was a thinker, physician and author. Through his founding of the Cognitive Research Trust (CoRT) and his book Six Thinking Hats he was able to present his ideas about a different kind of thinking. You betcha that I am going to be purchasing a copy of that book! A book to analyze how I analyze ... I am so there!

Over the last week, I have been doing a lot of thinking (surprise, surprise)! I recently watched the film, Into the Wild; two words: thought provoking (for sure). 

Quick film synopsis: Chris McCandless graduates from Emory University and decides that he doesn't want to live the societal norm lifestyle ... so he cuts up his credit cards, any form of identification and donates all of his savings that were intended for law school to charity because he wants to travel across the country and eventually reach Alaska. He also decides to assume this new lifestyle by changing his name to Alexander Supertramp. 

My analysis of the film ... here goes! (I am going to refer to him as Supertramp because I feel that he never really knew himself as Chris McCandless, meaning he never really knew the real him, until the end of the film) Supertramp wanted to withdraw from society because he wanted to find truth; he felt that society corrupted/infected people (much so in the sense of his parents trying to portray a picture perfect relationship). The lies and distrust from his parents relationship seemed to have a huge impact on his drive to go on this adventure to find truth. It is apparent through the film because when he began to create relationships with people, he would withdraw and continue with his quest to Alaska. I feel that this is very symbolic in our own lives, in my own life - when I feel pain and disappointment from these expectations that society has given me, I feel lost and confused because I've always been instilled to believe that there is a right way. 

I think the part of the film that really struck me was the ending when Chris (notice how I called him Chris because I feel that in the end, he was able to really connect with his true self) writes in one of his books ... "Happiness only real when shared" - this really got me thinking. Going into the wild was Supertramp's form of escapism - he didn't know how to really become cognitive of his inner struggles and face them until he experienced what he did while in the wilderness. I see this play out in life when we run away from our experiences of our past (our actions can show by being superficial, avoiding, shutting out, acting foolish, etc). We experience all of this angst, run and through this "escape" we only end up ... ALONE. Which brings the feeling of no one understanding, not belonging ... alienation. It brings us back to square one!

Bringing it back to society, society has its benefits, but it also has its negatives; it often creates what I like to call, cookie cutter mind sets and destroy the real beauties in life (one of them being our freedom to feel that we can be "individuals"). I think that the focus needs to be on self-awareness. Although it is important to analyze, it is also important to live. I have found it difficult at times to take myself out of the analyzing role; after looking deeper and deeper into things, I find myself running circles around my doubts, around my insecurities. Sometimes I don't know if the way my mind works is positive or negative - I do know that I hate thinking in circles. When I am just living in the moment, things are amazing - its when I start to really pick things apart that my fingers get sticky.

I have found myself in a very different place; much like how Supertramp felt after graduating college. The feeling of not belonging, the feeling of wanting to go on an adventure, the feeling of wanting to know truth about the world. Now that I am done with my degree and major, I am able to focus on things I really have a passion for (not that I don't have a passion for public relations)... but, I want to educate myself more about being spiritual (rather than religious), psychology (because I want to use my experiences and ability to make parallel connections of past experiences and current behaviors to empathize with others as well as genuinely help others become self aware), philosophy (because I have dipped my toes in a couple courses during my undergrad degree and I am interested in learning more), different cultures (because I have always been ashamed of mine and recently began embracing it, I can only imagine how beautiful other cultures are) and just getting comfortable in my skin (embracing the me that was always there but was afraid to come out because of what others would think).

I think I am on my own path of going into the wild, but more so the path of embracing the wild that I already had in me. 

Marketing/PR Junkie

After cranking out cover letters, tailoring my resume like it was going out of style and a few interviews ... I got a call on Thursday from Chico's and they offered me a job working in their PR Department and social media! Yayyy, my first job working in my field/specialty. I am beyond excited to begin my journey as a PR professional.

I picked up this book (The New Rules of Marketing & PR) by David Meerman Scott so I can better understand this new media craze and how it helps businesses connect with their clients, customers and colleagues. Unfortunately the College of Arts and Sciences (and the public realtions program) has not teamed up with Lutgert School of Business to develop a better program to teach social media or any form of media design. I am grateful for the experience I have before me because I am able to learn hands-on!

Technology knocking at my door ...

Hello Blogspot, I think it's about time that we get acquainted with each other!

I was having a conversation via text message today and someone told me they made their first blog entry and then I realize that I created a blog but never posted. I decided to take a look at this blog that I created. After checking it out I thought to myself, "Hmmm... I put the effort into making one, better put it to use." Also, with the 21st century and the social media craze, I thought it would be nothing but beneficial to start blogging. So here is my first blog!