First time backpacking, staying in hostels, and doing it solo.

I'm backpacking for the first time, well I think it's backpacking. I live out of a single backpack and I'm staying in the cheapest hostels I can find. Let me tell you, it's really really fun.


So how does one begin backpacking alone?

I've always wanted to do it, but I was scared. Eventually you get tired of being scared and you just do it. My adventure just sort of... happened. I came to Hawaii about 2 weeks ago with my family. About two days ago they flew back home and I decided to stay in Hawaii. The morning they left, I woke alone in the hotel room, and I had nowhere to stay for the night. I started to panic a bit. I was so used to knowing exactly where I was going to sleep and what I was going to do for the day. I always had a plan. I meditated for a bit to calm my nerves, but looking back on it, I really had nothing to be nervous about. I booked a hostel and wandered around the city, and my path to pathlessness began.

Oh, and I'll be backpacking in Seoul starting tomorrow.



What are hostels like?

Before this, I had never stayed in a hostel. So I was nervous as I approached the hostel.  I chose to stay in a eight girl dorm room because it was the cheapest option ($28 a night in Honolulu). I was so afraid the girls would be rude and I would hate it. Which was dumb because the girls ended up being fantastic. I specifically made friends with a very interesting girl from Beijing and sweet girl from Portland.

I've also heard horror stories about people at hostels. There was a fight outside my hostel yesterday. Before I arrived, I heard there was a fat lady in the dorm who would sleep naked. On a darker note, they were investigating a murder at my hostel as well. But so far, I'm meeting fascinating people and that's all that matters, right?

The hostel itself is pretty dirty. My bed showed signs of bed bugs, which are common in hostels. So I laid down some beach mats, extra blankets, and wore clothes to cover most of my skin. I also put on coconut oil, I'm not sure if it helped, but I didn't get bit! Bathrooms are naturally gross if you share it with seven other girls. House keeping comes everyday, but they don't really do a deep cleaning. Every hostel is different though, you can probably get a more expensive hostel and it will probably be cleaner. 

What's it like backpacking alone?

It's magical. You wake up in the morning, with no specific plan and you do what pleases you. For example, I woke up, walked down to the beach, did yoga and swam in the ocean. You find yourself living in the moment. You don't have to plan, things just sort of happen. If you're afraid of going alone, just know travelers also attract other travelers. It's so true that it should be rule. In the past two days I've met so many people from around the world from just hanging around the city/hostel. 

I'll be writing about my trip to Seoul eventually so stay connected :) It's going to be my first time backpacking alone in another country where they have a completely different language from us - which I know nothing about besides how to say "Hello" and "Do you speak english?" It should be a fantastic adventure and I would love to share it with you!

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments, or tweet at me @tarabolical and I'll get back to you right away.

xoxoxo

Tarabolical

First of all... Daft Punk

I'm out traveling around right now, Hawaii and then off to Seoul. I want to share this video with you guys that I made with the footage from parties and stuff that I've been to in the past 6 months. I'm really happy with the video and if you like Daft Punk's new single Get Lucky ft. Pharrell Williams, I really believe you'll enjoy the music video I made.

xoxo

Tarabolical

4 photo shoots in 24 hours.

For those of you who are friends with me on MM/facebook, you know I've recently been modeling a lot in the past month.


The first shoot I did was yesterday around 5pm. I shot for one of my favorite etsy shop owners iadornu.etsy.com. We met at her house and shot it her backyard with her adorable dog and vintage blue car. Jewelry is pretty hard to photograph because of the way the light hits it. So most of the time I just strike a pose and she moved according to the sun.

The next shoot I did was at 8am. It was a shoot for a friend studying photography in school. I got to model with my boyfriend for the first time! It was a salsa themed set. We were both a bit apprehensive at first because neither of us knew how to dance, and we thought we would look really awkward on camera. The photos turned out amaaaazing though. The photographer, Sarah, used light painting and it looked dope. I'll post a picture later. I'm way too tired to describe it.

The third shoot I did is the closest thing I have to a real job. I get paid hourly, I have an employee number and all that good boring work stuff. But my job isn't boring, it's actually really awesome. I work as a model for a clothing company. I'm on their website & all other forms of social media. I try on clothes and do a 'set' for each outfit. There's probably 10-20 pictures taken for each set, different poses and angles. I love the environment I work it, it's super chill, in a really modern warehouse, and I'm surrounded with new clothes/shoes/jewelry, I drink water out of a starbucks mug & there's a little Chihuahua that barks and runs around downstairs. I also like it because I can show up to work looking like a bum and they do my makeup and make me look all purty.

Lastly, I did another shoot an hour after I got off work at a park. It was for a friend who works as a graphic designer. The shoot is secret so I can't tell you what it's for ;). Anyways, my boyfriend was in this one with me too! We shot while the sun was setting so it was serene with the tall grass and the long shadows. It was a nice way to end the day because we just walked around the park and casually shot where ever looked good.




So that's it! I must say I am exhausted. I came home and stuffed myself with some homemade Thai food, watched some Walking Dead with my boyfriend, and no matter how many cups of green tea I drank, I felt exhausted. Nonetheless, I feel very grateful to have found another creative outlet in the past month. I really didn't expect for it to grow so fast and go so far. I'm not trying to be a pro or anything, I just enjoy doing it while it lasts.

I'll make a video with some modeling tips and how you can get into modeling if you're interested. But I hope this gave you some insight to what it's like being a model. <3

xoxo

what wednesday.

When you're growing up your schedule is regimented. School is Monday through Friday 7am-2pm, french horn lessons at 4pm, etc. Now that I'm an 'adult', every day varies tremendously.

I hung out with my boyfriend in the early morning, rushed home to get ready for school. Went to computational linear algebra and psychology. Got out at 3:30. Picked up a friend from the airport at 4. Hung out at my favorite coffee shop with him and ate. Went to an interview down at the strip at 6pm. Grabbed a beer at a fancy bar. Went to a mall to visit my best friend while she was working. Picked out a flowy dress for a photo shoot in the morning. Dropped off my friend Alex at his place. Drove over to hang out with another two great girlfriends. Smoked hookah, talked about travelling, and flattened out some details for a couple more photo shoots I have coming up. Got back home around 11pm. Ate some lentils and now cleaning up my mind by journaling and meditating. Next I'm going to organize everything for tomorrow and lather myself with coconut oil for the photo shoot I have in the morning.

All in all, this was a great day. I did have a mini panic attack in the morning about working again. I really need the money to travel though. School isn't too intensive right now, I'm taking four classes. Once I start working, I'll just need to cut back on hanging out with friends and organize my time better. I haven't made a vlog in a while (sorry), I'll put one together soon and I have a video I need to edit for a drinking board game. I have a lot of photo shoots coming up, but most of them only take up to 4 hours, 2 hours shooting, and 2 hours of travelling and prepping. So I'm not too worried about not being able to do them. I'll still take photos but I probably won't set up shoots. Modeling is a lot more fun than shooting at the moment. And I love talking photos, but I despise editing them. Which is strange because I love love love editing videos.

That was my ramble for today. I usually write this stuff in my journal, but I'm trying to post more in here. Thanks for reading. Much love.

Happy

I find myself writing less when I'm happy. That means my journal is full of a bunch of depressing shit.
I never write about 'why' I'm happy. When I'm sad, I like to analyze and fix what's wrong. You don't really do that when you're happy, you just accept it.

I currently feel really fulfilled at the moment and I want to record and remember why so when I'm sad, it'll help me get out of it faster.


1. I've been eating very healthy lately.
     Mostly raw foods- veggies, fruits, nuts- and healthy cooked foods - quinoa, beans. Also drinking a lot of water. I stopped drinking coffee and that helped a lot with my headaches and mood swings. I still drink green tea though, in my opinion is a lot better for your body than coffee.

2. I have time to do what I love.
     I am enjoying what I am studying in school. Yeah, I did do math homework the entire weekend, but I am not complaining one bit. When I'm not doing homework, I'm editing or drawing, and both make me super happy.

3. I have a very clean environment.
     It helps that I like to clean, but having an organized room is the first step to having an organized mind and life. I can think a lot better when my room is clean. Same goes for my body. 

4. I have a handful of very significant people in my life. 
     I have a loving boyfriend, two best friends, and a little sister I can talk to and see all the time. When I have a  real problem, like what was going on last week, I have so many people to talk to it about and they can all help so much. They basically all tell me the same thing in a different way.They all also make me laugh in a different way. They are also all sooooooooooooo flippin different. But I love them all so incredibly much. They make my life journey a million times more meaningful.

5. Exercise and meditation.
     I don't do these two things as much as a should. I stretch every day but I only get a real work out and meditation once every two or three days. But I've been dancing a lot lately and that helps. Both these things help calm me down. Meditation makes me think more clear and see the bigger picture. Exercise just makes me feel awesome and helps me sleep deeper. Speaking of meditation, isn't it weird that it's so hard to do the simplest thing: not think. I'm also going to throw hiking in here because it's a mixture of both. Being out in nature really helps connect me back to my roots, the earth.

6. Following my heart and pursuing my life goals.
     My last post was a bucket list. And I believe the things I am doing now are on track with what I want out of my life. I'm on track for travelling, and there's no doubt that I won't fulfill my other goals. Following your heart makes you feel like you have a real purpose in life.



So that's it. The main chunks as to why I'm so happy. After writing this, I feel so grateful for everything I have in my life. & I want you to realize one thing that's not on my list: money. I'm wealthy in every other part of my life at the moment, except for my wallet. But that does not make me unhappy one bit. I'm doing what I love and I am able to eat healthy. The stress of not having the nicest car (my car is prettttty messed up) or the newest clothes doesn't bog me down. Having money is nice, but it's just a tool, so there's no reason to get all crazy over it. 

I know this helped me a lot, and if it happens to help you, that'll make me happy too. Feel free to leave a comment. 
 :)

Tara

BUCKET LIST

Things will constantly be added to the list. It might be very short in the beginning, but it will get longer as I move along with my life :)



1. Skydive.
     I anticipate for this is happen soon, so it is on the top of my list. I think it is also sets the tone for an adventurous life.

2. See the Northern Lights.
     Where I live, I can barely see the stars. Yet, I still gaze in awe of what's up above. Pictures can hardly capture the depth of stars, so I can't imagine seeing the Northern Lights in person. And I don't want to just 'see' them. I want to admire them for hours at a time, in order to say I've truly seen the Northern Lights.

3. Go on a Cruise.
     This is a goal that I know is going to happen, but I'm going to be upset if I die and I don't get to go on a cruise so that's why it's on here. I want a lavish cruise, with drunk rich people, a dance floor, and lots of good food. Not to mention to go with a loved one and/or a group of friends is ideal. If I had to go alone, I'd still do it.

4. Backpack Europe, Asia, and South America.
     Might as well put North America too, and Africa, and Australia. But Europe, Asia, and South America are my top three continents (I know right, entire continents haha) that come to mind when it comes to backpacking. I feel that a lot of my friends and family project this identity onto me that I might be too girly or I'll get kidnapped if I do these things, but I don't want to have what they think of me keep me bonded down. I think if I was a boy, it would be normal. My brother has been backpacking through Hawaii for the past year. And my dad has been backpacking through Europe and Asia for many many years. They think I'm more of a book smart person, but I can't wait to surprise them. I'm applying for my passport on Wednesday. Then I'll be booking my first backpacking trip for this August (2013). Not sure which continent to go to first though. I'm thinking visiting my brother first in Hawaii, and then flying over to the Philippines ;)

5. Design my own house.
     This is one of my biggest life goals, in terms of planning, money, and time. This goal is the reason I'm going to college. A large chunk of my heart, mind, and soul goes to home design. A house is where you grow those things, you rest, and you learn. I believe a well designed house, with great architecture and interior design, will make any human thrive. I'm a huge organizer too, so it will put my mind to the ultimate test to design a house that is dynamic, with room for growth, loved ones, friends, a good time, a place to laugh, and a place to love. Travelling the world is an incentive to choose where I want this house to be. Also learning about myself and my lifestyle to see if I want a big house or a small house. Gahhh, so many variables go into this. I can't wait to collaborate and create my dream home with my future loved one(s).

Just life, I guess

It's funny because somewhere inside of you, you know the right path for your life. For some reason, me and basically everyone else I know, battles this path and keeps themselves 'busy' to avoid what really needs to be lived. I'm sick of living that life, of keeping myself busy to avoid the fear of failing at what really matters.

You have to give up your fake dream first. So if you're on the same path as me and you know you're not living the right life you should be living, I hope this makes you feel better.

I'm dropping really crappy time consuming class, but in the process, I'm losing my scholarships. Gah. But I have to remind myself that I have 14 classes left, and every single one is hard as fuhhhhh, and I don't know if I can go full time anyways to receive those scholarships...
I don't know, I'm tired. I'm rambling. I've had a lot to think about today. I just know I'm on to a more meaningful life.
Why is it so hard dropping the things that don't matter? For the fear that our fake plan won't work out? By doing what your heart says, you can stop wasting so much time.

So cheers to me, cheers to you. I hope this helps.