To Be (Structured) or Not To Be?

As my life-changing trip to Australia draws nearer and nearer, I keep going back and forth between what I should do for work while I'm there. A couple different opportunities have been thrown my way and I'm not sure which direction to choose. Regardless of what I end up doing, I know it will be beneficial to my personal (and professional) growth.

So do I commit to a structured job where I have a certain amount of hours each week and accommodations figured out ahead of time for me? Or do I pick up odds and ends touring jobs in various cities across the continent?

For my entire life, I've always planned EVERYTHING. I plan to the point where there's a plan B, C, and D in place as well. It's great knowing various ways I can make things work, but to be honest...it's exhausting! For one day, I would love to know what it feels like to NOT have a plan. To just be. This alone leads me to one of my goals on this trip: to learn how to be worry-free in a no worries society. In America, I sometimes get caught up in the Rat Race and forget about the important things in life like family, friends, and mental calmness. In Australia, I want to embrace the laidback attitudes of Aussies. I want to talk to as many people as I can and learn something from each person I have a conversation with, whether it be good or bad. I want to become my best self and in turn help others to become their best selves.

Life is good. I'm thankful to be embarking on this journey.

"A Tour Guide to People's Souls"

For a couple years, I've contemplated taking a journey somewhere far away for an extended period of time. I spent four months in London during my undergraduate studies, but I've always wanted to visit and travel around Australia. 

After years of back and forth between deciding to go and not go, I finally decided to take the plunge. I got over doing things I "should do" and started thinking about things I want to do, things I am passionate about. "Feel the fear and do it anyway!" was a common theme in my life...my good friend frequently told me this and my life coach echoed these words. I finally decided to take the plunge after I realized that I was miserable at work, unfulfilled with my life in Chicago, and eager to learn more about myself and others through the exploration of another culture.

I lined up as much as I could for this adventure and with a 12-month visa in hand, I'm headed to Australia in October 2012. I have yet to finalize exactly what I will do for work, but the best part is that I have options. Whether it be structured or unstructured, I know I'll be fine. I'm a problem solver and genuinely optimistic about life, so good things will come my way. 

I just got off the phone with my life coach and friend, and she said something that resonated with me. She said, "You're a tour guide to people's souls." I've spent part of my life leading student and adult tours all over the U.S. and Canada. My favorite part of this job was seeing people grow through internal and external exploration and adventure. 

At the end of the day, I am going on this trip to further my own personal growth so that I can one day help others explore theirs. Sometimes you just need to take a leap of faith, even when the fear of the unknown takes over. 

I'm excited to take you all along on this journey with me! From now until the day I leave until the day I return, I'll try and write as much as I can about what I experience and what I learn, so that maybe each of you can take away something, too.

I'm Neon in a Sea of Black

This morning I attended an awards breakfast filled with numerous Chicago companies that talked about how their corporate cultures have led to enhanced employee engagement. As a panel of representatives from these companies rattled off how their companies retain key leaders, I could help but question: shouldn't this be the norm?

I knew I would quite possibly be battling this question alone by the sheer looks of the event. In a sea of black suits (with maybe a pop of color here and there), I waltz in with a neon yellow dress and an aqua blazer.

I feel like not enough companies do their part in fostering a fun, collaborative work environment for their workplace. But hey, maybe that's why I gravitate toward startups! At the end of the day, I know my personality doesn't align with what most of corporate America represents, but to others, it's what they live and breathe. Like they say, different strokes for different folks.

I'm just glad I don't have to pretend anymore :)

101

I'm sitting on the train riding home from work and absolutely exhausted. It's been a draining day. Then a five-year-old named Fiona sits next to me. I tell her how much I love her shoes and I'm now her best friend. The next 15 minutes of my ride involve question after question about who I am, my friends' names, my brothers' names, how many family members I have (she has 100 apparently), etc. After our brief but entertaining encounter, her mom warns her that the next train stop is theirs. Fiona then asks her mom, "When can Christina come over to play?" She then pleads, "But I want her to be 101!"

It's days like these I wonder why I don't work with kids full-time..

Finding My Niche

A majority of the time I think, I self-reflect. The other small time remaining, I go over my daily To Do list.

Today is a self-reflection day. I'm in Santa Monica for a week and the friends I'm staying with are both at work, so I decided to rent a beach cruiser and bike down to Manhattan Beach along the ocean.

I've called the usual suspects on my ride: my aunt, my dad, my mom, and my best friend. After talking to them, self-reflection mode kicked in full force. What makes me happy? What do I love to do? I've found that the easiest way to be happy in life is to diminish things that I don't enjoy participating in and eliminate people from my life that bring me down. Easier said than done, but I'm getting better at it. Here's what I enjoy: health and wellness, genuine and optimistic people, kids, yoga, reading with a good cup of coffee, cooking something new, learning (then teaching someone what I've learned), and talking to new people and learning about them and what makes them tick.

No matter where I physically end up in this world, as long I am mentally sound in what creates happiness in my life, I know I'll find my niche. Some of the best Words of Wisdom I've been given in life are that problems follow you no matter where you go, just the scenery changes. It's true. A new place may temporarily change your perspective, but those constant issues will always be present. Long story short, I'm learning to be in a consistent state of happiness within so that when an opportunity arises in my physical world that takes me to another city, I'll be ready with open arms to make an impact. I'm ready :)

Why Intangible Goods?

In the land of tangible goods (Los Angeles), a friend helped me zero in on this blog name...it was love at first listen.

I'm a native Chicago girl, but I often visit California to visit friends I've met at various points in my life. In LA, I go to visit my study abroad friends--we lived in London together Fall 2007.

So one morning as I'm walking through neighborhoods near Santa Monica, my friend Josh is name dropping expensive car brands and series and my mind fogs over. I've never been one to buy things strictly for the brand name (although there's always exceptions if I know the brand is top quality). I don't live beyond my means either.

Josh then notices I have no interest in what he's talking about and comments, "You're really all about the intangible goods, aren't you?" Yes, as a matter of fact, I am. And so Intangible Goods was born.

I've had a couple blogs before but I wasn't super passionate or excited about the names or ideas behind them. This blog is different. I'm writing about all the things that make me happy and inspire passion on a daily basis. I'm aiming to tell stories that bring out the same in my readers. However, if I blog about something more tangible then intangible, don't worry! Because I'm sure I'll somehow relate it back to something Intangible. Enjoy!