jvolnek

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"And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years." - Abraham Lincoln

(via the-random-quotes)

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"Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand." - Chinese Proverbs

(via the-random-quotes)

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Michael Carini | Artist Journal

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Warorot Market (at ตลาดวโรรส 'กาดหลวง' เจียงใหม่ / Waroros Market, Chiang Mai)

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This Woman I Know Named Mother

There was once a woman who was adopted by a teacher and a farmer, who was raised to be a hard worker, a good student, a good sister, a good daughter, and to be strong in her faith. There was once a woman who faced uncommon-life challenges that many in their long lives would never understand and would easily crumble when put in her shoes. There was once a woman who was strikingly passionate about the lord and naturally provided for others to see them happy and comfortable. There was once a woman who faced strenuous, physical and emotional battles, but fought her way out of them with prayer, strength, and optimism. There was once a woman who was not treated the best at times, but overcame the many obstacles placed in her path with courage, bravery, and self-respect. There was once a woman who did her duty to love a good man/husband and raised two sons and a daughter. 

This woman's name is Katherine otherwise known as Katie, my mother.

This is a woman who's beauty flourishes with every second, minute, day, and year that passes. A woman who, in my opinion, is beautifully chaotic. Beautiful in the sense that she is extremely wise, supportive, classic, nurturing, and has enduring love for many. Beautiful in the fact that she is a character who is extremely passionate and is an exceptional, rare and unique individual. She is chaotic in the sense that she raised me with an iron fist, different from most, and in a way that I did not understand but start to understand more clearly as every year passes. 

This unique woman of strength has taught me numerous, valuable lessons that will never leave me. Some lessons that resonate with me are to embrace my different qualities and to never be dependent on anyone but myself, to be comfortable in my own skin, to never ignore my gut instinct, to stand up for what I believe is right, and that not everyone is going to like me-and that it is okay.

I see my mother as comfort, light, and love. I am fortunate to have been adopted by this strong woman who has taught me the value of education, the meaning of stability, and the importance of family, values, and strong morals. She has taught me to grab life by the horns, to get up if I fall, and to never look back on what once brought me down for they were all learning lessons. 

She may not be a star, but she is the spotlight of her family. I grow a little wiser because of her, and I am lucky to be her daughter.

I love you, mother, and will continue to be thankful for you day in day out. I'm sorry I cannot be there with you on your day, but I am wishing you good health and spirits.  

Happy Mother's Day. 

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What I've learned about myself, relationships, and friendships while being away

On my solo journey over to Thailand, I remember sitting in the airport wondering why I was doing what I was doing. Why did I do it? I was doing it for my own adventure. I didn't want to be sent overseas through any organization, I didn't want to have any connections to where I was going, I wanted to be as free as I possibly could from anyone holding me back and telling me what I needed to do in life. I wanted to vamoose out of society's mental prison of routine and convention. Not that this is bad by any means, it's just not for some people, and I am one of those people. Many could say that I am mental, but if this is mental, I am SO thrilled that I am. Being a young gal and creating her own path, no matter what it is, in this big yet small world is an inexplicable, liberating feeling that I wish many females can experience. 

The salient things that I have learned about myself while living overseas: 

a). I am mostly a loner, mainly, because I am self-seeking or one might know this as selfish. As of now, I take mass pleasure in my 'single' status. However, I do love my social moments with beautiful individuals and a handful of close friends. 

b). I am self-seeking in the fact that I love and luxuriate in my silence- I cultivate my time being able to meditate, listen to my music, practice yoga, be immersed in nature, read, and dive deeper into my inner spirituality. Without this selfishness in my life, I would not be able to collect and gather my thoughts in their purest of forms. 

c). I have loved getting to know me during my companion-less times, my thoughts, my irregularities and knacks, and getting to know more of what works and doesn't work for me. 

THERE IS MUCH BEAUTY IN INVESTING IN YOURSELF AND YOUR MIND. 

I truly believe that being single is a blessing. However, I am human and still enjoy a romantic story once in awhile and whole-heartedly believe in love and soul mates. Yes, being with someone who completes you is absolutely wonderful, but the opportunity to spend years single and exploring yourself and other parts of the world is truly something that is a privilege. After exploring some countries and witnessing the strict expectations put upon women dealing with dress restrictions, arranged marriages, and forces into labor and prostitution, it really makes me further value my independence. As I gain more clarity into my life, and the relationship with myself has expanded, I know that one day, when the time is right, I will be ready to fully love someone else, I will be ready to commit myself while not half-assing anything. When I go into something, I know to go into it with my whole heart and to be 100% honest with myself or else something will be lacking and someone might end up hurt- which is never a good thing, because when you hurt someone, you hurt yourself whether one can admit it or not. Great things are worth waiting for, and I am in no rush to find a significant other while being in the relationship with me, myself, and I.  

What I've learned about relationships and friendships while being away

After landing a great job at a wonderful school in Chiang Mai- I knew that things could only go up, and they did. Along the way, I met my first few friends in which I will be connected to, probably, for the rest of my life. Mainly because we have the same passion: personal growth and development through long-term, challenging, overseas adventures. 

I have learned:

 a). that there are friends who will want to stay involved in your life and will make an effort to keep in touch even though you are thousands of miles apart, and I highly admire those friendships because it takes TIME, EFFORT, and GENUINE understanding to keep those different-world friendships alive. Even though they may not understand what I am talking about, they still try, and TRYING shows  the drive to keep friends. Maybe if one is lucky enough- some friends will make the effort to even come and visit you in your different life. 

b). some people will not understand what and why you are doing what you are doing and may think you are bragging when telling stories. As a result, they may shut you out whether it be rude remarks or one-upping. This has happened to me multiple times, and that is okay, and I don't take any of it personally because differing views can be what makes life so exciting, dramatic,  and the stem of what keeps conversations going. Just don't let the negativity pull you down if it gets taken too far. 

c). some friendships/relationships just simply do not work out and it is something that just happens. Opposing forces can sometimes just not be lead to compromise or understanding and that, too, is okay. Wish them the best, remember the happy memories, and move on. 

d). there will always be the people that will be ambivalent towards what you are doing because you are far away from them yet they love that you are going for your goals and doing what you are passionate about,  and they will always be there for you when you come back to your roots... and this is the safety net that I can be thankful to call family. Being far away from my mother and father not only opens up my eyes to their love and care they provided me with while growing up but also makes me cherish their words of wisdom that they shared with me in the past, up until now.

e). Some of the amazing characters I have met from various areas of the world while working overseas are going to be friends for life. I am so thankful that I have met them while being able to converse over similar interests. 

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It’s play time! This is so great! 😆💦💧 (at ประตูท่าเเพ เชียงใหม่)

The weekend of Songkran, days of cleansing and renewal, was a festival that I will never forget, and it will most definitely not be my last Songkran in the years to come. Walking through the crowded and flooded streets of Chiang Mai while getting drenched in hot and cold water brought me back to memories of my childhood, but on an enormously, bigger level. Being soaked by other people: children, kids, teens, adults, and old people brought so much fun during that weekend of water guns, ice cold buckets of water, and flooded streets which were filled with people shouting, laughing, and dancing. If one wants to feel like a kid again, one should participate in Thailand's lively Songkran Festival. 

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"Keep away from those who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you believe that you too can become great." - Mark Twain

(via the-random-quotes)

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Found this walking around in Georgetown, Malaysia. Take a moment... (at Malaysia)

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I love Georgetown- where Malay, Indian, Chinese are intertwined beautifully. 💛💙💜💚❤ (at Penang (Pulau Pinang))

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Goodbye to the gorgeous, clear, teal water in the South China Sea. :( It’s been amazing to visit the pristine islands before mass tourism takes over!   (at Pulau Perhentian Kecil (Small Perhentian))

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Hello, Perhentian islands- I'm in love with you. #Malaysia #nofreakinfilter :) (at Coral Bay)

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Tasting some of the purest tea I've ever had at an amazing Chinese tea shop. Green tea and oolong are 👌👌👌😊. (at Tea Home Cafe (茶水乡小食馆))

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As this school year came to an end, I said goodbye to my Matayom 2 and 3 students. In the EXTREMELY high-quality photos attached to this post, you will see a display of a fraction of my students along with myself.

When I came into the school to teach during the second term, I found myself in unsettling perplexities. Many of these confusing elements stemmed from the lack of organization, lack of introspective, cultural clashes, and language barriers. 

There were numerous times when I would be prepared for my lessons, excited to offer my ideas and insights over various topics with these eager-to-learn students and all of a sudden, no class. In addition, there were times when my students would mosey into class 30 minutes late. I have learned that this is the Thai way, to expect the unexpected, and to 'go with the flow.' However, the times when I was teaching class, I was always thankful for the amount of respect my M3 students gave me, along with the classroom management help from one of my Thai co-teachers. I had two co-teachers and my M3 sidekick was absolutely wonderful as she understood the way that Americans like to hear things, straight to the point, and no bull in order to get things done. As a result, there were times when we were productive and had a great time working together due to the strength of communication skills. Most of us know that communication is KEY, and without it, we suffer and lose relationships that could have been mended with the right words. I know that "saving face" is Thai culture, but due to this cultural clash of eastern and western ways, there were times in my job where I did struggle. On the other hand, the kids' positive energy, enthusiasm, learning progress, and innocence made those grueling days of asking myself (with the abbreviation of the interrogative particle) "WTF, am I doing?" all worth it. It was ALL undoubtedly worth it when the glimpses of teaching and learning success were evident! 

All in all, I have loved building rapport with my students and like most people with teaching experiences, it is highly rewarding. I love Thailand and will continue to embrace all of my experiences here even if I do feel like I could go insane. As one of my favorite quotes sticks with me, I remember that "WITHOUT THE SOUR, BABY, THE SWEET JUST AIN'T AS SWEET." 

The end (kind of)

Now...

IT'S SUMMER!!!!!!!  Let the travels launch into full speed! 

[jvolnek]

"If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things." - Albert Einstein

(via the-random-quotes)

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“Leo had slammed his hand on the table countless times and he moved his hand further and he crushed a crystal cordial glass. Blood was dripping down his hand. He never broke character. He kept going. He was in such a zone. It was very intense. He required stitches.”