The Next Big Adventure

I have had my fill of days of complaining and moaning about not having a job and being useless to society since graduation but after months of searching and "self-discovery" the right opportunity has FINALLY come my way.  Recently I was offered the opportunity to intern with Bus2Alps in Italy and I did not hesitate to say YES!
{A little bit about the company} Bus2Alps is the #1 travel company in Europe for students studying abroad. The companies goal is to provide amazing and memorable experiences for students that are studying abroad through trips to other cities and countries outside where the they are staying.  Bus2Alps offers a huge selection of trips which include round trip transportation, hostel accommodations, a city tour guide and a Bus2Alps leader [which will be me in a month]!  

{The best opportunity for me} Since the day I left Italy exactly two years ago I have been longing to go back.  For the short 4 months I was there I fell in love with Europe and Rome became my favorite city.  There was so much I didn't get to see and explore though so in the back of my head I knew I would end up going back.  While I was applying for jobs and figuring out what to do with myself I had also been scheming on the side how to incorporate my passion for travel back into my life: be an Au Pair abroad?  Take a trip with friends?  Backpack through Europe on my own?  Go live with family in Ireland?  There was also the option of applying for a position with Bus2Alps.   For the last two years I have wanted to apply to work with Bus2Alps;  I always thought it would be such a great opportunity to continue traveling and help other students going abroad experience grand adventures.  I never thought it was realistic though [just like the other ideas] because I  had to finish school and there was so much pressure from family and the university to find a 9-5 kind of job after graduation.  When I finally realized a cubicle job was not right for me and that I needed to find my sense of adventure again I took the chance of applying for a position with Bus2Alps in September.  I was ecstatic to get an interview and even more thrilled to have been offered a position for Spring 2014!  I am so so so happy to be moving back to Italy and working for such a fun and amazing travel company!  It might have taken me 6 months to figure it out but this is exactly what I want to do in life right now and I couldn't be more excited!

— Bus2alps (@bus2alps) September 26, 2013 

People keep asking me me, "How did you even know of this company in Europe?"  I tell them that while I was living in Rome in 2011 I did a lot of traveling to other countries and used Bus2Alps for multiple trips. I traveled to Germany, Czech Republic and Switzerland with them and had so much fun!  I always thought it would be a fantastic experience to be a B2A trip expert one day.

{What I'll be doing}  Well "one day" is now and come this January I get to be a leader/trip expert for new students living abroad and help them make the best of their time while traveling to different cities though out Europe.  As an intern I will be getting to know the new students, promoting & selling tours, helping plan events for the company and traveling on the weekends as a guide!  

I still may not know what the next five years of my life looks like but this is the next big adventure I have been waiting for and I cannot wait to start - 3 weeks to go!

Winter Basics.

Recently I have been planning for my trip abroad and have been very preoccupied with making sure I have all the basics before I leave.  Whether I'm wondering around Boston for the holiday season or off exploring Prague in a month these are a few items I love and are essential basics for the cool winter season.
- Steve Madden Brown Leather Boots: go with everything; pair with a warm pair of wool socks if spending a lot of time outside.
- Red Mac Lipstick:  I am being fancy with lipstick this holiday season!  The red is a good look for any pale girls out there; it brings out the warmer undertones in your complexion.
- Infinity Scarves:  I would wear Infinity scarf on top of Infinity scarf I just love them so much (one at a time is good though).  They are warm and you don't have to worry about tying them up; they're the best for any cold winter day!
- Cross body bag:  An everyday essential.
- Parka: Comfortable and stylish, I personally prefer no fur trim on the hood.
-  Bangles: I don't care if you hate them but I love them. They dress up your arm and your outfit no matter what time of the year.

Soon I am going to have to start packing (and I am going to have to pack a lot more then these few basics).  I don't want to overpack but I want to make sure I have all the essentials - if anyone has any suggestions on what I should bring with me, let me know!

Take A Minute

Thanksgiving is a holiday filled with family, food and football and it is a great time to share [or tweet] what we are thankful for when gathered with the ones we love [in case you forgot what Thanksgiving Day is about].  Being grateful for everything you have and the people in your life is important but we should not wait for this one day of the year to share with others that we are thankful for them.  I have to remind myself to be appreciative of everything and everyone in my life and make sure my I tell my family I love them everyday.  Take a minute everyday [thats the other 364 days of the year] to reach out to a friend or family member to just let them know you appreciate them and are thankful for them in your life.  

The Perfect Hangover Cure*

I have always been an intense caffeine drinker  - Dunkins Donuts is my addiction [can't go wrong with a pumpkin spice iced coffee] but since graduating my bank account has been running on empty and it pains me to spend $2.12 on a coffee everyday.  I spend long days on my computer job hunting and re-writing cover letters and its a must to have a cup o'caffeine always at my side but instead of buying a coffee each morning I have gradually started drinking more tea.  Tea comes in many different kinds and each kind comes in a variety of flavors, all of which are packed with more health benefits than you know.  It is great for anything from curing a hangover to helping with heart disease.  There are many advantage to drinking tea and since learning the different cures and benefits of each kind I just want everyone to drink tea with me! 

Green Tea: Green Tea is full of EGCG [natural antioxidants] that help fight off cancer and Alzheimer's disease. 1

Oolong Tea: Studies show that Oolong tea is beneficial for weight loss.  The antioxidants and caffeine levels help boost your metabolism. 2

*Ginger Tea:  A hot cup of ginger tea with a slice of lemon and a drop of honey is the key to help cure a hangover after a long night of drinking.  The ginger can help settle your stomach if you are feeling nausea and stop the inevitable headache in its tracks.  It also keeps you hydrated and helps you metabolize the alcohol in your system. 3

Chamomile Tea [Herbal Tea]:  Chamomile  has been said to benefit people with diabetes, soothe a stomach ache and help clear up skin.  It also calms the nervous system which helps promote sleep. 2

Chai Tea [Black Tea]: Reduces the risk of stroke. 1

WebMD1

Dr.Oz2

Kim Perfetto3

#PostGrad

After graduating there is the looming thought of WHAT NOW?  Some people plan out the next ten years of their life before they are handed their diploma on graduation morning...for me all I figured out was how to walk across the stage so I wouldn't fall on my face.  

I graduated in May without a plan, a focus or any inkling of where I might find myself in the next 6 months.  I moved back home to live with my mom and am still the most broke girl you'll ever meet (#PostGradProblems).  I guess in the back of my head I thought I would magically be handed a job because of my fabulous resume.  Well I was wrong.  The job hunt is a lot tougher than I imagined and there are a lot of graduates with outstanding resumes all competing for the same opportunities.  After the first three months of Indeed/Craigslist scanning and nerve racking interviews I still didn't have a job and felt like a failure.  I have this diploma, a $200,000 piece of paper, saying I am beaming with intelligence and ready for the real world but I still cannot seem to get my foot in the door anywhere.  I witnessed [what feels like] everyone landing new jobs and sharing the news via social media about how they received their "dream job!" and were "starting the rest of their lives!".  The best thing I can share on facebook right now is "Perks of living at home: mom still does the laundry."  

After 6 months [and no job offers] it started to sink in that no I am not a failure and I am ashamed to have ever had that thought cross my mind.  I have come to realize that I have no idea what I want to do with "the rest of my life" and am actually relieved I have not accepted a job because I know the right opportunity has not come along yet.  Don't get me wrong it would be awesome to accept a job, make $32,000 a year and move in to my own apartment but for me I know that I don't want a career right now where I'm sitting in a cubicle, cold calling people for 8 hours a day 5 days a week.  I am young and free and there is so much to do and explore before getting into the 9 to 5 routine for the rest of my life.
 I know now that I am not the only one in this position - in reality a slew of graduates do not have their first full time job yet/are still figuring it out [which makes me feel better].  It is very exciting to have an idea of what you want to do and have that fall into place & I am happy for all my friends and fellow QU alumni who have received job offers and have entered the work force.

In the past 6 months, with the ups and downs of Post Grad life, I have concluded that there are four things to always keep with you [whether you have entered into your dream career or you are still contemplating your next steps]:

1) love your family.

2) see as much as the world as you can.

3) do what makes you happy.
4) everything happens for a reason.

And no matter what happens I always say: #ItsAllPartOfTheAdventure