1. Mind the Gap This really won’t be that hard to do considering those exact words are painted on the ground and announced from the speakers at every single tube station stop. You’ll actually grow quite fond of it and may even find yourself reciting it to your friends in your best (or worst) British accent. Regardless, this is an important tip because there is indeed a gap between the train and the platform and falling victim to it would really put a damper on your London adventures. 2. Buy an Oyster Card An Oyster Card is a handy, dandy little card that holds the amount of fare that you load onto it, and you scan it each time you enter and exit the Tube station. If you don’t purchase a card, then you’ll have to buy a ticket for each trip. The card itself costs a few pounds, however, if you return the card to a kiosk before you leave London, you’re refunded that fee. Stay aware of how much money you have on your card because if you don’t have enough for a trip, the gates won’t let you through and then you’ll have to reload, or “top up”, which can take a while depending on the crowds. 3. Avoid Rush Hour Just like you experience “rush hour” on the highway, the Underground also experiences this dreadful occurrence, especially considering most people use this public transportation to get to and from work. If you’ve ever heard the saying “like a can of sardines” and never actually experienced what that may be like, hop on the Tube during the evening rush and you’ll soon find out. You’ll be packed in with as many people that can squeeze into that car, plus a few extra. My best advice here- try to get to the back of the car and find a standing spot. Not only is it convenient to have the wall to lean on, but there is a sliding window that creates a marvelous breeze that will be a lifesaver when the temperature is rising and you’re feeling Closter phobic. 4. Blend In This technically could be general advice for the American traveler in any country. Americans are notoriously known as loud and obnoxious and you don’t really want the stares that accompany this idea. The British are quiet and reserved people, especially on the Tube. Most people are by themselves, listening to music or reading a book. Those in pairs or groups either sit silently or converse in hushed tones. Hopping on the train with you girlfriends and giggling loudly will cause you to stick out and reinforce the “noisy American” stereotype, and you’ll probably earn yourself some dirty looks. 5. Map Out Your Route Beforehand If you haven’t seen the Underground route map yet, go ahead and take a second to Google it right now. It’s a bit overwhelming, but once you learn how it works then it’s a breeze to navigate. Before you depart to a new place, I’d recommend going to http://www.tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey/, and you’ll be able to map out the journey. Just be sure to pay attention to the station names as you’re going along and hop off the train at the correct one! If your destination requires you to get off of one line and then onto another, don’t panic, just prepare ahead of time and pay attention while you’re on the Tube, and you’ll be fine! 6. Take Advantage London is a marvelous city, and the fact that the public transportation is at your fingertips is just another reason to step outside of your comfort zone and explore. You can get from one side of the city to the other in such a small amount of time, so utilize this incredible underground transportation and have a blast in London!
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Some people have no idea that they're a light to others. Some people have absolutely no clue that they emanate joy and grace and respect. These people speak truth, even when it's hard to hear. They knock you down when they question your thinking and explain a better, more optimistic way to view things. They never speak without somehow encouraging you to be a better person. These people have problems, feelings, and bad days, yet they some how keep their heads up and put others before themselves. These people are inspiring. There is a person like this who I am grateful enough to interact with on occasion. Every few weeks or so, when I show up to a thankless, exhausting, and frustrating job, and I'm already planning for my night to play out negatively, this person catches me off guard and reminds me that life isn't that bad. And that sometimes you deserve what you dish out. And that people are allowed to be grumpy and tired and that you don't always know what circumstances they're facing. This person reminds me that gossip is hurtful, jokes can be hateful, and that everyone can benefit from a hug. This person exemplifies Jesus, and they don't even realize it. I honesty have no clue if they're Christian or has a relationship with the Lord or let alone believes in God at all. But wow, they'd be really good at it. I've never had an interaction with this person that didn't make me rethink my thoughts, actions, and words. I'd absolutely love to be encouraged by this person more and more, to hear what else they have to say, and to understand their thoughts. They're inspiring and have affected me in more ways then they'll ever know. Thank you for your ever present smile, your nonchalant truth telling, and your refreshing conversations.
Dear College Freshman Self,
Oh how I wish you could read this now. It’s two months away from graduation and you are not where you think you’ll be in any way. You think that you’re having problems now, but just wait, it’ll get worse. I don’t want to scare you, because there won’t be anything thrown at you that you cannot handle. You manage somehow. But here is my advice to you as I prepare for the next step in this journey of life. Don’t get too comfortable where you are. Life is dandy for you right now. You’re at University of Delaware, your top school, and you’ve made incredible friends, you’ve moved away from home, and you’re feeling pretty confident about this whole college thing. Well, adult decisions suck and you’re going to transfer from UD and end up at Towson, the very place you swore you’d never go. You’re going to commute and you’re going to feel out of place. Oh, and you’re going to develop an anxiety disorder and experience one too many panic attacks. Good luck with that, I won’t lie, you’re going to hit rock bottom soon. Just don’t take for granted the year you have at Delaware. Embrace it and do everything you can. Unfortunately, the best four years of your life are going to turn into just one. Involve yourself in something you love. Seriously man, explore this massive world, try new things, adventure, and please, please, please do not let your anxiety keep you from that. Do things alone, test your limits, it’s actually not that bad. You may be surprised but your future self got her scuba certification, went sky diving, drove across the country, flew a plane, shot a gun, and lived in London. Pretty impressive, huh? When you are forced to transfer schools, wake up and get yourself involved in something. Go to YoungLife, read your Bible, walk around campus, and go to a freaking football game for crying out loud. You really are going to suck at being a Tiger and if you keep it up, you’re going to graduate without making a single new friend. Yep, not one. Now is your chance to change that. Experience, experience, experience. I CANNOT EXPRESS THIS ENOUGH. Go get yourself an internship, even if it’s unpaid! Get out into the field no matter how you do it. You’re going to continue as a psychology major and you won’t realize until halfway through your junior year that you want to pursue social work and you’ll add a minor in family studies and human services. I don’t care if you absolutely hate your internship, I promise it won’t be worse than Sports Authority (you still work there, by the way, happy 3 year workiversary…). Your resume is going to look infinitely better with relevant experience than your crappy, thankless retail job. You can blame Towson all you want for not requiring an internship in the psych major, but you should have known this would come back to bite you. Grad schools like experience, trust me, your A grades aren’t enough. Your plan won’t work out the way you’d hoped. Seriously girl, don’t get your hopes up, because plans change and life happens and sometimes you aren’t meant to go in the direction you want to. Don’t get me wrong, set goals and focus on them. Work hard and stay persistent through all of the struggles you’re going to face, but don’t get disappointed when it doesn’t pay off. You’re going to bust ass, fight your mental illness, defy odds, and put all you have into your school work, but sometimes that won’t be enough. Dear 18-year-old Bianca, I know that your biggest dream right now is to graduate with your bachelor’s degree and attend graduate school immediately afterward. You have a plan and you know you need a master’s degree and you want to get it as soon as you can and jump into your field and be the successful and independent woman you are. Here’s a spoiler, you’re not going to get into grad school. It's going to crush you and you'll feel hopeless and lost and disappointed and not good enough. You’re going to cry and you’re going to get angry and you’re going to be comforted by those you’d least expect, but you’re going to get over it. I know that you have your eyes, and your heart, set on grad school, but consider a plan B, and maybe a plan C. You may think you’re trapped but you aren’t, there is going to be a way out. Heck, I don’t even know what it is yet, but it’s going to be great. [Although, if you can read this, get that internship I mentioned above… because if I have a second chance at living out my plan, I wanna take it. I’m going to regret, every single day, not doing enough to look appealing to that admissions board, but if you get the chance to avoid that feeling, take it.] The main purpose of this letter to you is just to offer this: just because you have a plan for yourself, doesn’t mean that it’s the best plan. Truth be told, you can’t see into the future. You couldn’t then and you can’t now and you won’t be able to next year. But God can. He knows what’s best. He works all things for good and He knows the ultimate way for you to use your talents and gifts. Please realize early on, that your trust in the Lord is going to be your greatest asset in life. You can’t get angry at Him for wanting the very best for you, and sometimes what you think is best, is actually far from it. Hold on, you’re going to be okay. He doesn’t fail us. And your life is worth something. Best regards. It’s been 5 months since my last panic attack.
Firstly, let me explain that there is a difference between a panic attack and an anxiety attack. A panic attack is the mind telling the body that it is in danger, resulting in the feeling that the walls are closing in, your throat is constricting, and that you are ultimately doomed. An anxiety attack is when the mind races, conjuring up every possible bad scenario, resulting in stress and fear, even if you don’t know why. For me, anxiety is a daily battle. Sometimes I know the root of my anxious mind; a social obligation, a hectic workload, or simply the thought of leaving the house. Sometimes, I have no idea why my heart is pounding, my hands are shaking, and my vision is blurry. I could assume everything is fine and dandy until my brain kicks on for no apparent reason and causes chaos. But, I haven’t had a panic attack in 5 months. I haven’t been overcome with the notion that I need to run, escape, or hide. I haven’t hyperventilated or cried uncontrollably. I haven’t called out of work or skipped class or stayed under the covers all day long. I haven’t lost control of my mind and my body and been convinced that it would never end. It’s been 5 months since my last full-blown panic attack and I cannot tell you how much of a relief that is. Yes, anxiety clouds my head every single day, but the fact that panic hasn’t been present for this long gives me hope that I’ll one day feel normal again. Hope that I won’t suffer for the rest of my life. Hope that I can regain control over my brain. I have done nothing out of the ordinary or different to stop the panic attacks. For the most part, everything is the same. Now all that’s left to do is continue to have hope that this remission continues to last. It’s been 5 months since my last panic attack. Back in October, I wrote a post comparing my anxiety and depression to Twenty One Pilot's song, Migrane. Read it here. The other day, while driving down the road, and listening to my car radio, I realized that another one of their songs, Car Radio, also relates.
I ponder of something great One of my biggest pet peeves lately is when people tell me I must be rich because I travel a lot, or make comments like “it must be nice that your parents pay for your trips”. Firstly, nobody else has ever paid a dime for my traveling aside from myself, and secondly, I am not rich, I’m a college student. It is fully possible to travel smart, on a budget, and debt free, it just takes a little extra planning. Last summer, my two best friends and I road tripped from Texas to Southern California, and this upcoming summer, I’ll be touring through Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, and Utah. So how are we able to afford such trips on a student’s salary? Here are a few tips.
Be Geographic – One way that I am able to see so many places in a short amount of time is because I always plan to see multiple states along the way. For example, the road trip that the girls and I took this past summer consisted of five new states because we were smart about the route we were taking. Instead of just flying out to California, we started in Texas and drove the remainder of the way, which allowed us to see the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, and a ton of secret gems (like Cadillac Ranch and Hope Outdoor Gallery). At the same time, we decided not to drive from the east coast to the west coast because that would have gotten pricey, so we compromised on half way. Even when I visited Boston, I just changed my route by an hour and was able to stop for lunch in Rhode Island. This summer, my adventure is taking me to five (possibly six) more new states, simply because I am geographic in my planning. If you’re already going to be in Colorado, why not see Wyoming while you’re there, right? Do Your Research – This takes time, but that’s all a part of the fun! Map out multiple different routes. Research all of the famous and off-the-beaten-path attractions that you want to see. Roadtrippers is an awesome website and phone app that lets you add your start and end points and everything in between. I also faithfully use Pinterest when planning my trips. Just search the city you’ll be in and you’ll find what there is to see, do, and eat there. Usually, you’ll also find tips and tricks from the locals or others who’ve traveled, which are always helpful to read and consider. Plus, there are always a ton of free things to see and do in each city! In my opinion, Pinterest is the best travel agent you could use. Make a Plan – After you’ve done your research and narrowed down where you’re going and what you’re going to see, turn that into a plan. Write it all out, draw maps, add pictures. Whatever it is you need to do to have a solid itinerary. For our road trip, we listed each city we wanted to see and how long it would take to drive from one to the other, then we picked stopping points for meals and breaks. We even had a schedule including what time we would need to leave the hotels in the morning to make it to the next city before dark. (Tip: make sure you factor in time zones!) We also listed our must-see sights and our “it would be cool if we saw it but it isn’t a dire necessity” sights. Call us crazy, but we even made a food passport with multiple different food options for lunch and dinner in each place. Doing this kind of research before you go is super helpful when you’re all hungry and tired and can’t cooperate long enough to figure out where to stop; it’s already right there in your food passport! Also, if any of your activities require tickets, purchase them and print them out ahead of time, that way you know how much you’ve spent and don’t have to worry about it once you’re there. We saw a rodeo in Dallas and even saved a couple of bucks from buying in advance. Budget – Once you figure out where you’re going, budget out transportation and hotels. This was pretty simple for us because we knew we would need six nights total in hotels so we gave ourselves a maximum of $100/night on a room. This would total out to $600 total, split three ways, so we’d each only pay $200/person. That was our budget. In reality, we only spend $480 on hotels, costing each of us only $160. As for flights to Texas and home from California, we found the cheapest airline and made sure we bought at the prime time. Many sources say that the Tuesday six weeks before your flight is when tickets are cheapest. Take that as you will, but we bought our flights for less than $500 total. In addition, we were smart about our rental car. We ended up having two separate cars from two separate companies because it was the cheapest way to go. Also, keep in mind that you save by picking up and dropping off at airports instead of neighborhood locations. Ways to budget even better:
All in all, road trips are the best way to see the most. They may be a lot of work to plan, but I promise it’s worth it. Overall, for two rental cars, six hotels, two flights, gas money, excursions (Disney Land, rodeo, snorkeling, etc.), food, and miscellaneous spending money, each of us spent less than $1500 on our two-week trip. If you’re able to charge most of those expenses on a credit card, then it’s much more manageable. I’d also recommend a travel rewards credit card, because at the same time you’re earning points for your next trips (I already have enough for another flight!). If you’re passionate about travel and seeing new places, then you’re smart in how you go about doing so. Just because you are a full-time college student in your 20s working a part-time job, doesn’t mean you have to spend your summers at home. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. After this summer, I’ll be halfway through the 50 states. Happy Traveling! Only you know how you work. How your brain works and how your body works. Only you know when you’ve hit your limit or when you can push yourself farther. I think that one of the best things that my anxiety disorder has taught me is how to listen to what I am telling myself. |
WelcomeI'm Bianca; What I Write About:
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August 2018
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