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There were a lot of tears as I left my home yesterday. With that, came feelings of sadness and self-doubt. Am I doing the right thing? Should I leave home again? Do I really belong there? The answer is yes. Yes, I chose to go out of my comfort zone into a path full of obstacles and hardships. This path, with the info and knowledge I have, seems to be the right one. This seems to be the best option to me. It seems that way. The truth is I don't know. But here's what I do know: I know I'm going to a great school and I'm a hard working and high achieving student. I know I'm getting the tools and skills to make a positive impact in the world. I know my experience, education, and degree, will provide promising prospects professionally. I also know I have lived away from home many times but this time is the most challenging for various. I know I have not found the same support and resources I've gotten in the past. I know I will make the most out this experience. I know I will remain as positive as I can while being honest about my feelings and experiences. I have mixed feelings about entering a new semester after having an extremely challenging one. I think expressing one's truth, lows and all, makes SO many people uncomfortable! It's hard to express and hard to hear. But this year I will continue be real and honest about my feelings and struggles. I will try my best to ask for help when I need it. I will try my best to tell people a sincere answer to hey, how are you? instead of being dishonest for the sake of politeness good, and you?. 🚫🚮 Here's one golden piece of wisdom I've learned over the years: people who care will be attentive and listen. Pay attention to those who are dismissive and bad listeners. Pay attention who is actually there for you (through words AND actions). So, what's the latest update? I'm back in NYC for a new semester of graduate school and honestly I feel mixed about it! TELL ME: Are you experiencing a really challenging chapter in your life in hopes of a positive outcome? Have you ever experienced one? 📸 @yenybaybee
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It's over and I don't feel ready. So yeah, I'm feeling a little blue about it! I have been home for nearly a month. For my semester break, I've been in Miami spending time with family and friends. I've had time to rest, reflect, reconnect, and explore. Now I have to go back to the student grind and I'm not ready for this to be over! But I also know, with my current situation, I don't belong here fulltime. Sometimes growth and self-improvement requires stepping outside of your comfort zone, outside of all that is easy and familiar. TELL ME: When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone? 📍@pixinitynyc 📸 @linaforrestal
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We're 17 days into 2020! 🎉 So, how are those resolutions going? I know some of you are rolling your eyes on the other side of the screen saying 𝘙𝘦𝘚𝘰𝘓𝘶𝘛𝘪𝘖𝘯𝘴?! 🙄 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘈𝘓𝘓 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳! 😠 As I've said before, I LOVE the new year attitude. Encouragement, ambition, and hope is in the air! There is a sense of renewal and new-found motivation for improvement. Here are some things to remember: 🎇 We should always encourage improvement and self-reflection. 🎇 Better late than never, if people wanna do it in the new year, LET THEM! 🎇 Yes, focusing all year is best but not always easy/possible. Some people don't have the time or mental space to reflect and create goals, except while on the holiday break. So many had the time to get very specific with their goals during their holidays. Maybe they're working, students, busy, overwhelmed, and needed a break to actually focus. 🎇 Some people have goals that only require progress tracking once a year. So hey, if you want/can set goals once a year, as you continue/start to strive for them the rest of 2020, more power to you! 💫 Now that you've had time to set your goals and create a plan, we are focusing on executing them! What are some strategies you're using to keep yourself accountable? I keep myself accountable by categorizing my goals and creating subgoals for each category. Within those subgoals there are specific tasks. These tasks are listed on a document and I cross them off as I do them. I've also assigned due dates to them. For example, I may include 5-10 tasks per week. I also update some of my besties on my progress or share positive outcomes with them. Once of those subgoals is to have monthly giveaways. Have you entered my @naughty_coffee giftcard and @counterculturecoffee giveaway? There is still time to enter! It was posted exactly 7 days ago. You can scroll a bit and find it to check it out. Make sure you're following all the rules. 🌟☕🍵🌟 TELL ME: What are some of your goals for 2020? Have you focused on them or have you been slacking a bit?
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Hey, let's talk! It's been a while since I introduced myself so I wanted to share a short little intro. I'd love to hear from you! I'm Elizabeth! 🙋🏻♀️ I'm originally from Miami, FL and recently moved to NYC for graduate school where I'm pursuing a double masters. 👩🏻🎓 I'm an ambivert - I love social gatherings but prefer smaller group settings. I've explored over 30 countries and share budget travel tips on my blog www.trulyeli.com. 🌏 I love pointing out dogs in public. 🐕 This 2020 I plan on doing monthly collaborations, blog posts, and giveaways. 💞 I'd love to connect with all of you! Drop an introduction below. 😍 Get friendly and chat with others in the caption. I'm looking for more blogger buddies so make sure to tag your favorite bloggers in the comments so I can check their account and chat with them! If you are a blogger, share your name, about your blog, and why people should follow you. ❤ 📍 : @blankslatetea 📸 : @ajthetechnologist
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Smells like my vagina, a $75 candle by @gwynethpaltrow is sold out. #PieroManzoni sold Artist's Shit (Merda d'artista), literally 90 cans of his own poop, for the weight of gold. One of those cans was purchased for $67k in 2000. 🤯 DOUBLE TAP if you're grossed out right now! So yeah, you may be disgusted but more importantly you should be impressed and motivated! If these things are possible, what isn't?! Who are we to limit ourselves? Lately I've been questioning my career path a lot. I realize I've always known what I wanted but I don't always believe I can actually do it. These 2 success stories, along with others, are silly ways to remind myself my dreams are attainable too. I'm not sure what destiny holds but I'm trying to do my best with the cards I've been dealt. 🃏🎲 TELL ME: What keeps you motivated? Do you know any silly success stories like these? Share them in the comments below. Shoutout to @moi_newyork who #hosted @juannunez0821 and I last year. ❤
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Hi, I'm Elizabeth 🙋🏻♀️ and I'm a supportive go-getter! Some of you may be thinking- 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘰-𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵?! 🤔🧐 Allow me to break it down for you. Those who know me personally, know I am extremely ambitious and hard working. I am ALL about achieving my goals and helping others achieve them as well! 😍🎉 What about you? Are you a supportive go-getter? Let me know in the comments! Honestly succeeding in anything alone isn't as fun as succeeding in something together. 💞 If you're not kindly supporting and helping, are you truly living? I don't think so! 🤷🏻♀️ DOUBLE TAP if this resonates with you in some way! ❤ If you're a supportive go-getter you should be striving for your goals AND ✔ celebrate your friends' wins (big or small) ✔ hype up your friends ✔ believe in their success (no matter how challenging their goal is) ✔ provid support and encouragement when things get hard ✔don't provide judgement or criticism ✔ cheer them on even when you're struggling to succeed in something ✔ avoid being jelly, be happy for them! Your time will come. Ask them for support. We all can make it. TELL ME: What are some ways you've been supportive to a friend this month? What are some ways friends can be supportive to you? 📍: #hosted at @pixinitynyc for our #kindcollaboration a bit ago. 📸 : by the lovely @linaforrestal
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Giveaway for coffee & tea lovers 🎉 #sponsored by @naughty_coffeeshop ☕ @trulyeli and I have teamed up with Naughty Coffee for this giveaway to provide to 3 lucky winners with some goodies. 😍 First giveaway winner will receive 1 coffee bag of @counterculturecoffee (open to participates within the USA). The other 2 giveaway winners will receive loyalty card for @naughty_coffeeshop redeemable for 2 beverages each (open within south florida only). To enter, you must: 1. Follow @trulyeli @moniquehercules and @naughty_coffeeshop 2. Tag 3 friends. 3. Comment below if you're a tea or a coffee person. 🍵 This giveaway is in no way associated, endorsed, nor sponsored by Instagram. Giveaway closes January 24th at 11:59PM #giveaway #miami #coffee
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Are you healing or distracted? This is a question I've been constantly asking myself for the last week, especially while I lie awake late at night. It's 12, then suddently 2, and before I know it, it's 4am and I still haven't fallen asleep. My heart is filled with joy and peace to be home, surrounded by all that's familiar. Yet, my brain gets wrapped up in anxiety and concerns I have struggled to resolve. I've been extra productive this year and I've been hitting a lot of my goals. I'm focusing on my goals by categories but I have yet to get to my mental health. I've been keeping myself busy; busy enough to momentarily forget my problems. Here's the thing though, as corny as it sounds, it's an endless journey. Some days will be easier than other. Those hard days may turn into weeks, months. We gotta make time and effort everyday continously. I'm not sure which direction life will take me but I decided to make the necessary steps to improve my situation as best I can. 👟👟 So I decided to start seeing a counselor in NYC. He's this feminist white dude with tattoos and a beard, that I see once a week for about an hour to talk about any concerns for and together we strategize to come up with solutions. I'm sharing this because many of us are scared and reluctant to seek support from a professional. The thing is, counseling is whatever you want it to be! Personally, I prefer techniques that involve talk therapy and is goal-oriented. And there are tons of different styles and counseling techniques. There is a perfect match for you! I went through different options and feel the most comfortable and supported with my current counselor. There are also free services and resources! You can search online for them. TELL ME: How are you prioritizing your mental health? -- On an unrelated note- I want to keep blogging! I'm looking for blogs to guest post on. Does anyone have any suggestions? Ideally it's travel related!
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What a radical idea! 🤯 It felt like my brain exploded. Let me tell you a story about a conversation I had with my mom recently. Late December I came to Miami for my semester break from graduate school. For tiny chapter in my life I did not have any pressing responsibilities. I did not have any upcoming deadlines for assignments, projects, readings, nothing. Sounds great right? Well, not to my brain. My brain was FLOODED with ways I can keep busy! My words sped out of my mouth at 100 miles per hour it seemed: Okay, mom, so now that I'm here I gotta figure out what I should do! Maybe I should pick up a part time job! I can start looking online or ask around. I gotta find something soon because I'm not here for long. I wonder where should I start applying. Why don't you just rest? my mom replied. I was STUNNED! Rest?! Why didn't I consider that? Why did I think I had to continuously push myself so hard? What a genius, yet radical idea! It felt like my brain exploded. Clearly THIS was the answer! Mama knows best (in this case, don't rub it in). I know my fellow burnout overachievers are feel me on this. Where y'all at? 🙋🏻♀️ DOUBLE TAP if you can relate! Here's the thing though, people like us need a reminder to slow down, and make time to rest & recharge. So I've been making time to spend time with family and friends, even today! Today I spent some time connecting with bloggers in Miami: @moniquehercules @tinseldot and @journalistajannely at @puravidamiami --- Overworking myself is a bad habit of mine. What's one of yours? Have you been working on reducing your bad habit or ending it for good?
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Giveaway 🥳 ... ...Coming soon ‼ But I couldn't contain my excitement so I have to share a little bit about it with you. 😍 You know those people who plan surprises but get so excited that they can't help but dropping hints constantly? If you're one of them, let me know in the comments! And guess what, you're not alone. I'm one of them! 🙋🏻♀️ That's why I gotta tell you that I have some cool giveaways in progress! ❤ I think you'll really like them. I'm chatting with some peeps now as we finalize all the details. I'll let you know when the giveaways are officially available. Till then, sit tight! I'd like to know: what do you think the giveaway will be this time? In order to continue doing giveaways and growing my brand, remember to support your friend by liking, commenting 4+ words, sharing, tagging a friend, and bookmarking my posts. It takes a couple of seconds and it's completely free. This 2020 support your creative friends and business owners. ❤ 📸@linaforrestal 📍@pixinitynyc
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I want to be more intentional with my time. I am often forgiving towards people who don't deserve it. I let things slide. I allow joy-suckers to drain my energy as I'm unconditionally loving and kind. Why? Is it guilt? Loyalty? It's harder to cut people off when you've known them for years or if they're related to you. Over time, I've made progress in creating those boundaries but it's something I still struggle with from time to time. This 2020 I am working smarter on staying true to my boundaries for my mental health and overall wellbeing. I want to surround myself with kind, supportive, and inspiring people. For that reason, my tired and sleep deprived self got up early on January 1st to spend some time with quality peeps @travelonawhimblog and @diana.janisbel at @candytopia 😍❤ A great place for kids and candy lovers. (Did I mention they give free candy???) We had a fun time interacting with the art and doing photoshoots. We also spent time chatting and enjoying some food and shakes from @chickenguy! 🍟 Thanks @Candytopia and @diana.janisbel for the passes and @chickenguy for the freebie shakes! 😛 TELL ME: What's your favorite way to spend your time?
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Yeah, 2019 was one of my worst years ever but it wasn't all bad. Case and point- This was one of my biggest accomplishments of 2019. Many months ago I reached out to Paola from @coralgableslove about starting a blogger community in NYC, @thenycbloggers. Later on @pricklyfresh joined in. Before I knew it, I was managing the social media, finding speakers, and working with venues to host our monthly blogger meet ups. One of those lovely places was @savannarooftop 💫 😍 To say it's been hard work is an understatement but it's also rewarding and fun! I've put in a lot of effort and dedication and it has rewarded us with a lovely growing community. ❤ I'll be honest, because of my stressors and mental health, my blogging was put in the back burner. Fortunately, through our blogger community, I was able to get support and encouragement from other creatives. This helped me not get too off track. I'm pretty new to blogging and this 2020, I'm doing it more intentionally by planning, chunking, collaborating, and goal-setting. I want to continue creating content that inspires and supports (aspiring) budget travelers. TELL ME: What would you like to see more of? What would you like me to blog about?
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In a world where we are encouraged to solely share our wins, I feel obliged to share a fuller story. I'm not going to pretend 2019 was my year. I won't solely focus on my highs and hide my lows. Sure, there were a lot of great moments but there were more challenges and obstacles than usual. I'm not gonna fake toxic positivity for the sake of others. I'm remaining positive and honest about my experiences and feelings. That being said, most of 2019 sucked! I barely made it out alive. Last year took a toll on my confidence, motivation, mental health, and physical health. I am glad it's over. With the new year, comes feelings of hope and inspiration that promote reprioritizing, goal setting, and renewal. And let me tell ya, I am here for it. I am taking time to heal, reflect, and process. I am also making time to plan and set goals to make this year better than the last. 2020 is already off to a good start. 💫 Be honest, how was your 2019? What are your hopes for the new year? 📸: @linaforrestal 📍: @pixinitynyc Throwback to Pixinity in NYC!
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Unpopular opinion: I love the new year, new me attitude. I know- some of you roll your eyes every time you hear it. But allow me to explain why this is actually a great thing! A new year is an opportunity to work on yourself and strive for personal, academic, and professional goals. An opportunity for a new start. An opportunity to check on the progress of exisiting goals. An opportunity to support each other. I love that people take this opportunity to improve themselves and their lives! ❤ There's a misconception that new me means they're becoming an entirely new person and that's not necessarily true for everyone. People want to change aspects of themselves and that's okay. Allow people to grow and learn. And if they need to use a corny new year, new me phrase, let them! This upcoming year won't be solely about changes. I want to keep some things the same. I want continue showing support and encouragement to others. I want to continue being kind and caring. I want to continue being resilient and overcome challenging obstacles to the best of my abilities. In these times full of embracing change, what do you want to keep the same? Throwback to @metmuseum. PC: @wanderousKaren
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Rough couple of months? I hear you! 2019 has been a year of ups and downs. I got into my dream graduate school. I moved to NYC. I did a few giveaways and collaborations. I wrote a guest post for @dametraveler. I passed all my classes. Successfully planned and executed @thenycbloggers meet ups. Had 2 awesome Thanksgiving celebrations with @juannunez0821 and UMich friends. There was lots of joy and laughter. You see a smile in this picture but here's what you don't see: all the ways this year was also emotionally and psychologically draining. You don't see the anxiety attacks, depressed moods, loneliness, sleepless nights, hours filled with tears; experiences with self doubts, mistreatments, and inequalities. This year was challenging, in a way no other year has been. These last few months took so much from me. I feel like I lost a bit of myself along the way. Surviving it has been no easy feat. I don't know where 2020 will take me but I hope it will be easier and kinder to us all. ❤ For the remaining of the year, I will be taking this time to recharge, plan, reflect. How are you spending the rest of 2019? PC: @linaforrestal 📍: @pixinitynyc
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Here's what I've really been doing: I took another break. During this time I've been working on setting boundaries, prioritizing my mental health, career, and academics, & setting goals. It's a never-ending process I lost track of for a couple of months. To say it's been challenging is an understatement. As the year comes to a close, I'm thinking about ways to continue growing and learning while improving my life and overall health. I'm also thinking about any potential resolutions I want to achieve in our last month and new year. TELL ME: What is your goal-setting strategy? What are some ways you reach for those goals and hold yourself accountable? PC: @linaforrestal 📍@pixinitynyc PS: I know several of you have been enjoying my free instagram story templates! Thanks so much for using them and tagging me. I love seeing others enjoying them. Keep tagging me! You can find others on my Instagram highlights under templates. Comment below if you have any questions. I can DM you the link as well if you need it! Let me know any template requests you have. #nycblogger #travelblogger #postitfortheaesthetic #documentyourdays #holdyourmoments #liveauthentic
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Happiness, what does it mean to you? As I reflect back to a time when I felt the happiest, I think of what was going on in that chapter that brought me so much happiness and how I can bring it back. Shortly after high school, I moved to southern France for nearly a year. This brought me so many tears and new challenges. And yet, it was still one of the best times in my life. So, what happened? It was a very different stage in my life. I had a lot of free time, but I was never bored. I used my free time to have some down time and also do things I loved. I had a schedule that had a healthy school and work balance. During the summer time, I rode a bike on the beach boardwalk for hours for fun. I lost about 30-40 pounds. I had a steady job, earned a decent amount that allowed me to travel, explore the city, and eat out a couple of times. I had a solid support system, and we would spend nearly every weekend together. We had picnics, movie and karaoke nights, we would cook meals together. I met @leska.zin who is still one of my very best friends to this day. I made meaningful bonds with people I am still friends with today, many years later: @thomastrs @aiichiru @lipsilis @remgou I never felt that free or happy in my life ever again. Today I am in a very different situation which made me realize how important free time, steady income, and social support, is to my overall happiness and health. It's especially hard because it feels like I don't have any of those things right now. I'm trying to get into a happier place by making some touch choices. This chapter has been a challenging one which led to a break from blogging and social media. I'm slowly getting back into the groove. I did 2 giveaways recently with @linaforrestal @wanderousKaren and @sheynellenumberfive. I wrote a new blog post for @dametraveler (link in bio). And I have another blog post in the works with @elliebearescapades. TELL ME: What makes you truly happy?
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Me trying to live my best + healthy life while managing my anxiety, creating a social life, and being a full time student. It feels impossible! 🙃 Here's the thing. I have high functioning anxiety. This means that anxiety significantly impacts my everyday life, yet I manage to fuction. My anxiety has emotional and physical symptoms that create challenges for me with simple and complex tasks. I make it look easy but I'm constantly struggling. And even when I share my struggles with others they tend to be very dismissive because they believe a positive and cheerful person can't be struggling. I have to remind myself that it's okay to not be okay. And it's okay to admit I need some support. Mental health is also HEALTH, and a key component to living a healthy and fulfilling life. 💫 If you're also working through these feelings or any of this resonates with you remember- it is okay! You CAN ask for support. You CAN see a mental health professional. This does NOT make you weak. If anything, it empowers you! 💪🏻 I am aware that mental health services are not accessible to everyone, unfortunately. I came across this cool article that talks about how to get free mental health services: //www.nbcnews.com/better/health/mental-health-services-how-get-treatment-if-you-can-t-ncna875176 You can also just search online! There are plenty of resources available. If you need some support in this comment below or DM me! 💕 Please be mindful of the support you seek and use. There are licensed trained mental health professionals that have the tools and experience necessary to help you. Do not seek help from untrained people. 🙃 TELL ME: Are you making time for your mental health? PC: @linaforrestal Hosted by: @pixinitynyc -- #thursdaythoughts #chattycaptioncommunity #cybercorner #communityovercompetition #nycblogger
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Catch flights, not feelings! Why not 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩?! In a world full of “𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵!”, dare to think love is limitless. As I approach my seventh 20th birthday anniversary, I definitely did not picture it like this. I believe that it’s possible to do both… and manage a long distance relationship while traveling too! Let me rewind a little bit, and tell you about how this all got started. In my newest blog post I talked a bit about my 6 long distance relationship and even gave some tips! Read more on my new @dametraveler blog post. Link in bio. https://www.dametraveler.com/catch-flights-and-feelings-how-i-do-long-distance-while-traveling/ TELL ME: Have you ever been in a long distance relationship? If not, would you ever consider one? Let me know in the comments. ❤ Throwback to Helsinki! One of our first trips abroad together. 😍 PC: @juannunez0821 -- #idrcouple #dametraveler #nycblogger #visithelsinki #travelblogger
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Happy birthday to me! 🥳 I'm a low maintenance friend. It really does not take much to make me happy. Today the lovely @wanderousKaren and @sheynellenumberfive celebrated my birthday to me. Spending quality time, taking pictures, chatting about how crappy RKelly is + bonding over our mutual love of @Backstreetboys while eating a chocolate cake, somehow really made my birthday feel special. Thank you Karen + Sheynelle for spending the day with me! Shoutout to @sipshopeat for hosting us + @drunkbakers for the yummy bday cake. 🥰 Guess my age! Drop your guess in the comments. Image 1 PC: @sheynellenumberfive
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It's my birthday tomorrow 🥳 I kinda wish it wasn't. I'm not too excited about it but I'm trying to make the most of it. Birthdays are hard and being away from loved ones makes it harder. I hope it's better one next year. PC: @wanderousKaren How's everyone's weekend going?
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Caption this! 📸 Best caption will be announced in my story. PC: @linaforrestal Congrats to the giveaway winner of the @sipshopeat @yemieshow ! If you didn't win this time, no worries. I'll be teaming up with other venues to do more giveaways. Thanks to @wanderousKaren and @sheynellenumberfive for joining the giveaway. ❤😍 #hosted #pixinity @pixinitynyc
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I took a leap and let me tell you it wasn't always pretty but it was also great...? I recently visited the @metmuseum with @wanderousKaren and take a picture by an area that reminded of me a different chapter of my life. Many years ago while, fresh out of high school, still a teen, I moved to France to work. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life. It gave me an opportunity to learn French, travel, make friends abroad. But it also was extremely challenging for various reasons. This visit flooded me with memories. It gave me a chance to reflect on the mistakes, growth, and overall experiences. Today I am in a very different place- figuratively and literally. 💫 My interest in story telling ignited then. Many of you don't know that I started making videos back then that will never see the light of day again. 😳 Trust me, it's the best choice for all of us. 😂 Now, I am boldly sharing my story (on IG), providing budget travel tips + tricks on my blog, connecting with local bloggers through @thenycbloggers , and doing giveaways. Which brings me to two announcements: Congrats to @electric.days for winning the 2 FREE tickets to @Pixinitynyc ! 😍🎉 I have my second giveaway live on my Monday post for a free ticket to @sipshopeat. More giveaways coming soon ❤ @thenycbloggers is having their next meet up Saturday November 23 with the lovely @linaforrestal as our guest speaker. She's dropping some knowledge on photography skills. 📸 SWIPE to read more about it. Space is limited. PC: @wanderousKaren TELL ME: Is there a place or an object that brings back a lot of memories? Where/what is it?
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It's almost my birthday! 🎉 Nov 10 My birthday is just a few days away and it always brings up a lot of feelings for me. It often makes me feel very alone and sad when my family and close friends aren't around me. It's been amazing moving to different places and making connections with others. But that also means, I'll never feel whole, while pieces of my heart, where I created cherished memories and bonds, are spread out throughout the world in my former homes. This year I am in a new place, New York city. Away from my family and close friends. Friendships take time & unfortunately my birthday falls shortly after my move, in the fall. & I'm kinda falling apart. 🍁🍂 I'm excited to create new friendships and memories in my new home. This weekend I'm doing things I love with some cool peeps. I'll be going to karaoke and checking out a popup! If you wanna cheer me up, and/or wish me a happy birthday, give me a shoutout on your IG or facebook and tag my IG or include my link! Tell others who are interested in giveaway and budget travel to follow me so I can keep helping & connecting with others. ❤😍 TELL ME: What do you usually do for your birthday? 📍: @blankslatetea 📷 : @ajthetechnologist
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GIVEAWAY ALERT 🎉 I want to share this cool experience with you by giving you a FREE ticket to join us! I've teamed up with @sipshopeat @wanderouskaren and @sheynellenumberfive to do this super cool giveaway for you. We are giving away ONE FREE TICKET to the popup Sip Shop Eat for Sunday November 10th! To enter the giveaway simply: 1. Follow @sipshopeat on Instagram. 2. Follow @trulyeli @wanderouskaren and @sheynellenumberfive on Instagram. 3. Leave a comment below tagging someone who loves popups. 4. Which friend would you like to share this experience with? Tag them in another comment for additional entries! Each comment is an entry! 5. For an additional entry share an IG story telling us which room you’d love to explore, use #sipshopeat and tag us all. (We check you followed the rules when selecting a winner) Contest ends Friday, 11/08/2019 at 11:59 pm EST Good luck! ❤ #sponsored PC: @wanderousKaren Want more giveaways? Here's how you can support me for FREE so I can keep giving back to the supportive IG community: 1. Like my posts. 2. Share my posts. 3. Put meaningful comments (4+ words). 4. Follow my account and encourage others to do so. 5. Tag your friends on my posts. 6. Give me shoutouts on your stories. 7. Let me know what you love about my content and what you'd like to see!
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My future looking bright like this stained glass rn 🔥 Although I am hopeful about my future and certain things are getting easier, it does not mean things aren't challenging for me right now. It's often hard for people to wrap their head around the reality that I struggle with my mental health and sometimes with life in general. Just because I carry it well, doesn't mean it's not heavy. Just because I'm bubbly and smile a lot, doesn't mean I am happy and struggle free all the time. I cry a lot. Often I feel very alone and overwhelmed. There are a lot of battles I fight in silence. Of course there are many positives. I have some cool roommates and a supportive cohort. I have a lot of friends who continue to encourage and support me from a distance. I'm starting to connect with more bloggers in the area. My first blog guest post is going live this Friday with @dametraveler. I'm announcing my second giveaway tomorrow with @sheynellenumberfive and @wanderouskaren. I have a growing kind and supportive IG community. It really blows my mind sometimes. The power of social media is insane! But focusing on the positives doesn't resolve problems. It just helps put things into perspective. I'm trying to remain positive as I take action and work towards a happier + healthier life. This transition has been challenging. I'm trying to be kind and patient with myself. But enough about me. Tell me about you! What did you do this weekend? Is there anything that's going really well for you? Is there something you're struggling with? Let's chat in the comments. PC: @wanderousKaren
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A visual representation of me drowing in responsibilities, anxiety, and stress, while I try to have a social life, healthy lifestyle, and excel academically. 🙃 I am so hard on myself! I set these super high expectation and push myself to grind, grind, and grind some more as if my days are endless. I'm a people pleaser and overachiever. So I want to do everything and I want to do everything right. Recently I came across quote shared by @diana.janisbel that I'd like to share with you: I spend an insane amount of time wondering if I'm doing it right. At some point I just remind myself that I'm doing my best. That is good enough. 🔥🔥🔥 If this resonates with you, like it did with me, I hope this serves to remind all of us that we ARE doing enough. Be kind to yourself. TELL ME: When was the last time you did something for yourself? When did you last take a break? --- I was recently #hosted at @pixinitynyc and we are giving away 2 free tickets! Make sure to enter on my Tuesday post in the ballpit. ❤ 📷: @linaforrestal
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I'd like to think people are inherently good. I believe most people are. Some may be misguided or still hurting from unresolved trauma and/or challenging mental health experiences. Living in the NYC bubble, where you expect people to be self-centered and rude, it may appear as an unkind world. But I still see the glimpses of kindness. A smile here and there. Help offered whenever I have heavy luggages with me. Support and encoragement to street performers and beggars. Maybe most people aren't unkind, they just may not know you're struggling. But if you pay close attention, you will notice there is still kindness all around you. TELL ME: What's the last act of kindness you did or witnessed? PC: @WanderousKaren
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I think it's time... It's time to get back to blogging! I have had a really challenging time with this new chapter in my life. As I'm trying to find my new normal, I am trying to make time to do things I love, including blogging and making content! On a recent story post, many of you expressed interest in reading my blog posts. My blog posts are usually totally different from my captions! My blog posts are either informative or have a light silly vibe, like the one I wrote for @dametraveler that is going live on Friday. Any guesses on the topic? Drop your guesses in the comments! What topics should I blog more about? What type of content would you like to read about? Don't forget YOU also have a chance to share these cool experiences, like visiting @pixinitynyc for FREE! Enter on my Tuesday post (2 posts ago, in the ballpit). Thank you Pixinity and @linaforrestal for collaborating with me on this giveaway! ❤😍 PC: @linaforrestal
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Exciting news! 🎉 I have my first giveaway live & I've teamed up with @linaforrestal! You can check out the details to that in my last post. You can get 2 FREE tickets to @Pixinitynyc 🎫🎉 I want to do more giveaways + I'd love to know what types I should do. Which would would you be interested in? A) Free downloadable ultimate guide to budget travel, packing, or something else travel related. B) Free experiences like tickets to a popup or a gift card to a cool cafe. C) Free or discounted products that you can get mailed to you. 𝗪𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭? Do you have any suggestions? Let me know in the 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰! I'd love to hear from you and keep giving back via blog posts, tips, and giveaways. ❤😍 𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬? Remember the only way I can do more giveaways for you is if you: Like my posts Comment 4+ words Share with your friends Tag your friends in the comments Thank you for your support!
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GIVEAWAY ALERT 🎉 I've teamed up with @Pixinitynyc and @linaforrestal to do this super cool giveaway for you. We are giving away TWO FREE tickets to Pixinity! Pixinity is essentially a venue with interactive art. It is very cutesy, bright, and colorful, with pixels as the constant theme. Perfect for kids and photoshoots! 😍❤📸 To enter the giveaway simply: 1. Follow @pixinitynyc on Instagram. 2. Follow @trulyeli and @linaforrestal on Instagram. 3. Leave a comment below tagging someone who loves popups. 4. Which friend would you like to bring? Tag them in another comment for additional entries! Each comment is an entry! 5. For an additional entry share an IG story telling us which room you’d love to explore, use #pixinity and tag us three. (We check you followed the rules when selecting a winner) Contest ends Tuesday, 11/05/2019 at 11:59 pm EST. Popup will close on 11/10 (my birthday!) Want more giveaways? Here's how you can support me for FREE so I can keep giving back to the supportive IG community: 1. Like my posts. 2. Share my posts. 3. Put meaningful comments (4+ words). 4. Follow my account and encourage others to do so. 5. Tag your friends on my posts. 6. Give me shoutouts on your stories. 7. Let me know what you love about my content and what you'd like to see! #pixinity #communityovercompetition #nyc
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Perfectly flawed? I am a lot of things. I am ambitious, driven, funny, kind, friendly, hard working, among many other things. I am also sensitive, self conscious, anxious, and can be many negative things in challenging situations. I'm not perfect. It's important to be confident and proud in who we are, while remaining honest and aware of moments when we may not be our best selves. We can be great but in other moments, eh, not so much. The key thing is to being open to contructive feedback and work towards being our best selves as often as possible. It is never a exact science. You will often make mistakes, even if you are honest and aware of your occasional mistakes. But that's okay! Be fair to yourself and never stop growing + learning. Own up to those mistakes and try to do better next time. TELL ME: What's a personal flaw you're working on? Throwback to Peru!
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Are you up for the challenge? Let's play one of my favorite games: 2 truths and a lie! I'm going to say 2 things that are true and one thing that's a lie. Ready? 1. I've spent at least one month in 7 different countries. 2. I can say the alphabet backwards. 3. I can fart on command. Which do you think is the lie? Comment your guess below! I'd love for you to join me. Drop 2 truths and one lie in the comments. Extra points if you engage with others in the comments! REMINDER: My first giveaway will be announced tomorrow. I'm very excited to team up with @linaforrestal for this one. More details to come! PC: @linaforrestal #pixinity @pixinitynyc
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I love putting my brave face on. When someone asks, How are you? I feel pressured to say fine even when I'm not. So don't ask me how I am, if you don't really wanna know. Here's the thing, I hate small talk! 🤪 I love keeping it real and telling my truth. Don't come to me and give me that I'm fine, thanks NO! I genuinely want to know and love talking about things that matter. As for me, things are getting better but it is still a process. There will be some more bumps in the road to come, as I deal with some current issues. TELL ME: Are you a talker or do you like to keep things short and sweet? #throwback PC: @juannunez0821
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When they tell you the guac is free. 🥑 TELL ME: Are you a fan of guacamole or are you a hater like @dread_hampton 😂 As some of you may know, if you read my captions, the transition to this new chapter in my life has been extremely challenging for me, especially for my mental health. I'm finally starting to feel like myself again as I try and find a new normal. My birthday is coming up and that also brings up a lot of feelings for me. But things have been slowly falling into place which has allowed me to get organized. *Finally* can spend some more time doing things I love like exploring the city and meeting with bloggers. Yesterday I checked out @pixinitynyc and today I will be going to the monthly @thenycbloggers meet up! We are being hosted by @lacubananyc. @suitsheelscurves and @pricklyfresh will be telling us all about monetizing as an influencer. 🎉 PC: @linaforrestal #hosted
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Look instagram, I have friends! 😂Had so much fun hanging out with @linaforrestal today. ❤ Such a talented, kind, and warm person! 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, would recommend as a friend. 😂 Thank you @pixinitynyc for inviting me to this adorable little popup in the heart of Soho! Pixinity is essentially a venue with interactive art created by @tianyuqiu_studio. Has a cutesy, colorful, fun vibe, with pixels as the constant theme. We had so much fun with this collaboration. For those who want to visit: it will be open until NOVEMBER 10, 2019 (my bday!) and it is located at 1 York Street NYC | Entrance on the corner of 6th Ave & Laight St. Tickets are on sale for $19. Let me know in the comments of some cool popups or places in NYC! #hosted #pixinity
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I don't have it all together. 🤷🏻♀️ I feel like my life has been a constant journey or figuring things out, exploration, and with that came learning and growth. The older I get, the more I realize we're kinda all lost and confused. 😂 The ones that say they aren't are probably lying, lol. 👀 If you agree, lmk in the comments! With every chapter, I've been exploring a new territory, exploring things that are hard and new to me. You see, I have been a lot of first in my family. First generation college student. First generation American. The list goes on. I feel incredibly lucky and brave for chasing my academic and professional goals. It seems easy on the outside but there have been a lot of self doubt, tears, lack of guidance + support, challenging mental health experiences, socioeconomic barriers, and mistakes. I've gotten far in spite of all the challenges I've faced. Things really changed for me when I kept moving forward by challenging myself by asking okay, let me see what I can get away with let me see how far I can go. Things changed a lot for me when I started traveling. I moved to France as a teen to work. Years later, with multiple college degrees and 30+ countries explored, I'm still asking myself What else can I get away with? I wanted to be vulnerable and honest about my experiences to remind you that users of social media are still real people who do not live easy + perfect lives. We're all just trying to sort everything out, and tackle one problem at a time. 😂 TELL ME: What are your thoughts on this? Do you think/know anyone who has it all figured out? Throwback to Morocco. I visited with my friend @amp1e while studying abroad in France.
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6 months left to live? I had a strong reaction to this. Last week while learning about existential psychotherapy, our professor asked us to think about what we would do if we had 6 months to live. I had a strong reaction to it. I thought about all the people and things I loved. I thought about all things I want to do. I thought about who I wanna be, my ideal self. Yesterday I asked you a few questions. (Feel free to join on my last post!) Today I'm sharing my answers. I realized what I want to achieve is the same things I'm already doing. I want to travel, love + laugh intensely, enjoy the little things, connect with others, surround myself with kind loving people. ❤ I want to explore new places. See new people. 🌏 • what I want to say I want to be authentically myself by being honest about what I feel and want. I want to get the courage to stand up for myself and not let others belittle me or talk over me. (Is there anything more annoying than ppl talking over you?) 🙄 • what you want to give up I want to give up self doubt. I want to roll around in so much self confidence it equally inspires and grosses people out. 😝 Here's the thing though, I'm already doing most of these things. And let's face it- they're all pretty attainable. The things I haven't achieved yet, I'm working towards anyways. I've been going through a rocky chapter, as some of you know. I've been working on finding my way out of it. And I'm excited to share the journey with you! This class activity really got me thinking... But maybe, we don't need our life to end to make a change. Our motivation for chasing our goals and dreams doesn't need to be based on a catastrophe. The world doesn't need to end. Your world doesn't need to end. Start here. Start now. Just start today. Throwback to DR with my bf who took this picture and will make fun of me for posting it. 🙄
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If you had six months to live, what would you do? This is a question we had to consider in my theories course. It really made me stop and think about all the things I'm doing wrong. I wanted to share the full activity and encourage you to participate in the comments. This is an activity from existential psychotherapy. We are very capable of switching off our knowledge of our own mortality - it's something we need to do in order [to] get on with life, much of the time. By never seeing past this veneer we can busy ourselves without any real sense of poignancy to our lives. This process helps bring the beauty and opportunities of our lives to the forefront of our minds such that we might act upon it. Method 1 Imagine that you have been told that you have six months left to live. 2 Spend a few moments thinking about receiving the news, how it would feel and what would come up for you. 3 Now, [in the comments below tell me] what you would do with the remaining time. Consider the following: • what you want to achieve • who you want to spend time with • where you want to go • what you want to say • what you want to give up Take a moment to think about it. For me, it really made me think how capable I am of achieving all these things so, why am I not doing them now? Why do I think I have to hit rock bottom or have something terrible or limiting happen for me to truly live every single day? I'll share my answers on the next post! I encourage you to share your answers and thoughts in the comments below. ❤ Throwback to DR!
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I've gone silent because I've been having a hard time and I didn't want to share it. There's a huge misconception going on, specially in the social media world. People assume that if you don't share your WHOLE truth then you're being misleading. Some argue that the only way to be authentic is to share EVERYTHING that's going on. I completely disagree. You can be authentic without the pressure of sharing things you're not ready to share. You can be sincere without sharing every single struggle you face. It's not dishonest to share certain aspects of your life while protecting your privacy. People do this offline too, so why are we being so judgy to those that decide to share their story in ways that are both honest and appropriate to their boundaries? The ONLY times people are being inauthentic or dishonest are: when they lie, pretend to be someone else, try to appear perfect. Some people chose to show their happiest of moments and that's okay. Some, like myself, share some of their struggles, and that's also okay. What's not okay is others being critical of others. I wasn't ready to talk about the current challenges I've been facing online. And maybe I'm not ready to share all now, or ever. I don't know yet. But what I do know is I'm thankful for the support I've been getting from others. This transition has been harder than expected and things just happen, regardless of how much you prepare. I'm also not sure how this will impact my blogging and social media presence. I do know I want to continue connecting with you all and sharing my story. I'm still passionate about helping others travel on a budget, and plan on expanding it to helping others navigate through the educational process. Thank you for supporting me (through kind words, shares, follows, and likes), listening, and allowing me to share my life, tips + tricks, and struggles with you. TELL ME: I want to hear from you! What are your thoughts on this?
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You're not my competition, no one is. And in case you didn't know already no one is yours either. Time and time again I see people tearing each other down, judging, criticizing. Instead of lifting each other up and supporting each other, people love making nasty comments like these: She is so self centered because she's practicing self love and posting a selfie. Maybe she's insecure and finding ways to love herself. Their accounts are fake cus they pose for their pictures um, have you not learned the history of photography? Lol Newsflash, some people use photography as their creative outlet and spend a significant amount on their art. Some people want/do pursue modeling, digital marketing, photography, as a fulltime job. And making it a hobby is okay too. I know peole who use photography as their form of story telling and healthy outlet to their mental health issues. Trying to get high quality images doesn't mean they are fake. It just means they spend more time on their photography skills. They're always traveling. They're probably rich and lazy Maybe they work everyday and save to travel during their breaks. 🤷🏻♀️ Next time you catch yourself thinking or stating these negative comments, STOP. Ask yourself: Am I assuming these things? Is there an aspect about what they're doing that I actually admire but don't want to admit? Are they doing something I want to do and can learn from them? Am I being supportive and uplifting? Is there something I'm curious about that I want to ask them? This isn't exclusive to social media, of course. I see this offline too. STOP assuming, judging, criticizing. START asking, encouraging, uplifting. Let's start now! Tag a person in the comments and tell them what you admire about them! If they're an influencer/blogger- let us know why they're so awesome and why others should follow them (this can be you too). Extra points if the person you tag is based in NYC! What are your thoughts? Do you agree? Let me know in the comments. I'd love to continue the conversation. PC: @juannunez0821
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Chasing your goals isn't easy. It involves a lot of work, patience, and sometimes crying in front of strangers (a story for another day). When you're feeling crappy maybe you take it as a sign that it's time to move on. How do you know when it's the right time? If it's hard, should you give up? The thing is, the answer isn't always clear. We have to decide for ourselves. After facing a bump in the road, I have to admit this thought crossed my mind. It's so easy to fall into that mindset everything sucks the world is against me this is too hard. What has kept me going is not only focusing on my lows, but also my highs. What's working for me right now? What accomplishment am I proud of this week? What made me smile today? In our little world, we get wrapped up in the negatives but it is sooo important to be grateful and remember all the great things. Yeah, some things suck but is EVERYTHING really terrible? No, of course not! TELL ME: What made you smile this week? Throwback to Miami! PC: @4everalonewithacatandmaybeadog
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MENTAL HEALTH CHECK IN! How are you? No, no, really how are you? And don't tell me the short polite version (in the comments below). American culture has brain washed us into thinking answering anything besides I'm good how are you? as unacceptable. Why? If that statement isn't true, why do we encourage fooling others into thinking everything is fine? 🤔 To show (false) strength? To avoid conversation? To get on with your busy day? Let me know what you think in the comments! In my world things have been good...and bad! It's hard to put into a sentence how I've felt in the last 42 days. It hasn't all been great, but not terrible either. I've gone silent to focus on getting this new chapter of my life sorted out. 🗽📚📖 👩🏻🎓Now I feel that I'm in the mental space to provide new content and share a piece of my life with you (and of course budget travel tips!) If you haven't already, check out the link in my bio for FREE budget travel tips. ✈🌎 Throwback to my hometown Miami! New content from NYC coming soon. 💙
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Big challenges ahead, but are they worth it? I'm not one to settle on anything: life, education, ect. But in my experience, not settling has meant taking the more challeging (and rewarding) path. Currently, I'm going through some challenges but I'm reminding myself that I didn't get this far to just get THIS far. I gotta keep going. I deserve the best and I'm not stopping here. 😜 I'm trying my best to be in the moment, take it all in, and enjoy the bumpy ride. Afterall, the simple path is boring and not very enriching in the long run. Now I'm starting a new chapter: graduate school + move to NYC! I'm both excited and nervous. Probably underprepared too, but who's to say when one is REALLY ready? 🤣 Well that's been my mindset for the month pretty much. TELL ME: How's your August going? AND regarding my blog, I gotta get back to it! I'm trying to get organized and motivated but with everything going on it's been a challenge. Do you have any blog topics recommendations? What about video topics? Any suggestions?
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Everything happens for a reason, or at least that's the lie I kept telling myself when things don't go my way. But what if there's actually some truth to it? As some of you may already know, I'm moving to NYC and it's been really overwhelming and stressful for several reasons. One being: finding housing! I was chatting with a potenial room in Bronx. This place had recently became available again. I wondered why, but didnt think much of it. 🚩 We spoke on the phone and she seemed like a total sweetheart, maybe too nice. Or was I just being cynical? Fast forward a couple of days and the deal fell through before even seeing the place. I was a little disappointed. After that, I quickly realized why the place was available again and how problematic the landlord actually was. 😟 She showed her true colors and they weren't pretty. (If you wanna know the full story, DM me!) Anyways, I feel like I dodged a bullet just because things didn't go my way but in reality, this was what needed to happen! So maybe in the moment we don't get why things keep falling apart but maybe it's just a push to get us on the right path. Maybe not every time but this time it felt like that. TELL ME: Do you have any experiences that made you relate to this? Share them in the comments!
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Given the political climate, there's a lot of negative stereotypes going around about Hispanics/Latinxs. These stereotypes are problematic because it makes the untrue assumptions that ALL members of this community are X,Y,Z. Although there are a few bad apples, this does not mean all are the same. So we ask you to judge us individually for who we are, and not attribute misconceptions about our entire community. Bottom line is: to assume something negative about an entire race/ethnicity soley based on that identy is racist, wrong, and unfair. Judge individuals for their character, don't judge entire communities as a whole based on their identity. It saddens me to see so many targetting us as an entire group and dismissing all our contributions and accomplishments. And we are not the only ones being targeted in this manner. As I travel and educate myself, I always remember who I am and where I came from, and how that impacts both my experience and behavior. I keep in mind all the struggles and obstacles my family and I had to overcome, and still do. I remember all the sacrifices my parents made for me, and the path families before them paved. I am thankful for the opportunities given to us, and for the grit and determination we've had to create new ones. I hope and fight for the day where everyone has equal opportunity and is judged individually for what they do, not who they are. Perhaps that perfect utopia will never come, but rest assured others and myself will keep pushing to get as close to that as possible. I plan on continuing to be a positive representation of my community and pave the path for others to follow through my social interactions and career. TELL ME: What are you doing to make a positive impact on your community?
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I'm not sorry I've been MIA for a while but I am thankful. I'm thankful to have an understanding and supportive community that knows sometimes we just need time. Time to reflect, focus... Thank you for being patient with me when I took gave short responses and got distracted. Thank you for supporting me and being there for me when I needed it most. Thank you for understanding that I wasn't in the mental space to be the great friend I usually am. Thank you for believing in me when I felt small and insignificant. This one goes out to my true friends who are there for me no matter what. And yes, sometimes we get to a better place but somehow we can end up right where we started and that's totally okay! Today I wanted to share a visual from my past (to continue with that idea returning to past moments/feelings). This was from my trip to Germany in 2012. Facing great challenges has often been like a cycle to me: excitement, fear, anxiety, eagerness, determination and then the cycle begins again, (sometimes multiple times for the same challenge). I'm going through a big transition in my life and it's pretty hard! Moving, finding a job, dealing with grad school fees, packing, questioning my own choices, wondering if it's all a huge mistake, should I eat those brownies again even though it's really bad for me, the list goes on. So a lot of mixed feelings right now! TELL ME: What's something you're excited/nervous about right now?
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Top 5 secrets to budget travel! Do you ever say to yourself I would love to travel!! and you hear your wallet laughing at you in the background? Fear not aspiring traveler! You can travel on a tight budget! Here's the deal: I have been budget traveling on my own since I was a teen. I know it is possible because I have done it while broke af! I decided to start a budget travel blog to help others do it too. In this blog post I will be sharing my Top 5 Ultimate Budget Travel Tips: Budget Travel Guide! 𝟏. 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝! I cannot emphasize this enough! For the most part, everything travel related is first-come, first-serve. What offers sell out first? The cheapest options! (This includes lodging, flights, trains, everything). Don't miss out on the early bird deals. 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘮, 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴. You can find my other tips for free in the link in my bio! Click on Top Budget Travel Secrets TELL ME: If you could go anywhere, where would you go and why?
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A couple of months ago I worked on this cool project with Pearson. For my non-American friends: Pearson is an educational company that provides books and educational materials to schools. So how does this relate to me? Well I'm excited to share I was chosen as one of their characters in for their primary school Spanish book. Basically, I played myself, a Miami-native travel blogger, showing the diversity in Miami while showing my life as a travel blogger. Pretty cool, eh? I watched the final video and omg, it is SO GOOD! I'm looking forward to sharing it with you once they've officially released it. So stay tuned. If all goes well, I'll be featured in videos and book chapters all over the US. 📚 This project was part of what influenced my choice to start a YT channel. The film makers were so impressed with my camera presence. And I've made videos and posted them, event back in high school! I have then removed them and now plan on starting over by sharing How To videos. TELL ME: What type of videos would you like to see? And be honest, would you actually watch my videos?
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Big announcement! 🎉 Chase your dreams, especially if they scare you. Look, I'll do it, even if I'm shaking, shedding tears, and making a mental list of all the reasons why it's a dumb idea. And you know what, to my surprise, it still works everytime, LOL. It's not about being confident in yourself and your abilities. It's not about knowing everything. It's not even about knowing step by step everything you're gonna do. It's about having a clear goal and going for it (with smart strategies). I was scared to move to France alone as a teen. So many people feed into my fear: you're gonna get kidnapped you will get killed you don't even speak French French people hate Americans, why are you going? And guess what? I learned French, had an awesome time, and don't ever regret going for it. I was scared to attend the University of Michigan. I felt like a puppy in a big dog playground. Well this puppy kicked butt in academics and exceeded my own expectations. Now I'm scared of attending an ivy league. What if people are stuck up and arrogant? Am I smart enough to even be there? Total imposter syndrome to the max, just like in Michigan. But hey, my grades, application, and experiences got me accepted so I earned my place. And yeah, maybe some people aren't gonna be great but I'll find cool and kind people there (like me!) Also if you know a nice, kind, woke, blogger in NYC please send them my way and tell them I'm looking for a friend, lol. Tag them below. 👇🏻 And I'm also scared of starting a YouTube who wants to watch How-to videos from me? Well, apparently a lot of people. 😂 Thank you so much to the people who have encouraged me to pursue this. ❤ I've gotten an overwhelming amount of response and support off and online. All 2 of you have been so kind, ha jk there have been but not 100s haha, I'm not internet famous. Even if it were 2 or 200, it means a lot. Sometimes numbers get to me but getting positive feedback reminds me of my why. Why I wanted to do this: to be a resource to people who want to travel on a budget. And now I'm expanding it to education. (Continued in 1st comment)
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Does social media portrayed a factitious reality or do we just see what we wanna see? Today everyone has an opinion about everyone and their grandma. But very little people take time to see the whole picture. Why? You see someone exclusively posting sexy pictures. So they're overly confident you may assume. Or could they also battle insecurities like the rest of us? You see someone post all their flashy clothing and cars. So you assume they're rich and successful. Or could they be living paycheck to paycheck and struggle with money management like some of us do? You see someone posting pictures of their travels. So you assume they're always traveling, lazy, and don't have a job? Or could they be saving up, earning scholarships, traveling on a budget, and using their vacation time to go on trips, like I do? You see someone posting pictures of joyous moments and smiles. So you assume they're happy. Or could they be struggling with mental health like you do? You see, somehow people use social media as an excuse to judge a book by it's cover. We have forgetten to read between the lines. I often find people ignore the truth, even when told, just to continue holding on to their misguided assumption. We are so quick to judge and so reluctant to see what's right in front of us. Some people still think I travel 24/7, yet I've talked about my fulltime jobs, life as a student, countless times in person + online (in my captions, blogs, my location is even in my bio). I've talked about all the hours I spent applying to scholarships and writing essays to get funding for programs abroad, yet people assume I'm rich. Maybe it's easier to assume people have it easy instead of acknowledging their struggles, because it feeds into our excuses for not going for it ourselves as well. This isn't a social media issue, it's a people issue. I've seen this happen offline all the time. The judgements, criticism, assumptions. Stop. We need to do better to connect and get to know the whole story, not just the book cover of assumptions. Throwback to my trip to Cusco, Peru. TELL ME: What are your thoughts on this? Do you agree?
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I'm THAT type of person. I'm that silly chick that likes to dance in front of the mirror in her pjs. The one who will take pictures at Walmart by fake flowers. I'm the type of person who will enjoy the little things and make an adventure out of small things. Who else is like this? 🙋🏻♀️ Often I've been called childish for being this way. At first it seems like an insult but it's really a compliment. I live in the moment. I try my best to make things enjoyable. I laugh at the small things. I'm caring. I'm in touch with my feelings and try my best to express them. I like to have fun AND I'm responsible and persistent in the areas that matter: academics and career. I used to be self conscious about what others thought about me. As I got older I realized the weird and quirky things are what my people love about me the most and what makes me feel the happiest. So have fun, be a kid! TELL ME: What's a small silly thing that brings you joy?
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Last month I spent the day with my friend @dannyagudelo exploring @evergladesnps and other places here in South Florida. Danny shared with me his love for nature and the importance of preserving it. AND we also got smoothies. 🥤😍 Today I am sharing a some facts about the Everglades and the ocean (they're both important things to all of us, especially Floridians). Slide to view. Most of them were cut off but some cool info is still included! 🌻 TELL ME: Which fact surprised you the most? Share a fun fact in the comments! Sources: @natgeo, Everglades National Park, Everglades Holiday Park site
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Moving to NYC soon and I'm so incredibly nervous and excited! I'm moving to NYC to attend my dream grad school so it's a huge deal. I'm pursuing a double masters in psychological counseling (nerd alert, am I right🤓)? This program will get me one step closer to my career goals: improving access to education for underserved communities. Growing up in Honduras opened up my world to a harsh reality. I witnessed extreme poverty and poor education. I think it made me realize how much progress is still needed. But this doesn't just impact Honduras, it impacts all countries (on a different scale, in different forms). My mother taught me at a young age the importance to give back to the community. One day (after moving back to the US) we went to visit during the summer, as we usually did. We spent days gathering my old toys and putting them in boxes in front of our house. Everyday for several days, people came to get toys. The joy and smiles on their face made me feel warm inside. Something so small can make such a difference. 😍 But I didn't want to just end it there. I know there's much more that can be done.I want to dedicate my career to help others achieve their academic goals and have access to a better life and work opportunities. I don't want to just take up space, I want my existence to add something positive to the world. I know I can't change the world or solve all the problems but I hope to make a positive difference in others' lives, big or small. ❤ I encourage you all to think of ways you can positively impact your community. Volunteering or providing a social service (teaching, counseling, ect) can be a great way to do this! If you're in Miami and want to volunteer, HMU! I can send you sites or maybe we can volunteer together. If you're in NYC & wanna volunteer, HMU cus I'd love a volunteer buddy! 👀 TELL ME: When was the last time you made a positive impact?
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I was crying while eating a mango recently. Has this ever happened to you? 🙋🏻♀️ put your hand down, of course it didnt. 😂 I swear sometimes my life sounds like a comedic drama. This happened and it wasn't because the mango was amazing, (but it was amazing, btw). It was because life gets rough and you break down when you least expect it, even when enjoying life's simple pleasures like eating a mango. Here's the thing: life on the other side of the screen isn't always pretty and smiley. It's raw and unfiltered. It's good and it's bad. And sometimes you just gotta ride the waves and laugh when you can, specially post-mango meltdown. I think we've all been there. Maybe it wasn't with mangos, maybe it was with popcorn during a sad clip or a bowl of ice cream after a rough social interaction. The key is to feel and express all your emotions AND find a way to move past it. The tears became laughter. Sometimes you just gotta laugh at yourself. 😂 TELL ME: What was something that made you laugh recently?
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This doesn't happen to people like me. Traveling the world? Getting scholarships? Earning college degrees? I've worked hard for this. Even with the obstacles, I made it happen. Currently I'm facing some great challenges dealing with my move to NYC, finding more funding for my graduate studies, among other things. But at least there's relief in knowing I've already conquered the biggest challenge of this chapter: getting accepted into grad school. In the face of great challenges I often doubt myself Can I do it? Am I good enough? But my past experiences have shown me I'm no one to limit myself. Clearly, I go beyond my own expectations. 😂 You see, I love playing this game of Let's see what I can get away with. I have these dreams and I pursue them, even if myself and half of the world thinks I'm crazy for it. But hey, at least I'm crazy enough to make them happen! 😍 So here's to great challenges. Throwback to my last study abroad program. I spent a semester abroad in Paris, fully funded! TELL ME: Do you struggle with your confidence in your abilities? #museedorsay #paris @museeorsay @cgisumich @uofmichigan @michiganalumni
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I have the kindest of intentions and still get negativity. It's kinda funny how that happens. I started blogging to help & inspire others to travel on a budget. I've gotten countless unfollows & critism from strangers, friends, & family. I've also got a lot of people who doubt me and my sucess. To deal with this I do two things: remind myself of my goals & try to understand them (the haters). Everyone isn't going to get it and some are just not interested but that's okay. I don't need to support from everyone because my goal isn't popularity. My goal is to be a resource to others. I try to understand them by remembering everyone goes through their own struggles and some havent found healthy ways to cope with them so they tend to be judgemental and nasty towards others. It could be jealousy, insecurities, unhappiness, or something similar. This applies to people irl and online. I'll give you an example of something that happened to me. I had a coworker who was always really nasty to me. She was rude and judgmental, specifically towards me but not everyone. She was young, just a teen. I didn't pay much mind and just figured she had poor manners. I was told by a friend + coworker that she was gossiping about me and among the things she said include: ugh, look at Elizabeth. She thinks she's so cool with her travel IG whaaat?? 😂 (My IG is never to show off or make others jealous but to share my story and help others) So I kinda just laughed it off and remained respectful to her always. That same summer she started her travel IG. 🤔 This to me showed that maybe she was jealous and wanted to do the same thing but struggled to be successful or something like that. I hope she's grown, become kinder, and less critical of others, wherever in the world she is. That's just one example of plenty! Not the worst one either. If similar things happen to you, don't get to their level- be kind and respectful always. Deep down the nasty people just need support and love like the rest of us (but may not be getting it, unfortunately). I'll do what I love & continue to get the support from my people. TELL ME: How do you handle the haters?
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Really going for it 🌟 Some of you may have noticed that I took a little break from social media. Tbh I was feeling a little frustrated and confused. 🙃 A @sflmombloggers event kind of helped me figure things out. That's where it started. I got the push and encouragement I needed, along with other things... I have so much I wanna share but I'll tell ya later! For now, I'll tell you what I did during my break: -completed several online courses Cus you should never stop learning, who's with me? 🙋🏻♀️ -took time to re-focus on my goals Mm, we get a little lost sometimes and we need to take a moment to figure out what the point of it really is -created steps to achieve said goals Dreams dont work unless you do -binged on tv -ate some cookies The important things in life -remembered I rarely half-axx anything so why start now? So here it is- your warning: I'm back and coming at ya full force. Renewed and reenergized. Working on some cool stuff on my end. Stay tuned. btw, Happy 4th of July to my American friends. How are you spending today?
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Land of the limited. As a child of immigrants there is so much pressure because of the sacrifices our parents made. There is pressure to be above average. With all this pressure, we also get constantly challenged with our identities. We gotta be deeply connected to our roots while remaining extremely American and patriotic. When successful in the face of great obstacles and inequalities, we are questioned if we even earned our place (applies to work, education, ect). We must turn a blind eye to injustices many face here because we aren't fully welcomed here anyways. How dare us fight for equality in a land where we are often treated as unwelcomed visitors. With 4th of July quickly approaching, it reminds me how limited our freedom truly is. I am proud to be both American and Latina, but I can love a land while also acknowledging the need for more progress and equality. We've come a long way but the work is not over. This 4th of July, I will celebrate US' birthday while remembering how we got here and where I hope one day we will be. TELL ME: How do you celebrate 4th of July?
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No one will accept you were the words my high school counselor told me when I asked for help applying to colleges. And without a question, I believed her. I didn't know how to apply to college. I didn't know what my next steps should me. I didn't know what to do as I was entering the new chapter into adulthood. I didn't know. I also didn't know she was wrong. I didn't know how much power and potential I had. I didn't know I will eventually end up at one of the top colleges in the world. I didn't know one day I'll have a passport so full of stamps that I'll need a new one before it even expired. I didn't know and I just believed the negative comments, judgments, criticism, that came my way as a teenager. No questions about it. Adults must know, why question them? Later, I learned that even the wise, authority figures, educated individuals, any adult, can be wrong. This realization made me challenge those who doubt me. The person whose negative thoughts I challege the most are my own. These little pieces of limiting comments have been engraved in my mind since childhood and I work everyday to silence them. Most days I suceed but the last few days have been exceptionally challenging. I'm trying something new today. I'm going to write down all my doubts on a piece of paper and a rebuttal to go with it. I'd like you to join me! TELL ME: What are some negative beliefs about yourself you have or had, and what's the rebuttal? (If you don't have a rebuttal, I can help you make one! So just post your negative belief) Throwback to volunteering in Santa Maria, Brazil!
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I'm tired and underpaid. I'm sorry if you were expecting a happy-go-lucky post but I like to keep it real. I share the good, the bad, and the ugly. And let me tell you it gets pretty ugly on this side of the screen. What can I say? Adulting is hard. You may be thinking: Okay Elizabeth, but why don't you just quit? 🤔 Here's the thing, I made the conscious decision of getting into the education and psychology field which are underappreciated and underpaid. In order to balance it out, I'm getting 2 graduate degrees. This will enable me to qualify for better paying jobs that make a bigger positive impact. Oh and btw, I LOVE school! University was both one of my most stressful and enriching + fun times in my life. This (tired and underpaid) chapter is part of the process (and it will eventually end and get better). This experience is meaninful to me on a personal level and professional level. I work with differently-abled college students to provide academic support, guidance, and teach life skills. Some of you may be wondering why I chose these fields. Well, I've seen a lot of extreme poverty and need. I didn't want to just sit back and do nothing. I want to dedicate my life and career to making a difference. It feels like it give my life meaning and purpose. 🌟 I began to consider my career goals while in France when I was working abroad by changing my major, making goals, and doing some research on career paths. I also found my love for travel there and explored near by cities like London. 🇬🇧 TELL ME: What are your career goals? #london #londondiaries #londonforyou #londonphoto
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Hands up if you love to explore and travel but are constantly on a budget! 🙋 Yo, I hear you! But can you be a tourist/traveler on a budget? Listen, I love all things budget but I also don't want to have a bad time traveling + exploring for the sake of saving. Lucky for you, budget is my middle name! I create budget city travel guides, including free and cheap activities, so you have fun without making your wallet hate you. Here's my guide on the Top Free Things to do in Miami. For more information click on the link in my bio or head on over to www.trulyeli.com TELL ME: What types of blog do you like to read? What travel guides do you love? #miami #travelguide #free #frugaltravel
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Abroad Opportunity! How about a job abroad that includes housing, food, and opportunities to travel? Sounds awesome right? It sure did to 18 year old me (many moons ago)! Slide to see the top 7 reasons why you should be an au pair. For the full blog post head over to www.trulyeli.com! Shortly after school I moved abroad for work. I left all things that were familiar. I didn't even speak the language! I quickly learned French, made meaningful connections, and memories I still cherish today. Throwback to one of those many adventures- I traveled to London with some friends I made in Bordeaux! TELL ME: When you were 18, do you think you would've moved abroad for work? --- #visitlondon #london #londontrip #london_city_photo #linkinprofile
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The one-sided story The one-sided story is often what we usually show & tell to our family, friends, and even strangers. We often seem embarrassed to share the struggles. Why are we ashamed to share our failures and mistakes? It's only human, afterall. I think it portrays an unrealistic idea of success and adulting. Not sharing my truth is exhasting! 😂 Pretending like all is good and perfect all the time is overwhelming and overrated, if ya ask me! 😜 So, I'll just continue embracing my mistakes and try my best to learn from them. 🌟 We often show this on social media as well, not just influencers, but well, everyone. Maybe the hardships just aren't as instagram worthy, or so we think! I've made an effort to keep it real and share more about my life, travels, even failures. I think it helps me stay humble and connect with others as well. Some shared they really appreciated my vulnerability and transparency. The most interesting part is, they can relate! So many of us chose to struggle in silence. Although I'm not saying EVERYONE should share ALL their struggles (I sure don't) but sometimes sharing can make a positive impact. For me it's been beneficial (for the reasons I've listed above and also) because others can help + guide you. You're never too wise, too good, or too smart, to learn something new or ask for help. And in honor of embracing mistakes, here's a fail picture taken by @juannunez0821. 😂 (slide to see) TELL ME: What's something you've been struggling with lately? #miami #KennedyPark #florida #floridablogger #miamiblogger
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Your dreams are calling your name! 🌟 Isn't it great when your goals just 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 happen? 😍 No? Oh, you can't relate? cus it doesn't happen! 😂😏 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐝𝐨! Take breaks if ya need to. It's okay to be confused or get lost, as long as you get back on track. Ask for help and guidance if you need to. But YOU gotta actively reach for them. Be patient, persistent, and intentional. After a not so great week of migraines and feeling icky, I got a week of productivity! I got some things done, goals met.💕 I'd love to get inspired by you! Drop your kickass weekend goals in the comments! TELL ME: What are your plans this weekend? Are you doing something productive? Are you indulging in some very needed me time? Btw, I also believe breaks + me time is essential to your overall health and to achieve your goals. You gotta be your priority. ❤ This weekend I plan on continuing the productivity by completing small goals to reach my long term goals. I plan on doing the following: -Continue planning future NYC blogger events with @pricklyfresh -Applying for more grad scholarships -Completing a Youtube course -Completing a MailChimp course -Completing a LinkedIn course -Editing and writing my blog post on long distance relationships with @elliebearescapades (so sorry I'm behind on this Ellen!) Throwback to London! I was an au pair shortly after graduating high school. It was my goal to travel, learn French, and work abroad! I achieved all that as a teen. This was one of my trips while living abroad in Bordeaux, France. --- #London #England #UK #unitedkingdom
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This seemed impossible until it was done. Full time student, working, broke, AND traveling? Is this possible? 🤔 The answer is:HECK YES! Because I've done it and I will continue to do so. I have no loans, no debt. I was fortunate enough to have earned scholarships to travel + pursue an education. And today I am sharing all the secrets on how YOU can do it too! 🌎 Look, I'm just an ordinary broke chick who love to travel, pet dogs, and spend more hours playing The Sims than I'd like to admit. I'm also resourceful and organized when it comes to planning trips and finding funding, programs, and opportunities. So I wanna not just show the pretty pictures. I'm not that ooh look at me, I'm so cool and I travel chick. Nope. I'm that chick who has worked her butt off, saved, and earned funding for trips. I'm also that chick that wants to help others. Cus honestly it's more fun to help + inspire others than to just share cool pics (I'm just saying). 🤷🏻♀️ TELL ME: What types of questions do you have? What types of blog posts would be helpful? Is my existing content on IG + blog helpful enough? I wanna be helpful. ❤🤗 Make sure to check out my website: www.trulyeli.com for free budget travel resources and guides. #red #KennedyPark #miami #florida #redinmyfeed
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I'm scared. But just as I am scared, I am also brave. Let's face it, being brave and vulnerable is scary. It's definitely not in my comfort zone. So yes, I feel sometimes feel silly sharing my experiences and thoughts with you. BUT it's also one of the best choices I've ever made. Why? Because it's enabled me to connect with people who encourage & inspire me. It's allowed me to support and help others travel. It's also been a positive outlet for my mental health. It seemed like a silly thought January 2018 when I decided to change my IG to a travel blogger account, but it's been beneficial in so many ways! And it felt silly visiting NYC Feb 2013 for the first time just to attend a college tour at Columbia. I was in community college at the time and thought there was no way I'd ever get in but a girl can dream right? Fall 2019 I'm making that silly dream come true as I pursue 2 graduate degrees. I still can't believe this silly dreamer got in. I remember years before that wanting to travel the world. 30+ countries later I can proudly call myself a traveler. Dreams always seem silly but there's someone out there already making it happen. I still get a lot of negative comments and criticism. And I'm still making it happen, full of fear, hope, dreams, and dare I say - a little silliness. TELL ME:If could go back in time and say something to your younger self, what would you say? #wynwood #miami #miamiblogger
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Double tap if you need a vacation! I hear you! For about a week I was feeling so terrible physically. For a while (at times) emotionally I haven't been feeling too hot either. The thing is I have dreams I want to achieve and not seeing immediate results gets frustrating. (So yeah, a vacation to take a break from all this would be great right about now!) BUT it's part of the process! I just gotta trust the process and enjoy the ride. For now, I'll be focused on my smart goals to achieve my dreams. Slowly but surely I'm achieving them, one by one. Throwback to my last family vacation! Tell me when was your last family vacation and where did you go? #cornersofmyworld #darlingdaily #everysquareastory #flashesofdelight #lifestyleblog #lifestyleblogger #lifestylebloggers #lifestyleinspo #lifeunscripted #nothingisordinary #personalblog #pursuepretty #reclaimthehappy #seeksimplicity #stilllifephotography #stillswithstories #thatsdarling #bloggersdiaries #bloggersgetsocial #bloggersofinstagram #bloggingcommunity #blogginggals #Disney #DisneyWorld #DisneyParks #DisneyGram #DisneyFan #DisneyLove #DisneyLife #DisneySide
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I get discouraged and unmotivated. I'm incredibly grateful to have been so successful with my academic career and travel goals. I have traveled to 30+ countries, gotten several degrees, and now I'm starting grad school at one of the best unis in the country. THIS also shows how incredibly ambitious and hard working I am. I fall, and get back up. I actively pursue the things I want. I seek guidance and support from those I admire to help me get where I wanna be. But let me tell you something- I've failed, HARD. There are days when I feel unmotivated and discouraged. I've gotten more nos than yeses. I've spent days stressed, overwhelmed, and overworked. So yes, you see the pretty but I cannot hide the ugly. I get these ugly feelings with various things- my career and academic studies, my blog. Heres when I feel discouraged with my IG: -when I feel like no one is listening -when my friends religiously watch all my story posts (encouraging people to comment and like) but never engage with my content -when my friends and family unfollow -when I put in hours into posting high quality images and captions but see little growth -when I see people stealing my ideas but not giving me credit So here's a visual to represet my failures, when I feel the most discouraged and unmotivated, and how one should deal with them- with a smile and full of positivity. 🌟 Here's a reminder to myself and all of you- success takes time, effort, and failure. There is no true success without a few bumps. So hang in there and enjoy the ride. ❤ TELL ME: What's your best advice to someone who's feeling discouraged? Asking for a friend! #miami #wynwoodwalls #wynwood #art #miamiinfluencer
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I'M GOING TO CAIRO And this guy is the reason! 😍 I don't know when yet, we're in the planning stages of my visit. I've been once but there's still so much left to explore! So proud of @Juannunez0821 for getting a full scholarship to study abroad in Cairo for a year. Huge nerd alert, am I right? 🤓😂 I mean, I am going to an ivy league uni for grad school so nerd couple goals..? 😂 Throwback to #BurrsBerryFarm Have you been to Cairo before? Drop some suggestions in the comments or tag someone who has been to Cairo. ❤ #floridablogger #miamiblogger #travelblogger
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RETURNING ALL COMMENTS from public female travel blogger accounts. 🌟 I'd love to connect with more of you! Let's get to know each other. Tell me who you are and what your blog is about. Then, scroll through my comments to read about others! I'll drop my intro here: I'm Elizabeth!🙋🏻♀️ Your average broke Miami chick, who just happens to travel the world on a budget. I've found ways to make travel accessible and affordable and today I am showing others how they can do it too, even if they're broke AF through my blog www.trulyeli.com. When I'm not out traveling or admiring dogs, I'm focusing on my academic career (and probably thinking about chicken nuggets). #miami #wynwood
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I've always been pretty creative. 🌟 This platform has allowed me to channel my creativity to build my community, in hopes of inspiring and helping others. ❤ It has also been a healthy outlet for my mental health. Although it's been fun and greatly beneficial, it's also my business, my brand! Social media influencers and bloggers build businesses through their content, and some even make a full time living off of it. Recently, I got some incorrect & rude comments about how my business wasn't a legit business. These type of People like these will try and bring you down to make themselves feel better. People like these are limited to their own little bubble. Do not let people like these limit you! Do not let them rain on your parade. Your influence, your blog, IS a business, even if you don't treat it that way yet. While some people are out here making fun of influencers, they're making money and building an audience and probably don't care about the opinions of haters. If you have a limited view on what a real business is and want to tear others down, you're wrong for that and quite frankly- I don't wanna hear it. 🤷🏻♀️ I'm just here minding my business, spreading kindness + support, making moves. And yes, I've worked with brands. Yes, I've made money off of it. And no, I do not need your judgement and criticism. Positive vibes only. 🌻🌟 Here's the thing: Whatever your passion is, there are already people, right now, pursuing it and I can guarantee you they are not universally liked and they still get negativity, no matter how successful they are. If you're crazy enough to pursue your dreams, do it unapologetically. And when you fail, do so daringly and greatly (or dare I say bigly 😂 brownie points if you get the reference). Then, get back up and try again! Don't quit your day dream. TELL ME: What's something you've always dreamt of achieving? --- #motivationmonday #dontquityourdaydream #miami #strawberry #KennedyPark
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What ever happened to randomly calling a friend? Unschedule & unannounced, just to say hello. 📲 When was the last time you asked someone how THEY are doing? When was the last time YOU made plans to hang out with a friend, and didn't wait around for them to make the plans for you. When was the last time you had a deep and meaningful conversation with someone without checking your phone every 15 minutes? 🤳 Many people are addicted to social media but dislike being social. Is that not the oddest thing? 😂 Our favorite phrase has become I'm busy but what are you REALLY busy doing? Are you using your time in meaningful ways? I'll admit it, I'm not one to call friends up every day, not even every week. I try to chat with them periodically, some more than others. To build meaningful connections, you have to but a significant effort and time to it. No shortcuts. This week, ring a friend! Say hello. ❤ TELL ME: What do you prefer, texting or talking on the phone? Personally I love talking on the phone! I can do it for hours. I am a talker, but more importantly, I'm a listener. #kennedypark #miami
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This is what anxiety looks like. Anxiety to me is when relatively small mistakes make me fight back the tears. Anxiety to me is not being able to sleep a night because of the influx of irrational thoughts. Anxiety to me is having your nervous system accelerate, triggered suddenly and rapidly, by a thought or event. Anxiety to me means needing an interactive but simple activity to calm my nerves. Anxiety to me is overeating to make me feel better. Anxiety to me is avoiding caffeine because I can't handle the side effects when my heart already feels like its pounding out of my chest. Anxiety also looks like smiling throughout the day. It also looks like having regular conversations and social interactions. It looks like being productive and accomplished. You get the idea? Having anxiety doesn't mean you're literally anxious all the time and can't function. Various situations and thoughts can trigger it. And regardless of how functional and happy you may appear and are (cus in my case I am generally happy!), it doesn't make your mental health experiences any less valid. I hate that certain experiences are made out to be one thing and if you don't fit in that box, it's not real. But hey, not everyone is a mental health expert. Some don't even cope with it and surpress their feelings with unhealthy outlets. Many still do not even believe it's real. Everyone doesn't understand mental health, but I do. I've done research on this and I got a degree on it, so you can trust me on this! I'm here to tell you, your feelings and emotions are valid. I hope you find the best healthy way to deal with all mental health challenges you face. TELL ME: What are some assumptions/stereotypes people have that really bug you? --- #mentalhealth #anxiety #miami #breakthestigma #anxietyawareness
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Free trips! 𝐃𝐎𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐏 if you love them! 🚂🚢✈🌏 4 years ago on this very day, I was packing for 2 months of my life. I got accepted to volunteer in India for a month, fully funded. And the following month I worked in Italy for a month. It was an eventful summer to say the least! I worked hard to look for these opportunities and enhance my skills. I create and actively search for meaningful experiences. You see the pictures but you don't see all the work I've done to get where I am.🌏👩🏻🎓 I don't come from wealth. My trips are paid fully on my own and through earned scholarships and grants. I've applied to more things than I can remember only to get a handful of yeses. But I'm persistent. I keep trying. All my goals are reached by completing small steps on the way. Currently, my travel goals have been put on pause. I've been traveling a lot less because I'm focusing on my academic and career goals. 👩🏻🏫📚 But sometimes I feel so impatient. I want to do everything NOW. I want to see more progress and more accomplishments quicker. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work that way. It helps to sometimes take a moment to remember a time when I wanted to be where I am now. I take a moment to appreciate how far I've come and what is yet to come. I didn't get this far to only get 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 far! TELL ME: How do you stay motivated? --- #india #fridayfunday #motivation #newdelhi
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#NycBloggers: Let's connect! As some of you already know, I'm moving to NYC for grad school. @pricklyfresh and I are starting a @thebloggerunion blogger community chapter: @thenycbloggers, in New York. We will be hosting meet ups, workshops, and opportunities to grow through kind collaboration. If you're a #nycblogger or know of one comment below! 🌟 TELL ME: Are you blogger? If yes, what do you blog about? --- #nycinfluencer #pamm #miami
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Many people don't know this: I'm an ambivert. Although the behaviors, thoughts, and feelings may vary person to person, being an ambivert to me means: 1. Preferring 1 on 1 hang outs over large group hang outs. 2. I won't talk over you. I do not fighting to be heard. If you cut me off or don't listen, I just won't share what I had to say. 🤷🏻♀️ 3. Wanting conversations with depth and substance. Don't get me wrong, I love chatting about all things pop culture. Yeah, I can talk about the Kardashians and share all the fun facts I learned against my will. But there needs to be more than just shallow conversation. I want conversations that are meaningful. 4. Listening and observing more than I talk. 5. My behavior is influenced by my environment and surrounding people. 6. Having a deep desire to befriend + connect with others by asking about their likes + dislikes and their passions. 7. Spending time with friends doing interactive activities like dinner, museum visit, cultural things, going to the mall. Although I do enjoy a night out but about once a month is good enough for me. Can you relate? TELL ME: I wanna know, are you an ambivert like me or an introvert or extrovert? --- #ambivert #santamaria #brasil #nycbloggers #nyctravelbloggers
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6 years of stealing your fries! 🍟 and traveling the world. ✈🌏 Fun fact: @juannunez0821 and I have been dating long distance for most of our relationship. We met in community college and then transferred to different universities. Soon we'll be apart again while I attend Columbia in NYC and he studies abroad in Cairo. I'm teaming up with travel blogger @elliebearescapades to create guide on long distance relationships. More details coming soon! TELL ME: What questions do you have about long distance relationships? Have you ever been in a long distance relationship? #longdistance #miami #KennedyPark
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Solo or group trips? Which one do you prefer? Let me know in the comments! A few years ago I went on a group roadtrip with my friends from Ann Arbor to Toronto. I loved the experience! Some people prefer to travel alone. Others prefer traveling with people. I like both! Ideal is a small group cus as the group gets bigger it can get kinda messy and confusing! Btw, have you checked out my latest blog post- Working Abroad and Remotely: A Guide by Travel Bloggers and Business Owners. You can read it by heading to www.trulyeli.com or just click on the link in my bio! #Canada #NiagaraFalls #travel #Toronto #waterfall
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TAG someone in the comments that would wanna read this! 🌟 In this blog post you will read about female travel bloggers and business owners working abroad or remotely. We will also share show you can do it too by sharing our experiences, tips, and even links to apply to varies opportunities! Special thank you to: @glendasagenda @itssimplytasha @linaforrestal @beachbumsteffi TELL ME: What type of content would YOU like to see more of? Let me know in the comments. #travel #blog Head on over to www.trulyeli.com or click on the link in my bio to read.
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1 month in India. My first summer at @uofmichigan I did a service learning program through @cgisumich I was excited to do something meaningful and give back. As most Westerners, I came in with the idea of helping others as a volunteer. Although this is what volunteers usually do, it was a little more complex than most would think. Allow me to explain. I spent nearly a month volunteering: cooking, cleaning, among other duties; to help provide 60 thousand to 100 thousand meals a day. Incredible, right? The coolest part is that not only has this been happening for over 400 years, it also is completely free and open to everyone. It's not even funded by the government which shows the incredible heart and kindness of the people involved. It was a privilege to play a small role in this but I wasn't needed. If anything, I slowed them down! I (tried to) learned to make perfectly round rotis, which seemed like a second nature to these local volunteers that spent endless hours making them. I had to observe others and ask for their help. Sometimes they had to stop me to just show me how it's done! And I, of course, was incredibly grateful to learn! Yes, I came in with this I'm-gonna-make-a-huge-change-mentality. I thought my work would be meaningful, and it was but not in the way I expected. During my time, I made meaningful interactions. I shared a piece of my culture with others. We often communicated through basic English, gestures, and smiles. I went to help but in reality they helped me. They helped me understand a different part of the world, a different cultures, and even how to make rotis (don't ask me to make you any cus mine weren't that good! Oh but I am now a master at peeling garlic thanks to this experience. I am up for a garlic peeling competition if anyone wants to challenge me! 😂)They helped see that sometimes we gain more than we give as volunteers. It helped me be less ignorant about a religion different from my own. To the volunteers out there (or aspiring volunteers): thank you for your service and remain humble! Think about what you're gaining, not only what you're giving. When was the last time you volunteered?
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Work Abroad + Remotely Guide 🌟 This Friday at 12PM EST, a new guide on working abroad and remotely will go live on my blog: www.trulyeli.com! It will even include tips and application links! Special thank you to these lovely ladies for sharing their experience and tips: @beachbumsteffi @itssimplytasha @glendasagenda @linaforrestal @trulyeli (Yes, I have to thank myself too 😂) Make sure to check them out and give them a follow for travel inspo and other travel related things. 🌟 Throwback to volunteering in Brazil! TELL ME: What travel-related content would YOU like to see? What types of blogs should I share? Let me know in the comments! ⤵️ --- #kindcollaboration #blog #travel #santamaria #communityovercompetition #brazil
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Let's talk about mental health. 💫 May is mental health awareness month. First we should discuss why it exists and why it matters. May was picked as the mental health awareness month in hopes of raising awareness about the importance of mental health and to stop the stigma associated with mental health. Ok, cool so why should you care? Although we've come a long way in reducing the stigmatization of mental health, there is still work to be done. Many are struggling and need to find healthy coping strategies and solutions through effective and scientifically-supported therapies and activities. Some are struggling to admit they need support. If it's impacting one person, it impacts us all directly or indirectly, believe it or not. Let's push for a healthier, happier, and more understanding society. 🌟 TELL ME: What is the best strategy to deal with mental health challenges? Here are some quick facts on mental health. Slide to view.➡️ Check out @elliebearescapades recent post on mental health (that inspired this one!) #mentalhealth #pamm #mentalhealthawareness
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Just a few more days until my very much anticipated blog post! A lot of you liked the Au Pair blog post so I wanted to collab with other travel bloggers and business owners on a guide to working abroad and remotely. This Friday it will go live! If you are a travel blogger and would like to collab, DM me! Throwback to my undergrad days! I went on a roadtrip from Ann Arbor, Michigan to Toronto with some good friends. 🌟 TELL ME: When was the last time you took a roadtrip? --- #roadtrip #NiagaraFalls #travel
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I'm looking forward to... completing my next blog post on working abroad + remotely! Shoutout to the awesome travel bloggers who are collaborating with me on this piece! Make sure to check them out: @beachbumsteffi @itssimplytasha @glendasagenda @linaforrestal TELL ME: Have you ever worked abroad or remotely? Would you ever like to? Throwback to me in Brazil where I started my first remote job while volunteering. 🌟 --- #santamaria #Brasil #kindcollaboration #communityovercompetition
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Like saving money + travel? If yes- Double tap! When traveling I'm always on the look out for budget-friendly + meaningful experiences. Especially if it's free! And I 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 I can't be the only one! Where are my thrifty people at?! 🙋🏻♀️ I created a budget travel guide include the top free things to do in Lima! 🇵🇪 Full guide on my blog. Head on over to www.trulyeli.com for the full guide or click on my bio. I love making budget travel guides for you! What type of content would you like to see more of? Let me know in the comments! 🤗 I'd love to get your feedback on this. Shoutout to @byohlola for inspiring this carousel idea! If you love photography + fashion, make sure to check her out! --- #travelguide #lima #miraflores #peru
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Don't get fat! You're too skinny, gain some weight. You need to fix yourself more and dress nicer. Wow, you're really going out dressed like that? Cover yourself! You need to settle down already, you're getting old. Wow you're too young to have kids. You're still in school? You should go to school to get a degree. We've all heard comments like these. 🤷🏻♀️ In person, on tv, or maybe we know someone who has said it. We are constantly told what to be, what not to be. To me, it seems like we are constantly getting contradicting messages. Does anyone else agree? 🙋🏻♀️ In today's society the biggest sin is to be both too much or too little of something. But here's the fun part: Their opinions don't matter! 🤷🏻♀️ Live your life to the fullest. People will say/think whatever. Who cares? Do you, boo! In honor of #selflove and #selfacceptance here's a selfie! 😜 A little throwback from my undergrad days at @uofmichigan! TELL ME: What's the weirdest negative comment you've heard? --- #annarbor #midwest #Michigan
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I'm pretty excited about this! @pricklyfresh and I are starting @thebloggersunion NYC chapter! 🌟🗽 We are creating a community of NYC bloggers dedicated to growing together through kind collaborations. We will have monthly meet ups, workshops, and so much more. If you're in the NYC area, make sure to follow ➡️ @thenycbloggers ⬅️ Tag a New York Blogger in the comments below! Spread the word. Also, I'm trying to come up with a cute label for Jordan who will be creating this with me. Blogging partner? Blartner? Clearly I need your help! 😂 Drop your suggestions below and best one gwill get a shoutout. Extra points if its funny! Throwback to Santa Maria, Brazil. --- #nycbloggers #nycblogger #santamaria #visitBrazil
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Are you up for this challenge? Okay so I know a lot of you may roll your eyes at this 👀 but I really love ice breakers! My favorite one is 2 truths and one lie. Every once in a while I enjoy doing this so we can get to know each other. Basically I'm going to say 2 truths and one lie about myself. You gotta figure out which is which and then it's your turn! Ready? 💫 1. I've spent at least a month in 7 different countries. 🌏 2. I hate all veggies + refuse to eat them, except corn! #sorrynotsorry 🌽 3. I have 3 college degrees and I'll have 5 by 2021. TELL ME: Which one do you think is the lie? Let me know in the comments! Now it's your turn! Join by sharing your 2 truths and one lie in the comments. Engage with others to guess theirs! Have fun! 💫 Throwback to Marrakech with the lovely, Michelle! @amp1e --- #marrakech morroco #blue #jardinmajorelle Travel on a budget even if you're broke AF! I'll show you how. Make sure to follow along for budget travel tips + tricks, travel guides, and much more. Click on my bio for more. Check out my newest blog post at: www.trulyeli.com
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This made me rethink 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨! Everyone wants to be brave but no one wants to be vulnerable - @BreneBrown Recently I watched a documentary on @netflix, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦. Brown talked about bravery only existing in the presence of vulnerability. And then I started thinking of a time when I was brave but not vulnerable and it doesn't exist. And yet, my biggest accomplishment are times I was vulnerable. Times I was scared, judged, and criticized by friends, family, strangers. Now I'm about to start a new chapter and y'all I am 𝘚𝘊𝘈𝘙𝘌𝘋. I'm starting grad school soon at an ivy league and all these questions have begun to arise. Am I good enough? Am I smart enough? Do I really deserve this? Can I handle it? I know deep down the answer is yes! But dealing with the #Impostersyndrome, the uncertainty, challenges, and insecurities, make me scared of this experience. I am excited and remind myself that this is a part of being brave and yes it may be scary now but aren't all great experience a little scary? Or is that only applicable in my life? 😜 Is there something really scary that you wanna do? Let me know in the comments! Also, can you think of a time you were brave & vulnerable? --- #wynwoodwalls #wynwood #thecalltocourage #Frida
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If it's FREE it's for me. ❣🤷🏻♀️ Those who know me, know I'm cheap. I like to think of it as being smart with money. 🤑 What can I say- I work hard for my money and I like to make my money last. 💰 When looking for free/cheap things to do in my city I turn to my best friend, Google. 😉 Here in Miami we have free entrances to all major museums, beaches, free drinks (nearly free night for ladies), and even free entrance to galleries and murals like this one! Should I make a blog post sharing the best free things to do in Miami? 🤔 Throwback to a frugal Miami adventure with @glendasagenda and @lake_lin! 💫 TELL ME: What's your favorite activity? --- #visitmiami #wynwood #wynwoodwalls
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SEX , DRUGS, & FIGHTS Now that I've gotten your attention... I hope that one day you find yourself so deep in selflove that you never doubt yourself again. I hope you find the courage to fully and unapologetically pursue your wildest dreams. I hope your social circle becomes full of people who lift you up, love + support you unconditionally. TELL ME: What's your wildest dreams? Be fearless and share proudly! --- #Miami #PAMM #Florida #selflove
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I am ashamed of some of the things I've done, thought, and said when I didn't know any better. I've been ignorant and I've been naive. Through the years I've gotten many life lessons and knowledge but this does not except me from still making mistakes today. And this is true for you too! By all means, kindly call people out when they make mistakes. Tell people when they're being disrespectful. Tell people when they're hurting you. But do not freeze people in time. Keep them out of a box. People can change, evolve, grow. Let them. TELL ME: What's the most important life lesson you've learned and wished more people knew? Throwback to Santa Maria, Brazil! --- #santamaria #brazil #volunteerabroad
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You can't travel + be broke. 🤷🏻♀️ Or at least that's what most people believe. Here's the truth: to travel on a budget you gotta be resourceful, do your research, and plan ahead. That's it, in a nutshell. No one believes it's possible until it's done. And it's been done for years. Wanna know the best part? Today its easier than ever! I've created free guides on how to travel on a budget on my site: www.trulyeli.com I shared my secrets to budget travel, a guide to working abroad, and even city travel guides. All for you, all for free. You're welcome. 🙂 For easy access head on over to the link in my bio. TELL ME: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? Throwback to Barcelona with @glendasagenda --- #visitbarcelona #spain #ArcdeTriomf
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Budget travel secrets! ✈🌏 I've shared my top budget travel secrets up on my site! For easy access you can click on the link in my bio and select Top Budget Travel Secrets. ❣ I've been working on my site! I'd love some feedback. Let me know what you think. Head on over to www.trulyeli.com Here's a throwback to my visit to Santa Maria, Brazil! I was there last fall volunteering at a local school teaching students about international social issues and how to address them. TELL ME: What's a social issue you feel passionate about? Let me know in the comments. 💫 --- #SantaMaria #Brazil #blueinmyfeed #visitBrazil
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I studied abroad 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 year while in college with scholarships. ✈🌏 My last semester I decided to finish my degree in Paris, studying French literature. 📖📚 I wanna know: are there any students wanting to study abroad? TELL ME: What are some questions or concerns you have regarding study abroad? Let me know in the comments. ❣ I plan on using these questions to address them in future blog posts. Throwback to my visit to Marrakech, Morocco, while studying abroad in France. (It was cheaper and easier to visit from France) --- #blue #marrakesh #maroc #jardinmajorelle
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We're all busy. And that's the truth. Or at least we like to say we're busy. But how much time do you spend scrolling through social media? How much time do you spend binge watching tv? Are you being intentional and smart with your time? As we enter adulthood everyone's new favorite answer to How are you? is I'm good, busy or something along those lines. Who can relate? 🙋🏻♀️ Here's the thing - we all get 24 hours in a day. We all decide how we spend our time. So next time you say/think I'm busy think of how you're 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 using that time. I want to take this opportunity to thank my busy friends for making time for our friendship! 😜 Throwback to a time @glendasagenda, @lake_lin and I hung out and made time for friendship during our busy lives. TELL ME: How do you spend your busy life? Are you good at time management? --- #everysquareastory #photosinbetween #instavacations #instavacay #worldwonder #blogtravel #travelmakesmehappy #happytraveller #latinablogger #hispanicblogger #bayside #baysidemarketplace #miami #visitmiami #downtownmiami
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You 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 travel alone* if: -You are disrespectful to other people and cultures -You don't want to learn -You don't want to -You like to judge & criticize -Aren't willing to respect the norms -Aren't willing to take precautions *applies to all travel actually. The world is shared. As travelers we are merely visitors in other countries. TELL ME: What are some reasons you think someone shouldn't travel? Throwback to Lima, fall 2018. This was during my first trip to South America. I traveled there alone. This picture was taken in Kennedy Park aka the cat park 🐱 which also has these cool statues. Lima is filled with art! Highly recommend. If you're thinking of visiting, check out my Top Free Things to do in Lima post on my blog - www.trulyeli.com --- #WomenWhoExplore #WomenWhoTravel #sundayblogshare #sundayread #sundayvibes #ihavethisthingwithtravel #hellocolor #colorhunters #colorlove #colorsplash
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These words are powerful. Words used to compliment. Words used to express love, gratitude, forgiveness. Words of affirmation. We often forget how much power we carry. On any day we have the power to change someone's day. We can make someone's day any day and everyday. Read that again. Recently I shared some ugly words I've been told but today I wanna share words that made my day. I'm proud of you. You inspire me to be a better person. You've grown so much. You sound so confident. You're a blessing to me. You have such a gift with words I can tell you've put a lot of effort into this What you do means so much to me. You've made an impact in my life. Thank you, you've made me feel so much better. These are words I've heard from acquaintances, students, friends, coworkers. Today, I encourage you to use that power for good by saying something nice to someone you care. If you're a #starwarsfan you can use it as a #Mayfourth challenge, maybe? Look I'm gonna be honest, I haven't watched the movies. But is the May the force be with you a reference to power? Lol, asking for a friend! Hopefully this wasn't a big fail. I tried. 😜 TELL ME: What's the kindest thing someone has said to you? Let me know in the comments! #traveltips #travelwithme #travelwriter #dametraveler #darlingescapes #explorerbabes #femaletravel #femmetravel #girlaroundtheworld #girlsabroad #girlsborntotravel
![If you had six months to live, what would you do? This is a question we had to consider in my theories course. It really made me stop and think about all the things I'm doing wrong.
I wanted to share the full activity and encourage you to participate in the comments. This is an activity from existential psychotherapy.
We are very capable of switching off our knowledge of our own mortality - it's something we need to do in order [to] get on with life, much of the time. By never seeing past this veneer we can busy ourselves without any real sense of poignancy to our lives. This process helps bring the beauty and opportunities of our lives to the forefront of our minds such that we might act upon it.
Method
1 Imagine that you have been told that you have six months left to live.
2 Spend a few moments thinking about receiving the news, how it would feel and what would come up for you.
3 Now, [in the comments below tell me] what you would do with the remaining time. Consider the following:
• what you want to achieve
• who you want to spend time with
• where you want to go
• what you want to say
• what you want to give up
Take a moment to think about it. For me, it really made me think how capable I am of achieving all these things so, why am I not doing them now? Why do I think I have to hit rock bottom or have something terrible or limiting happen for me to truly live every single day? I'll share my answers on the next post! I encourage you to share your answers and thoughts in the comments below. ❤
Throwback to DR!](https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/p640x640/73393256_537203590375095_2684399918660316607_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com&_nc_ohc=IkVKjB4r9xwAX_ezUVS&oh=796bda4c7aaea4b409d16b934b570c85&oe=5ED63C01)
