FREEdom

With our anniversary of Independence right around the corner, I wanted to make a post about freedom and what it means to us.  I can honestly say that freedom is probably the greatest gift a human can have. Without it, we are enslaved in many aspects of life. Our country has allowed us to choose our career path through a capitalistic society.  However, in many aspects we are still bounded to the fundamental success-driven attitude of the masses.  Better some freedom than none, right?

Is it possible to be completely free? Can we be mentally free? Sometimes I'm a slave to my own mind.  Even in our sleep we are taken over by our subconcious.  I guess the closest we can get is through Enlightenment and surrendering to the present moment.  If we are no longer prisoners of the past and worried of the future we can approach freedom in every moment.  So heavy.

Ronald Reagan stated that "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream.  It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same."  With this, I feel lucky that I do live in a country that stands on freedom because it can definitely be a lot worse.  I have the freedom to choose my path in life, thanks to my country and my family.  Deep down, I know that my soul cannot be contained by anything.  Being rebellious, speaking what's on my mind no matter how dumb, makes me feel free.  I appreciate that feeling. 

No Sleep, No Eat, Makes Rosie a Cranky Girl

So along with my sleep deprivation I am having a very strange loss of appetite lately.  I thought it was coming back but everyday I look back to what I ate and it would just be one meal. :/ I guess we can consider this "fasting" and I am fitting in my skinny jeans nicely but it is a little out of control.  I find myself forcing food into my mouth when I have no desire for it.  This can't be healthy.

Grief, depression, and stress are the major factors that can attribute to loss of appetite. The thing is, I don't feel too stressed anymore.  Maybe this is just the aftermath of a traumatic couple weeks.  I just hope I can enjoy food again! To make matters worse, my insomnia hasn't subsided so I feel like a waify, cracked out LA chick at the moment. 

Ethos, Logos, Pathos

The 3 key aspects in writing to capture an audience.  Ethos, which is establishing credibiliy, tries to convice the reader of the validity of the author.  Logos, is using logic and facts to persuade the reader.  The most important of them all (in my opinion), Pathos, utilizes the readers emotions to provoke a response. 

Anyone can be a writer, we can all observe our surroundings and put it into words.  It is the writer that can put those words so beautifully, that it leaves us wanting more.  It is very difficult to capture the essence of a feeling, or object and really good writers can do that.  Sometimes language choice isn't enough to describe a feeling, and words can't do it justice.  Sometimes (shock!) I'm left speachless.

Even a person's name doesn't encompass who they are.  No amount of words can do it.  It kinda leaves me feeling hopeless and empty knowing that language can't fully express who I am.  It is only when I close my eyes and just feel.  Not using any senses at all.  That is truly where a person lies.  In silence.

:)

My Insomnia Pity Party

The past two weeks my body is fueled with adrenaline and no matter how sleepy I am, I can't get a good nights rest.  I am usually the type to sleep through the night, no tossing and turning, no night sweats, I usually sleep like a baby.  Because of my built up frustration with this, I decided to do some research.

The most common factors of insomia are:
1. Coffee
2. Alcohol
3. Stress
4. Anxiety

Well that about sums it up! I drink coffee in the morning, alcohol at night.  I'm under a lot of stress with my living arrangements and anxious about what my future holds.  No wonder I can't sleep.  Sleep is one of my favorite hobbies so the fact that its being interrupted is unacceptable. 

I believe there are two types of people in this world.  Nappers and non nappers.  Nappers relish in sleep, its like a treat to them.  Non nappers only sleep out of necessity.  I my friends, am a napper and always will be.  I can sleep at any time of the day.  We need sleep like we need water and air. Here are the many other benefits:

- Sleep helps you repair your body
- Sleep helps keep your heart healthy
- Sleep improves memory
- Sleep reduced chance of diabetes

Sleep improves the quality of life, when you get a goods nights rest you can conquer the world!!! zzzzzzzzzzz

Chicha, The Ancient Beer

Chicha is the term that South Americans and Spanish give to a fermented drink, usually their version of beer.  It can be made from maize, root or various fruits, and sometimes spit!  Spaniards even use the word "chical" which means spit or saliva.  Our own saliva can be an effective means for converting grains to fermentable sugars.  Beers made from salivated roots and grains had been brewed in Central and South America long before the time of the Incas. The people of the Amazon basin brewed a beer called masato from dried, roasted and chewed manioc root a thousand years before the conquest. Other indigenous beers were brewed from salivated quinoa, algaroba (seeds of the carob tree), and various fruits and vegetables.

One of my anthropology professors in college stayed with an indigenous tribe in Honduras where they still practiced making chicha and it was a daily staple to their diet.  He said that they were some of the healthiest and fit individuals he's ever seen and he said that drinking chicha was a contributing factor.  They used healthy, fresh ingredients and maybe something in human saliva creates a cleansing fact.  Who knows.

Dogfish Head beer is re-creating the Chicha brew, to make their most unique and exotic beer yet.  They are even using human saliva.  Definitely worth a try!  Cheers!

Walk vs. Run

To get back into the wellness aspect of my blog I'd like to venture back into my exercise routine.  Still holding true to caveman form, I am a huge advocate of walking.  Our ancestors walked for long distances to brink uncharted territories for centuries.  Usually running was done in small sprints when hunting or escaping danger.

I have been walking a 4-5 miles for about 3 days out of the week and I'm feeling as toned as if I did the treadmill for the same amount of time.  I am not saying long distance running isn't as good, by no means but there is a definitely a higher injury rate, a media bias, and in my opinion a cause of a overcharged metabolism (have you ever noticed past runners become fat or obese?) not to mention a strain on the joints and muscles.  You can tell I'm a runner huh? :)

The key to getting the most out of walking is finding a trail or road that has various inclines to allow your heart rate to get into the aerobic training zone.  Be prepared to walk for a long time, since that is when you get the best results.  I spend 8 hours a day on my butt so I need to counteract that with at least 2 hours of walking as soon as I'm off work. Its good to supplement this with other workouts such as CrossFit or P90x yoga to get a full body workout.


Walking is fun, and when you slow down you really get to notice your surroundings.  It is even better with a walking partner! You'd be surprised at how therapeutic it is! :)

Hunter's Gems

"Let us toast to animal pleasures, to escapism, to rain on the roof and instant coffee, to unemployment insurance and library cards, to absinthe and good-hearted landlords, to music and warm bodies and contraceptives... and to the "good life", whatever it is and wherever it happens to be."

                                                                                  - Hunter S. Thompson


Through my inevitable breakdown last week I have truly seen the light.  Sometimes you think you have nothing, when in reality you had everything all along.  I have been truly blessed for the friends/family in my life that do not judge me, take me as I am, even when I have nothing to offer and see me through some of the hardest times in my life.  It really opens your eyes to what is important. Friends, music, laughter..that's really all you need.

Life's Workout, Exercising Rebellion

There comes a time in everyone's life where they feel the need to break routine and do something out of character, something bad.  I feel like 90% of what we do is a direct outcome of how society wants us to act.  Let's break it down.  We wake up to an alarm so that we can get to work on time, we must act in a professional manner, dress appropriately, etc.  Rebellion is a refusal of obedience or order. 
We can't take off all our clothes and run screaming through the halls, that's just not acceptable.  I wish I could witness that one day though.

One of my favorite documentaries of all time is Man on Wire, a story about a french man, Philippe Petit who has a crazy obsession with walking a tight rope across sky rise buildings.  Him and his crew swindled their way into the World Trade Center for the rush of a lifetime and managed to wow the crowd below for walking across the two towers with no protection at all.

"To me, it's really so simple, that life should be lived on the edge. You have to exercise rebellion. To refuse to tape yourself to the rules, to refuse your own success, to refuse to repeat yourself, to see every day, every year, every idea as a true challenge. Then you will live your life on the tightrope."

I feel like if there is any time in my life to be rebellious it is now.  I love the feeling of doing something out of the ordinary, nothing holding me back, all inhibition out the window.  It is truly liberating.  Heck, why be rebellious only when you're young? Anyone can exercise it anytime.  If we don't, we can't forge ahead creatively through life.  As long as we don't hurt others in the process, I feel like rebellion is a good thing. 

Here I go again on my own..

Thanks Whitesnake for my post title. It is exactly how I feel right now.  Taking on a new chapter in my life, leaping forward, hitting challenges dead on, accepting change....and moving back home with mom.  No big deal, that's why she's there right?

Me In A Flip Book!

Role Playing

We have been designed as a product of a couple million years of evolution.  Physically and socially we are structured to be a certain way and play a certain role. For instance, african tribesman are tall and lean, a body type adapted to extreme heat.  The eskimos, however are short and bulky to protect them from harsh cold.  Now that we seem to live and adapt in every environment, our body shape doesn't seem to be linked to survival anymore.  We are now a mixture of all shapes and sizes.  Evolution has also helped structure our social roles.

Social roles are more complex, and vary depending on religion, class, and gender, amongst many other things.  Lately I have been contemplating the different roles of a man and a woman.  Similar to our physical roles being blurred, our social roles are more skewed than ever.

Growing up I never had that pressure that most girls had. We are usually told to get married, have kids and your life is set.  My parents always pushed me to follow my dreams, and my heart no matter what direction it led me into.  It is the social pressures that make me feel like I'm "missing out" if I don't get hitched or I'm not fulfilling some biological destiny if I don't end up having kids.  I also don't want to end up having a nervous breakdown during a weekday in Target because my kids won't stop screaming (I witnessed this before and it was awesome by the way).

With so many divorces and failed relationships nowadays I think we need to look at role playing in a different light.  Women don't need to be the submissive housewives and baby makers anymore.  It is a fact that men and women are different.  Also it is known that relationships are hard work. I'm sorry, but I already work 8 hours a day I don't want to come home and work some more.  Men and women can coexist and thrive  without roles and keep things fun.  Why move in together when sleeping over is so much sexier?  Why sign a forever commitment when spontaneity and freedom is so much more desirable?

My point is, society doesn't push these gender roles like they did in the past but there is definitely still a gleam of it there.  You'd think that we have progressed so much as a society that we can maintain peaceful relationships.  It is quite the opposite.  I have come to a point in my 25 years of existence to screw any societal pressures and begin to do what makes me happy.  That's not to say I will never get married or be a mom, but at this moment in life I can honestly say it feels good to know and understand that I am still finding out who I am.

I also realized that when I come up with my own explanations on life,  I used to always look for someone to agree, or gain some kind of acceptance on my opinions.  Now, I really don't care if I'm the only one on the planet that thinks this way.  It feels good to be able to speak my pure thoughts without a filter.  That is the ultimate freedom.