5 Places I want to visit

I love to travel. I have the travel bug. I have bounced around all over the world but still have so much world to see! To narrow it down to just five feels impossible, but I'll give it a go:

1. Mexico

I want to meet my boyfriend's family, eat a real taco and see the everything Mexico has to offer. In real life, I make totally un-PC jokes about Mexico but I secretly would love to visit one day.

2. Egypt

I was thisclose to visiting Egypt a while back and then they had their whole revolution thing so that didn't pan out. I would love to go back and travel to the pyramids. Egypt is also where my parents fell in love so it would be fun to re-visit that, especially with Pedro.

3. Some cruise destination like Bahamas/Caribbean

I have always wanted to take a cruise. It seems like the perfect vacation: eat, sleep, sun and repeat. That being said, I know the 'hardcore' backpacker and hosteler in me would be disgusted, but I think my lazy American side would soak up a cruise hard core. 

4. Brazil

World Cup 2014. Enough said.

5. Africa

Before you judge me for being one of those ignorant Americans who automatically assume Africa is just one big country, hear me out! I have only been to Morocco and I would love to explore Africa as a continent by backpacking around. I would love to see Cameroon (where my father grew up), South Africa, Senegal... I have a big wish list. And yes, I know Egypt is in Africa so I should have thrown it into this category but it's too late! I typed it!

Day 8 and a Debbie Downer Dilemma

So I just skipped Day 7 because I had a long, crazy day and honestly- you really don't need to see my desktop screenshot. It's boring, trust me. 

Day 8 is kind of interesting though, it asks for Three things you want to say to three different people.

This is tough because I have a lot of things I want to say to a lot of people. 

Let's start:

1. President Obama, please sign some kind of progressive immigration reform soon. Like soon as in yesterday. I am sick of hearing about "illegals" and how they are destroying our country from a bunch of ignorant talking heads on TV and uneducated fools on message boards. Stand with the millions of people who have to live in fear every day of the only government they know. Stand for progress and reform and change- yeah, remember when you were all about change? Sir, get on it. Please and thank you.

2. Supreme Court, it seriously doesn't take that long. Prop 8 is ridiculous. Not allowing gay men and women to marry is ridiculous. Fine, they don't need to get married in a church but damnit they need some form of legal protection. And it better be equal. Remember separation of church and state? We don't need to transfer our moral creeds onto the mass majority. It's cool if you don't like gay people. It's not cool to deny them basic civil and human rights. 

3. Soldiers everywhere, thank you for your service. I know I sometimes creep behind you in airports and stalk you until I can find an un-awkward moment to thank you for your service, but there have been times I have not been able to thank you and wish I had. I am so impressed with your sacrifice and thank you from the bottom of my heart. I know my sparse and in-between care packages of beef jerky and Maxim magazines should have been more frequent, but I will get better, I promise. I appreciate all you do and cannot wait for you all to get home safe.

I'm pretty sure this prompt was more along the lines of people you actually know IRL (in real life- I'm cool, I know all the kid lingo) but... well, it's done. I typed it. 

Speaking of IRL... I am having a major dilemma. I have a friend who constantly wants to see me and hang out. Problem is we have nothing in common and she is very socially awkward, spends a lot of our  'hang out' time complaining about her life and I feel like I am playing her therapist rather than just relaxing and enjoying a day out. 

But I am just as awkward because I suck at blowing people off. No, that's not true. I'm actually kind of good at it. I guess I just suck at blowing her off. It doesn't help that she has memorized my schedule (even my own boyfriend hasn't accomplished that!) and she is really sweet, but such a Debbie Downer. I've learned that when we do make plans, I have to keep them very structured and always have a really great exit strategy. 

Any tips for breaking it off with a friend? Or at least semi-believable lies for not hanging out in the future... especially because she knows I have my Saturdays off?

I have already used up: mono, leaving country for 4 weeks (tough because we live in same town so I can't use that one again), family emergency (used twice), huge paper due and my dog had to go in for emergency surgery. 

Help me, blog world! I know this makes me a total asshole but I can't do it. I spend upwards of 40+ hours a week working with domestic violence survivors and I need my one day off to be spent in happiness and with puppies and rainbows and cupcakes. </rant>

Day 6: My Favorite Quotes

As a travel addict, I cosign onto this one. 

I am not sure if this is a direct quote from God, but I like it. Not judging people is something I am working on actively every day.

Sad but true. 

Sums it up pretty well. 

I love this one. I have burned a lot of bridges in my past and a teensy part of me wonders sometimes, "what if?" and then I shake it out of my head. The bridges were burned for a reason- those friendships were unhealthy. I am so much better off and I love that there is this positive twist here. 

And with that, I leave you with a quote from my favorite author and speaker, Elie Wiesel:

Monday Funday

How is it Monday already?

This weekend flew by and I was incredibly unproductive.

Luckily I don't work until 6pm Mondays so I got to sneak in some major cleaning that was desperately needed after Mr. Moose tipped over the garbage and decided to go looking for treasure. Just an average day here.

I'm also on...

Day five of the 30 Day Blog Challenge asks, the meaning of your Twitter and/or Instagram name?

My Twitter handle is jessicaestrlla (Follow me!) It is my name (Jessica) + my middle name (Estrella) - the second 'e' because that name was already taken. 

My instagram name is freefalafel (Follow me!) and I have had that name forever. Not really sure why, maybe my love for alliteration?

Today I am also linking up for Monday Mingling! 

Day 4!

So today we are officially on day two of the 30 Day Blog Challenge.

10 likes and 10 dislikes.

10 likes?

1. Naps
2. Couponing
3. Lazy days and staying in
4. Pizza delivery
5. Baby animal YouTube videos
6. Tacos
7. Making lists
8. Spandex
9. Googling pictures of Kim Kardashian
10. Getting packages in the mail

10 dislikes?

1. Mean people
2. Cleaning up after myself
3. Talking to the neighbors (I'm antisocial)
4. Beets
5. Sweating
6. Group projects
7. Folding laundry
8. People who drive slowly in the left hand lane
9. Roman numerals
10. Courier font

Aren't I fascinating?

I am also going to totally make another post in like 37 seconds because there's a fun link-up I wanted to do. So 2 posts in one day. I spoil you guys.*







 *you guys= my 4.5 readers 

Day 3 of the 30 Day Blog Challenge and Yay! It's Saturday and I'm NOT Working!

It's Saturday! Lies- it's totally Friday and I have this post scheduled to post on Saturday because I am anticipating my Saturday being so completely awesome that I don't step anyway near my computer. Actually, that is also a lie because I love my computer and my life wouldn't be awesome without him (yes, him) in it. 

But, for about a year now I haven't had Saturdays off. And for the past couple of months, I had been working a Friday shift of 6pm-7am and then trucking back in 6 hours later to do another shift til 9pm. I hated it. I would wake up on Thursday (my day off) and wonder where the hell the week went. I'm spoiled, I love my Saturdays. My poor boyfriend has been working his tail off every Saturday for like 10 years, but he's made of stronger stuff than me. I'm an American. I need my Saturdays to drive around aimlessly until I find a yard sale in which I can voyeuristically rummage through other people's curbside junk and bargain down a $1 mattress pad because it's what I know and it is, quite frankly, in my DNA.

I'm elated. 

And I'm also on Day 3 of my 30 Day Blog Challenge. It's incredibly difficult for me to commit to anything longer than 7 hours so please, please be impressed with me. 

Day 3 asks for A picture of you and your friends. Awwww.

So all my friends live in other countries. Not even exaggerating a little. Sure, I have Moose and Pedro (my BFF for life, we're working on getting matching necklaces but can't seem to decide on one we both like!) but other than that, all of my good girl friends live in Europe and Israel and a few scattered in between. 

I wasn't very good at keeping my friends in high school. I just felt so different from everyone I grew up with so that when I went to college I just got lost and never really came back to my previous life. Sometimes I regret it because I am now back in my hometown and have no one to text, but I also kind of don't because I was so different back then and when I did go back to see old friends, I felt myself forcing myself to become that old person and I was always relieved to have an excuse to head home early. 

Then in college, I failed in friendships. I did really well short-term, but not really longterm. I made one best friend, which more than compensated a thousand times over for all the shitty ones in between. I had such a hard time making friends that I worried I would never really have any. Then I moved to Israel, lived on a kibbutz and made such incredibly strong friendships that are still my cornerstone today. Sure, it may be years before I see them and we can go months without talking but I know if I pick up the phone (and trust me, I have) and give them a call, they will pick up and pick me up. And it's perfect for my 3AM meltdowns because it's already 10AM over there so the time difference kinda helps!

So without further ado, I present this picture (sorry for the weird effects, I couldn't find the original):

This picture was taken in August 2012. My friend Melissa's mother had just passed and I was heartbroken. I wanted to give her a hug and I was generally in a bad place myself and needed my girls. Impulsively, I booked a plane ticket for the next week and flew out to Tel Aviv for three weeks. This is a picture from the night I surprised Mel and these are my girls. Halfway across the world, but always in my heart. </cheesiness>

But friendship is constantly something I think about. Sometimes I do feel lonely here. In all honesty, I don't have any friends here. The last time I did go out to see a friend was back in... October? Or earlier, it was before the holidays (the Jewish ones). Point being- it was a looooonnng time ago. 

And despite my lack of physical friends, I don't ever feel lonely. Loneliness really only hits me once a month, the same time my lovely period does and a deluge of every other single emotion known to man. But I'm lucky. I have my great Mom whose my best friend, Moose who is always fun to hang out with and of course, my boyfriend. And I have Netflix. What else can a girl ask for?

Nicknames

Day two of the 30 Day Blog Challenge. Yay for commitment. 

Day two asks: What are your nicknames and how did you get them?

Well this one will be easy. I have no nicknames. None. 

When I was younger, I tried to get people to call me J.Lo (the first 2 letters of my last name are Lo, so it just seemed like the most rational nickname for me to have). 

That one failed miserably. 

Don't get me wrong, I always wanted to have a nickname. Something cool that had an awesome accompanying story. But I never really had childhood friends that stuck around long enough for one to develop and I am lucky if my own father calls me by the right name (I have mistakenly called by my brother's name, my uncle's name, and my dead dog's name. I know he loves me though, so it's OK). 

So yeah, no nicknames. 

If you want, you can feel free to call me J.Lo. It's cool. I won't mind. Really... I won't. 

Blog Challenge

I love getting my monthly ipsy box. I eagerly check my email in anticipation of its arrival and am constantly on the search for another subscription service. I haven't really found any that tickle my fancy so I was so excited to see Caitlyn at Wifessionals host a monthly Cara Box where bloggers send each other personalized boxes filled with fun swag. Awesome, right?

Anyways as I was scoping out the blogger that had drawn my name in the match-up, Laura at Simply me, the way I see it, was doing a blog challenge and as a new blogger myself, I thought it might be a fun challenge to try.

The challenge comes from Rachel at Randomness with Rachel and all kudos go to her for starting the challenge. So, without further to do, I present day one of the 30 Day Blog Challenge:

1. Post a picture of yourself with 10 facts

Here is a picture of me, not the most flattering but it's the most recent and includes Moose so obviously I had to choose it:

1. I have watched every single Law & Order: SVU episode. 

Like seriously. Every. Single. Episode. I am not feeling the newer episodes so much (I miss Elliot), but I will watch this show until it either gets canceled or I die. Whichever may happen first. 

2. I am a fan of FC Barcelona. 
Love, love, love the team. I haven't been able to watch as many games this year due to my crazy work schedule, but I still follow most games online and on social media. And because of my obsession with watching the matches, I ended up meeting my boyfriend today. Awwww... 

3. I am an extreme couponer. 

I am definitely not like the couponers you see on TLC, but I do coupon and when I coupon, I coupon hard. And yes, I do have a stockpile. I am planning to do a post on it later on but it needs some serious organization help. 

4. I love cheesy bread. 

Self-explanatory

5. I love to travel. 

I really do. Due to school and work, I haven't been out of the country since August (almost one year!) And since I was young, I regularly traveled either with my parents or on my own. I have been to a lot of places and I have also traveled extensively solo which I also love. I am saving up now and looking forward to traveling in the near future with my boyfriend abroad as well. 

6. I'm a really, really, really bad liar. 

I just don't like it. And I'm bad at it. 

7. I still shower with Hannah Montana body wash. 

$1.50 at Ocean State Job Lot. Worth every penny. 

8. I eat tacos at least once a week. 

Delicioso!

9. I'm a feminist. 

My idol <3

And not a "feminist, but...". A feminist. I believe men and women are equal. Simple, right?

10. I love top 40 music. 

And I will sing to ever song even though I don't know any of the lyrics.