Category: Robyn

Happiness in the Moment, Hope for the Future.

posted 25th January 2010    Written by: Robyn    CATEGORY: All Posts, Quarterlife Crisis, Robyn, Season 1

It’s hard to believe that this is my last blog.

I have been blogging for Stratejoy for six months now, and the time has flown by despite tons of changes.

Writing a weekly blog has really helped me put things into perspective. I started writing for Molly at a time when I was completely unhappy with my work situation.  I was bored, lost, unchallenged, and confused about what I should do to fix things.

After much encouragement from friends and family and after plenty of long brainstorming and researching sessions, I decided I could do it—I could leave my crappy corporate job and figure out a plan for myself later.

Sure, I have made gutsy moves like this before.  I’m no stranger to dropping everything in order to travel or try something new, but this was probably one of the more gutsy moves I have ever made. Not only was I dropping a steady job in the middle of an economic downturn, but also dropping my only source of income despite being a new homeowner and having no immediate plan of action once I walked out of my office doors.

I can honestly say it was the best decision I have ever made.

There were definitely times when I questioned whether I had done the right thing or made the smartest choice, but I managed to make ends meet.  I picked up freelance work and odd jobs while attempting to piece together my next move.  I took time to travel and explore and find new inspirations in a different part of the world.

I definitely dealt with my fair share of raised eyebrows and perplexed looks, but I never let those things lead me to question my decisions or myself.

I tried to keep in mind that my ultimate goal was to find happiness in the moment and hope and inspiration for the future.  I truly believe that there are millions of ways to reach that ultimate point of happiness and satisfaction, and I think I have learned that it’s very different for each person.

I am definitely on the right path, but I still have plenty of things to figure out.  Most importantly though, I am positive that I have figured out the right attitude needed to be happy with life—even with all the ups and downs, and that’s my biggest accomplishment yet. I’m sure the rest will fall into place as long as I continue on with that attitude.

At the current moment, I am considering going back to school.  I have a couple meetings set up this week in order to learn more about some programs I am interested in.  Not sure what will come of it or what direction I may end up going, but I’m confident I will know what’s right for me…

The hard part is just finding it!

In the meantime, I did something crazy.  I booked a 2-week trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico.  I leave in a week.  It’s a 26th birthday present to myself.  I just can’t get enough sunshine…

[Robyn-- It's been an amazing journey and I thank you for sharing your trials and tribulations with us over the last 6 months.  You've made some big changes and taken some gutsy moves to carve out a path that is authentic and joyful.  So proud!  So inspired!  So on your side!  I just wanted to take a quick moment to say Thank You.  From all of us, Thank You.  And best of luck as you dive into your next journey!  Keep us in the loop...  Love,  Molly]

photo-credit:  m-c

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Shutting Off Your Brain

posted 18th January 2010    Written by: Robyn    CATEGORY: All Posts, Life Lesson, Robyn, Season 1

One of my last stops in Costa Rica was a small coastal town called Dominical. I spent a couple days there hiking on the beach and playing in the ocean like I was five years old.

I was having so much fun playing in the huge waves that I decided to take a surfing lesson. I had tried surfing a couple years ago during my travels in Australia, but I had only managed to stand up a couple times then and hadn’t impressed myself too much.

Still, the feeling of catching my first wave was with me, and I wanted to have that feeling again.

This time I took my lesson early in the morning with a guy named Bob, who had recently retired from a long career in pro surfing. I immediately liked his teaching style and was especially intrigued when he told me that the secret to being a good surfer is shutting off your brain.

“No thinking allowed–it’s all instinct and really feeling the ocean and the wave as you ride into shore,” he explained to me.

Once I was situated in the ocean with my board attached to my ankle, I shut off my brain. Bob told me that the waves and the rip tide were especially strong at the moment but that I should be able to stand up as long as I went after each wave with the right attitude.

“Once you pick your wave, you must go for it. Choose it and make it yours and then take it. Never turn back  or hesitate,” he said.

I watched each wave roll in and found the one I wanted. I climbed on my board and laid on my stomach. Bob helped me get centered, and once the wave was almost behind me… I started paddling like crazy.

I shut off my brain.

I felt the wave moving under my board. I took two more long strokes with my arms and popped up. I rode the wave until I hit shallow water. Just like that. Thrilling!

Of course there were plenty of wipe outs and failed attempts after that, but there were at least 15-20 other waves I caught.  Bob actually let me keep the board for an hour after my lesson. I stayed out in the ocean catching waves all by myself until I was too sunburned, thirsty, and sore to continue.

It felt great!

Just as I did during my surfing lesson, I managed to turn off my brain many times during the rest of my travels, and it felt good not to think for once. I didn’t worry about my lack of work back home. I didn’t worry about bills or finances. I didn’t even worry about that great “life plan” I’ve been attempting to organize for the past few months. I just enjoyed the moment and concentrated on what was right in front of me–flawless ocean, endless beach, and perfect streaks of sunlight.

Currently, I am on a flight back to Chicago. Even now, after all I’ve learned, I find that my brain is completely turned on and clouded with the many things on my list of things to do upon my return to the “real world.” Urgh.

This reminds me of how important it is to take a break from your routine sometimes–just to make sure you are living life right, just to give yourself a chance to recharge and find new inspirations. This trip was definitely a gift to myself, and I have taken something from it that I hope to apply to my life in Chicago.

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The Meaning of “La Pura Vida”

posted 11th January 2010    Written by: Robyn    CATEGORY: All Posts, Quarterlife Crisis, Robyn, Season 1, Travel

In a lazy beach bar two men clink their beers together and say “La Pura Vida.” As I exit the local bus and thank the driver for the ride, he responds with, “La Pura Vida.” Even when locals can’t understand my Spanglish mixed with my Midwestern accent, they shrug their shoulders and reply, “La Pura Vida.”

It can be heard everywhere around Costa Rica. It means pure life, good life. I think I would compare it to the Australians’ use of “No worries.” Both phrases seem to acknowledge that life is good. There is no need to dwell on anything but the present moment and all that is sweet in life.

So what have I been doing? I started my travels in San Jose and from there moved on to Manuel Antonio. I hiked through Manuel Antonio National Park, saw monkeys, discovered a deserted beach, and I spent New Year’s Eve on the beach.

With a DJ mixing in the background, hundreds of people gathered to celebrate the New Year at a giant BYOB party that ended with fireworks and streaking into the ocean at midnight. It will be hard to ever top that kind of celebration!

From Manuel Antonio, I headed to Montezuma–the physical definition of “La Pura Vida.” Montezuma is a small hippie town on the beach. Everyone knows everyone, and they welcome travelers with open arms. People are known to plan a visit to Montezuma and instead, end up staying forever. The people who live there give new meaning to “laid back” and “stress-free.”

During my visit there, I stayed at a hostel right on the coast. I went to sleep to the sound of waves, and I woke up to the sound of waves. Each morning I hiked along the coast into town to get myself a smoothie for breakfast. After only a couple days, faces became familiar. I knew people’s stories. I knew where they lived, what they did for work, and how they ended up in Montezuma.

I decided I couldn’t leave after only a couple days, so I reorganized my trip to allow for a few extra days to be spent in Montezuma. I ended up doing a strenuous 4 hour coastal hike to a waterfall. I got to stand beneath the fresh water as it fell and hit the rocks and then rolled into the ocean.

I’ve spent most of my days soaking up sun, swimming in the ocean, attempting to body surf the crazy waves, and collecting seashells. I’ve enjoyed my fair share of reggae music and mojitos. I’ve tried each tiny restaurant in thee area, and I’ve tried to improve my Spanish as much as I can by talking to locals.

I’ve relaxed, cleared my mind, and become inspired by a new way of living.

Yesterday I decided it was time to move on, so now I am writing this blog from a café in Monteverde. In a couple hours I will be doing a canopy tour of the rainforest via zip line! I’m trying not to think of returning to the freezing Chicago weather…

Instead- I’m living in the moment and soaking up all that is La Pura Vida so that I can bring the attitude back with me.

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Getting an Early Start on my Resolutions

posted 4th January 2010    Written by: Robyn    CATEGORY: All Posts, Quarterlife Crisis, Robyn, Season 1, Travel, Travel/Adventure

Right now I am typing this blog on my iPhone as I wait at the airport in Terminal E10 to board my flight to San Jose, Costa Rica. This is the vacation, the freedom, I’ve been looking forward to since I quit my job 3 months ago.

I am beyond excited to escape the single digit weather here in Chicago, and I am thrilled to start exploring some place new.

With this trip, I am already getting an early start on some of my New Year’s resolutions for 2010.

Robyn’s 2010 Resolutions

1. Always have something to look forward to… a new trip, a new project, etc.
2. Eat more fruits and veggies.
3. Deal with stress better. Start taking yoga classes and meditating.
4. Finish what I start, whether it be an organizing project or something I write… especially when it comes to something I write!
5. Have more “loner” time. Enjoy being by myself more.
6. Learn how to  really use my snazzy new Nikon SLR D40 camera!
7. Worry less.
8. Embrace change and growth.
9. Make more of an effort to keep in touch with old friends and distant family members.
10. Complete a triathlon.

Nothing too outrageous. I’m looking forward to 2010 and everything it may bring.

It’s hard to believe my life changed so much in just the past three months–mostly due to leaving my “9 to 5″ to do my own thing. More change is inevitible as I figure out how I want to spend my time and where I want my career to take me.

Hopefully I will gain more insight as I am hiking through the jungle, jumping off waterfalls, and laying on the beach soaking up the sun!

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The First Job(s) I Ever Loved- Part 2

posted 28th December 2009    Written by: Robyn    CATEGORY: All Posts, Job/Career/Work, Quarterlife Crisis, Robyn, Season 1

Jeans, t-shirts, comfy shoes, familiar faces, friendly coworkers, inside jokes, free food and drinks, and of course…cash in hand at the end of the night—all perks of working in a restaurant or bar.

Last week I wrote about how much I loved my first jobs in the restaurant/bar industry. I wrote about how my serving and bar-tending jobs never seemed much like real work because I loved what I was doing and the people I saw every day. Most of all, I loved the team mentality and the overall sense of family.Truly working together and allowing the workplace to start feeling as familiar as your own home is an irreplaceable experience.

As I was saying before, my experiences in the industry had a great effect on me and who I am today. Being a server is tough, and if you can survive the first couple days, then you can survive and will come out of the profession stronger in the end and ready to take on anything.

My friend, Paul, was the one who convinced me to start serving to overcome my shyness. He had been a server for a while at this point, and he swore it was the reason he had kicked his nervous stuttering habit. In the beginning, he was terrified of talking to strangers, but he made himself do it. With every new table and every new customer, it got easier and easier. He was less and less nervous, and eventually he wasn’t nervous at all, and his stutter disappeared.

When I started my first serving position I was pretty young, somewhat insecure, a little fragile, and very shy. I didn’t like criticism, and I broke under pressure. Obviously, this doesn’t describe the ideal server, and that’s a fact—I definitely was not the ideal server. I hated the thought of forcing small talk with the people at my tables. I hated the idea of customers treating me like their own personal food slave.

However, eventually I toughened up. I needed to. I think most people need to. It took a couple weeks of messing up orders and spilling drinks, a couple rude comments, and a couple really bad customers, but I came out of it a better server and, most importantly, a better person. Through serving, I gained confidence and a sense of self. I found my own voice and my own personality. It was fun meeting new people constantly and striking up random conversations with random people. I loved my customers, and I actually had “regulars” come in and request me to be their server. I became close with my coworkers, and we used to rock the bar after hours.

Besides just overcoming my shyness, I started to really respect myself and demand respect from others.

Since I worked at a family-owned bar, I was actually allowed to stick up for myself when it came to rude customers or drunken men attempting to hit on me. I developed a quick wit and a snappy-I-don’t-take-crap-from-anyone attitude. Even when a customer complained that his burger wasn’t cooked right or his beer wasn’t cold enough… It was fun to say, “Chill out, Buddy. I’ll get you a new one.”

Nothing seemed to faze me—no amount of complaints could ruin my day because what was the worst that could happen? Someone would leave me a bad tip? Who cares… I’d make up for it with all the tables that loved me.

By the time I had graduated college and was looking for a job, I had been in the restaurant/bar industry for six years. I know that the skills I gained while serving definitely helped me obtain the jobs I had after college. Honestly, interviews were easy for me. I was used to having strangers ask me about myself. I was also just plain comfortable around people I didn’t know. I knew how to talk my way out of awkward silences. I knew how to find common ground with anyone. I was confident and secure and ready to try something new. Serving shaped me into a multitasking, people-person who knows what she wants.

I have continued to carry what I learned from serving with me throughout life.

If any of you readers are currently unemployed or looking for a new challenge. I would recommend serving or bartending as an excellent interim job. I can only rave about everything you will get out of it!

photo credit: Oakley WebCam

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