Manifesting Your Dreams in 2019

How the Universe Can Help you Achieve Your Dreams

            The holiday season always has a sense of reflection of the past year and the new year: 2019. As 2018 ends, we all start thinking about goals we want to achieve in the coming year. Some of our goals might be continuous from the year before, but some of them may be new. For me, I achieved so many of my goals for 2018 and I’m proud to say this year was quite successful. I have no regrets in 2018 and that is a pretty damn good feeling as I start 2019.

I believe in manifesting your dreams and the idea of Law of Attraction, which basically means, by saying the different things you want outload or writing them down, we put want we want either out of life or out of the new year into the universe.

Practicing law of attraction also makes us personally accountable for what we want to achieve for not only the new year, but for life. We can practice law of attraction and manifesting by not only stating what we want in certain categories like: health, environment, career, relationships and money. Here are some tips on how to manifest in these categories.

• Health: If you want to lose weight, as most of us do, you might want to put that goal here, but I recommend putting a specific weight. For me, I didn’t focus so much on the weight as I did when I manifested that I want to move to a fully plant-based diet, which I successfully achieved this year! WHOOHOO!
• Environment: where we might want to live (whether we want to be surrounded by trees or the ocean or in a city) or the people/ thing we want to be surrounded by on a daily basis. For me, I went as detailed to state about how much natural light I want to have in my space and how I want plants around my room. Here in Ethiopia it is hard to find “house plants”, so I currently have 2 cactuses named Lucy and Gerald (they are adorable, and I love them).  
• Career: In this section, I stated the type of boss I want to have and the amount of hours I would like to work. I stated the type of field I hope to be in. When I wrote this, I was dead set about going to law school, but since being here, I realized this career manifesting might change- THAT’S OK!
• Relationships: I believe this is most important and the one I had to think about the longest. It is easy to let just anyone into our lives especially if they are fun to hang out with, but sometimes relationships may only be superficial. So, by thinking about the certain types of people who we want to have deep meaningful relationships with, it can help narrow down the type of friendships that way make us feel empty.  THIS PART ALSO REFERS TO THE RELAITONSHIP WE HAVE WITH OURSELVES. I find this to be the most important part of manifesting. We are easily able to put ourselves last in many situations, but by thinking about how we want to treat ourselves on a daily basis helps to keep us in check when we have days where we are hard on ourselves for minor things. So, think about how you would want the people you’re surrounded by to treat you and write those down because you deserve to treat yourself like a best friend would.
• Money: For me, this category was the most difficult because it is easy to write that we want to be rich and have a million dollars. Now some people could write that, and it COULD happen, but it is pretty rare and fairly unrealistic. For me, since I am right out of college with hella student loans, I wrote this manifestation for my whole life and not necessarily for the year. I put how much I hope to have in the bank on any one day and what I would like to spend the money on. For some people this maybe a type of car you want, or the type of house you might want to buy one day. Of course, I went the alternative route and wrote about the travel experiences I want to have and then the specific van I hope to live in one day. I made sure to include about how I want to have enough money that if a type of emergency situation occurred, that I would have a certain amount of money to cover those surprise expenses.

Now that we have want we want to manifest in the five categories, it is time to put our imagination hats on. Picture how your life would look if you have the things we manifested in all the categories and write a few sentences about how you’re grateful for being able to have those areas of life to be fulfilled. This part will feel weird and I remember feeling silly when I pretended to have manifested the things that I clearly have not. But by saying we are grateful for having this certain life we want, it can help to convince our mind that it can seriously happen and that the universe will react accordingly.

Once you have completed all the steps, I like to read over these notes at least once a month or whenever I’m feeling down. Having what I want in my life written down allows me to refocus what I want in my life and to remind me to be present and intentional in everything I do. It is so easy for all of us to go through the motions of life like a robot and living intentionally puts more color back into the mundane parts of life.

There are certainly different ways to manifest and goal set in life. Some people like vision boards that are pictures and visual representations of what they want in life. Since I move often, I like having my manifestations in my bullet journal because I always have it with me. You can put this in a word document on your computer or type it out and frame in to hang on your wall. Either way, try to have it easily accessible so that you don’t forget it and can read it at any given moment of weakness or when you’re in need of inspiration.

Manifesting doesn’t always work for everyone and it might seem “hippie dippie” but for me, it has helped to channel my life and keep me accountable for what I want to do with my life and for the coming year. As 2019 rolls around, remember to love yourself as a best friend and try to be grateful for at least 2 things every day. I have been practicing this since graduation and this ritual with definitely be following me into the new year.

As always, happy travels and, now, happy manifesting

Cynthia XX

Packing my Life into 2 Suitcases?! // Packing List for Moving Abroad to Ethiopa

Before I start this post, I want to preface by saying there are MANY packing list, blog posts, and Youtube videos on how to pack for a year or more abroad. However, as I tried to find one for my own move, I found it difficult because most people who go to teach or move abroad find themselves in countries like Australia, New Zealand, Europe, or Asia. I had trouble finding a packing list for people, like myself, who are moving to Africa at the young age of 22. I hope this will help people like myself, who are young and are excited for their new move to an amazing and adventurous continent as Africa or more specifically, East Africa.

Clothing: This was both the hardest and easiest part of packing. It was the hardest part because I was unsure of the climate of Addis Ababa or Ethiopia specifically, but it was also the easiest due to my minimalist lifestyle and not having a lot of clothing items. Also keep in mind, I am living in Ethiopia to teach English so a lot of the clothing I brought had to be more professional but depending on your reason for moving abroad the amount of each item will change accordingly. I also had to ensure that I brought modest clothing due to the Orthodox Christian and Muslim religions in the country.

• 3 dresses: two calf length and one maxi dress
• 2 pairs of jeans: black and ripped blue jeans
• 3 pairs of shorts
• 3 lounge pants
• 7 shirts: 4 comfortable cotton shirts and 2 regular t-shirts for lounging or to sleep in
• 2 sweatshirts (one was a comfort reason- it’s my grandpa’s)

• 4 professional shirts
• One black jumpsuit
• One pair of overalls
• 3 lounge pants
• 2 weeks’ worth of underwear
• 2 weeks’ worth of socks
• 3 bras
• 2 bathing suits
• Blazer
• jacket

Shoes:

• 2 pairs of Birkenstocks (for those of you who know- I live in these)
• Hiking boots
• Running sneakers
• Flip flops: for showering/ around the house
• Nice flats
• Nice sandals

Toiletries: I personally use Lush products, so I made sure that I brought extra of their products so that I do not run out. But for the most part, if you do not use specific products than I wouldn’t suggest bringing extras because you can find most things in the shops or something at least similar.

• Deodorant bar
• Shampoo bar
• Condition bar
• Body soap bar
• Razor and extra blades
• Toothbrush
• Washcloth
• Floss
• Tooth paste (travel size for when I go on my own trips in the country)

 

Other Items: These are the items that I brought either for my own necessities, preferences, or comforts to make moving to Ethiopia easier.

• Microfiber or travel towel
• Regular household towel
• Umbrella (Ethiopia has an intense rainy season)
• Rain jacket
• Computer/ iPad/ phone
• 3 Life straws (I would highly recommend if you are unsure about the condition of the water of the country)
• Ethiopian travel guide/ world book/ Amharic language book
• Chargers
• 2 water bottles
• 3 bags for grocery shopping/ random necessities
• TOILET PAPER ROLL!! It sounds ridiculous, but you will need it for the first few days and it’s nice to have extra soft because the toilet paper here is like sand paper- LOVE YOU MOM)
• Credit cards
• Passport/ passport card with visa
• Travel adapters
• Camera and new SD card
• First aid kit

Random Items of comfort:

• Essential oils (I use mine daily, so I knew that I had to bring them with me)
• Yeti (need it for my morning coffee)
• Nose ring stud (in case my job said I couldn’t wear my nose ring)
• Swiss army knife- comes in handy more than one would think
• Tapestry
• Hair wraps
• Reusable utensils and straws
• Digestive greens powder (for when you don’t feel quite right- has helped me a lot so far)
• Journal to remember your travels
• PICTURES of family, friends, and pets (trust me)
• Extra sheet/ pillow case (I did this in Paris and it made my room feel like home when I used my regular sheets from my bed at home)
• Medication: malaria, Excedrin, cold and flu, Benadryl, anti-diarrhea (I would recommend any medications that you would use at home to bring along with you due to the lack of them depending on the country)
• Bullet journal/ supplies: this is how I organize my life and lesson plans

 

This may seem like a lot for most people, but when you move to another country for the first time, I took priority to have comfort. I also brought basically everything I owned with me to Ethiopia. All of these items fit into a suitcase, an osprey backpackers pack, and my carryon backpack. I know I will be leaving things here when I leave and bring more stuff home back to the states when I decide to come home. For the most part, I have used everything I have brought with me except for a few items.

I am, in no way, saying this list is the end all be all, because everyone has their own specifics of what they need in their home. Looking back, there are certain things I probably would have left home and other things I would’ve brought with me, mainly granola bars. But overall, everything I need came with me or I have bought while I’ve been here.

 

Happy Travels,

Cynthis

A Day in the Life: Teaching English In Ethiopia

While I was researching teaching abroad, specifically Ethiopia or African countries, I was surprised to see there was not one blog post or article written on what daily life was like as a foreign teacher. If you’re thinking about teaching abroad here is what your life MIGHT look like because this is certainly my new reality.

Before I left the United States, I would joke with my friends and family about how I was escaping the “real world”. Little did I know, I would indeed be entering adulthood and full-time job life, just not necessarily a typical career job for someone with degrees in psychology and international relations.

Morning

My day starts by hearing my alarm blaring at 5:30am. Yup 5:30 IN THE MORNING. For those who know, I am in no way a morning person I’m pretty miserable that this is my reality Monday- Friday. It just about brings tears to my eyes as I’m writing this because it’s Sunday and the impending 5:30 alarm is coming upon me. I hit the snooze alarm until about 6am, which is about the time I am finally ready to leave the comforts of my uncomfortably hard, but warm bed to make my normal breakfast of oatmeal with jam, as I watch the daily headlines on BBC World.

By 6:30, I am in the car with Zurhan, the driver for the school I work for, Zurhan is one of the most peaceful and happy people I know here in Ethiopia. Each morning I am greeted by his smiling face as we talk about philosophy of life as he teaches me, although he doesn’t know it, how to embrace all aspects of Ethiopian life and to adopt a more positive outlook on life.

The hour and half ride to work is one of the most interesting times of day because every morning, I feel as though I learn something new about religion, between him and my co-worker Joanne, and Ethiopian politics. This is also the time where I anxiously watch as Zurhan decides that the traffic is morning too slow and ends up driving on the side walk where pedestrians avoid the car as if it was a casual as not being run over by a person with a bike. Even though the drive is the same way every morning.

 

It never ceases to amaze me the difference between here and the United States, between seeing goats being herded in the street before being sold for their meat or when drivers decided to move horizontally through traffic, or when cars chose to go up the street into oncoming traffic with their hazards on. Life is always an adventure in Addis.

At roughly 8am, the 3 of us who are now in the car, will pile out of a tiny hatchback like circus clowns. A fellow teacher and I will then journey across the street for my first “bunna” or coffee of the day. This is the last few moments of peace before my dad is filled with “Miss Cynthia!” and “Teacher! Teacher! Teacher!” After my coffee, I sign into work and travel 6 flights of stairs to the staff lounge to get my gown on (which makes me look like a doctor) and to share breakfast of “furfur”, or chopped up injera and shiro eaten with injera, with some coworkers.

My work day officially begins, where my identity of Cynthia is transformed into “Miss Cynthia”, by 8:10am when devotion starts. This is the beginning of the school day where students line up outside by the Ethiopian flag. A teacher will lead devotion by having the kids first sing a song, followed by the teacher giving a short lesson about the theme of the day- honesty, bringing the necessary materials to class, or kindness. Devotion ends at 8:30 with the singing of the Ethiopian national anthem and the students head up to first period.

Depending on the day, sometimes I have some periods at different times of day, but overall, I have 5 classes to teach a day. I teach English II or English literature for grades 1 and 2. This means that I focus mainly on the student’s pronunciation and reading books while highlighting key words the students will learn. I have each class, I have 8 classes, 3 times a week so my week becomes very repetitive because I teach the same material for the whole week. It is sometimes hard for me to keep track of knowing which activity I’ve done with each class but teaching just over a month now, has given me time to get into the grove of it all.

When I don’t have a class, you can find me in the staff room grading countless exercise books filled with classwork and homework. Everything done in class by the students has to be checked and graded by me, so it is easy for my work to pile up. Normally during these break times, the other teachers and I will order “shi”, tea or more coffee to keep us going. The tea reminds me of a very sweet chai tea and the coffee here is nothing like I’ve ever tasted before- it’s going to be rough for when I come back to the States.

Afternoon

            The students and teachers break for lunch at 12pm for an hour lunch. Lunch is when I can really see the cultural difference between American, mainly East coast, and Ethiopian culture. Depending on how lazy I was feeling the night before, I will either eat in the staff room or go out for lunch if I didn’t bring it that day. Either way, all work is put away and conversation is filled with laughter. The best part about lunch time is the sense of community that is felt while we are eating. Due to my friend group that is formed at work, which has carried over into my outside life, we all bring a different dish to share and enjoy together. Since most of my friends here are Ethiopian, they will bring as their normal lunch of injera with furfur or some kind of rice with vegetables on fasting days. I will normally contribute some type of salad or pasta with vegetables. My friends are so sweet, and they will make sure they will bring in at least one meat- free dish, even after my constant protests. If I didn’t bring lunch that day, I will walk across with some other friends and eat together “family style” which is the only style here, and have shire of on fasting days, vegetable baeyentu. The conversation often turns into teaching me a new word in Amharic or making plans for the upcoming weekend.

After we are done eating, we all walk over to the café across the street to get the second, or thirds, bunna of the day. We continue talking and laughing about our lives, Ethiopian’s are consistently laughing and having fun with one another. America should take note.

By 1pm, classes resume, and my lessons continue. After lunch is normally when I’m going into my locker to get “soft” or toilet paper to bring into the bathroom with me. At the school, there is never running water or electricity and, like everywhere else in Ethiopia, you need to bring your own toilet paper with you- including restaurants or clubs. Throughout my day, as I walk to my classes, or more often the bathroom, I am constantly stopped to be asked what grade I teach or my students grabbing at me to bend down so they can kiss my check.

End of the day

My work day officially ends at 4pm but our driver doesn’t normally pick us up until 4:30-5pm. It is in this time frame that I relax from a full day of work at the café across the street and have my 4^th, more than likely 6^th, cup of bunna. As we wait, Nicholas, another foreign English II teacher, will talk my ear off about God knows what. Every day is different, but it normally involves some type of religious, philosophical or spiritual question that makes my head hurts. This conversation will almost ALWAYS carry over into the hour and a half car ride home.

By the time I enter my home, it is almost 6pm and I have to force myself to cook dinner. Sometimes I will watch a movie that is on until 7:30 when I head upstairs to my room to read and prepare for the next day.

Although my days are exhausting, and I feel like an old person going to sleep 8-9pm every night, my days are also filled with so much laughter and community. So even though I found myself in the “real world”, it’s Ethiopian style. This time of my life might not be dedicated to climbing my career latter or helping to secure me financially for the future, I am experiencing and learning about what I want in a job later on.

I don’t know much about adulting still, but one thing I do know is that I’m appreciating the little things in life (like running water and electricity at work) and teaching English in Ethiopia is the right amount of “real world” for me.