Entry #10: Can I Stop Getting the Middle Seat?!

This is Captain Amor speaking, ladies and gentlemen we’ve apparently lost our hydraulics and are working on the issue. Please hold tight.

Traveling by plane can be the most terrifying and uncomfortable experience out there. Although it can have some perks like watching a sunset. I uh can't really think of any more perks. I will be visiting home next month and I get so much built up anxiety from flying. When flying I create a mental checklist to help defuse my anxiety levels. 

This checklist consists of four parts: Pre-traveling, waiting to board the plane, flying the aircraft (kidding), and landing. 

Pre-Traveling:

When pre-traveling make sure you bring your essentials. For the most part I will bring an abundance of clothing, shoes, toiletries, makeup, my laptop, notebook / pens, a neck pillow, a travel jacket, headphones (which are a must), etc. Polaroid cameras are also cool to travel around with! 

Make sure to neatly pack your luggage! You never know when you're going to be needing something from one of your bags. This can be done by folding your clothing to the smallest size possible or packing specific outfits or groups in ziploc bags. 

Waiting To Board:

You got to your boarding area considerably early and now your bored with nothing to do. This is the perfect time to 1. Use real bathrooms and 2. Grab your snacks! You should always be drinking water when traveling. Dehydration can be killer during this time. I usually take this time to hydrate and moisturize. Traveling can be tough on your skin and body. You've gotten your snacks and taken care of your body. Now it is time for the waiting game. A very obvious tip would be to use your phone. If you don't have a phone, pretend to have one. If you’re as anti social as me, you would understand that headphones are a savior and talking is horrendous. 

Flying (as a passenger.. do I really have to clarify that? [kidding]): 

Traveling alone can be awful. The comfort levels differ when getting an assigned seat. If you got the window seat congratulations you have received a considerably nice seat (unless you get motion sick). You’re on the end? Not too bad.. You can at least leave before anyone else in your row. If you get the middle seat be ready for a long and stiff journey (hence why I travel with a neck pillow). 

This is the perfect time to 1. Drink alcohol (if you’re of legal age) 2. SLEEP! 3. Take advantage of their free tv shows if they offer them. Another cool thing about traveling is that your brain is constantly producing ideas. Write them down!

Landing: 

You hear the “we will be landing in 20 minutes” from the speaker. Everyone around you is shuffling around with anxious and relieved faces. For obvious reasons clean up after yourself and make sure you have everything. Everyone will be grabbing from the top compartments. During this time I maneuver my way around everyone and dart to the finish line.  

You have made it to your destination. If you’re traveling home, it's now that time to greet your family members with the warmest of hugs. 

“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” – Anthony Bourdain

Sincerely, Woe Amor ♡

Entry #9: Can I get Some of That?

Does anyone have a snack? Anyone?

Woe! The blog started.. 

When you think of trail mix do you think of the traditional ingredients that include various styles of nuts, raisins, popcorn, and even chocolate? 

I came across a humorous yet serious comic strip when searching for healthy trail mix over the weekend. 

The American obesity rate has dramatically increased since the year 1980. According to IHME, “160 million Americans are either obese or overweight.” The comic strip above depicts two boys in the woods talking about the food they had packed for their trip. The boy on the right says he has trail mix and presents his bag full of chips, cookies, pizza, cake, and candy. Alarming? The excited boy then proclaims that he makes his own with a giant smile on his face. The idea of trail mix has definitely been skewed in this boys head. The boy on the left appears genuinely confused and surprised by these unhealthy foods brought by the boy on the right. In comparison to his friend on the left he also appears larger. According to the website IHME, “We know that there are severe health effects related to childhood obesity, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and many cancers. We need to be thinking now about how to turn this trend around.” 

It is very important to educate our children on the effects of poor eating habits and lifestyles. When a person chooses to eat poorly they are faced with larger health risks like diabetes or heart related problems. You could be saving your child from even experiencing these particular problems at a young age when informing them about the benefits of eating healthier. 

Don't get me wrong pizza and chips sound awesome but I also can respect a good healthy alternative. The blog named “Five Heart Home” does a great job at explaining how to make your own trail mix while still eating healthy. Remember eating clean doesn't have to be a task or a burden. There are plenty of great ways to incorporate healthy into your everyday lifestyle. I’d love to hear what you guys think!

Sincerely, Woe Amor ♡ 

Entry #8: Monkeys on the Bed

Trainer Amor here,

I kid you not (pun intended), I always question my current profession. 

Everyday when entering my job, I always wonder if I am working at a zoo or at a pre-k school. When walking down the halls I always hear screeches and children practicing their animal noises. If I know anything about teaching toddlers, it’s that they really love the monkey noises. The children like to compete with my moos and neighs, but I’d like to think i'm the sensei in the room. As the children get older in age so do their attitudes. 

Help me.

After hearing about the mortifying “terrible twos” age group, I can honestly say those assumptions are true. There's a giant messy stigma around two year olds and potty training (luckily for me I mostly work with one year olds). The difference between one and two year olds is that when you're grabbing supplies you have to decide whether or not you need pull-ups or diapers size 4-6. When stuck with a bunch of one year olds, the vocabulary difference in comparison to the twos class is tremendous. Two year olds definitely know how to talk your ear off. 

1 year old: “Shoe on” or “Not nice”

2 year old: “Shut up Bobohead” (Hurts the worst)

When talking to toddlers, it’s important to use positive reinforcement and guidance throughout each day. How you talk to the children shapes how they express themselves early in their lives. For example, we are advised not to say the words “time out”. Instead we use words like “me time” or “time away”. When toddlers act out negatively towards peers, teachers are supposed to talk to them in a positive tone and have them reflect on their actions.

Again, someone help me.

Each day every teacher follows a specific process for their kiddos. My process starts with signing into our roster and greeting my children. The children have a set routine of scheduled diaper changes, set meal times, and activities planned throughout the day. Staying consistent helps keep the classroom organized and avoids pure chaos. 

Even though my days seem frightening to most, I endure through the craziness because the education of toddlers depends on patient teachers. When talking to my children in a positive voice or tone I help them positively communicate to their peers. By helping children stay consistent with their schedules we as teachers help them prepare for life after preschool. I would illustrate a picture for the zoo-like classroom that I work in but I'd be afraid to lose one or two monkeys.

"The responses of the baby monkey are very similar to those of a human baby" - Harry Harlow

Sincerely, Woe Amor ♡

Entry #7: I Am Not Amoosed

Woe! When did I turn into a food safety captain?

I stumbled upon a surprising video the other night when devouring a giant bag full of Chick-fil-A. The food that we surround ourselves with on a daily basis is filled with unnatural and unhealthy additives. The video titled Fresh, does a fantastic job at explaining the repulsive stages of food that we find in our local grocery stores. 

Americans have grown seemingly lazier over the years when it comes to making meals. “There's nothing Americans fear more than inconvenience” says George Naylor. Ever wonder why the names are super long on the ingredients list? Our food nowadays contains preservatives and unnatural additives tracing back to the early farm stage. That chicken nugget you just ate contains a chicken who was neglected and fed antibiotics to help them fight off disease. Or maybe you just brought home a few steaks to cook for your family and had no idea that the cow you’re about to eat just ate another cow and grains (cows should only have a grass based diet). Pretty uh, gruesome if you ask me.

The target audience is anyone that isn't shopping at Whole Foods, Sprouts, and even their local farmer (organic and natural food products are easier to find at these exampled locations). Your body should be cherished and praised like a temple. Although the natural and organic foods may be higher in price, they are without a doubt better for your body (and I am no doctor). Let’s not forget to mention that the amount of money that goes into sustaining these toxic agricultural settings can be highly reduced. Just by rotating crops and feeding these animals what they should be eating (grass > grain) the agriculture industry can largely cut costs. 

Although the farmers tend to have a humorous tone, the video is consistently serious when speaking to their audience. I instantly knew that the video was important when it showcased horrid images of workers throwing a mass amount of chicks on the ground. Poor babies! When watching this video I instantly thought of the company Tyson amongst other farms in this highly competing industry. This video definitely opened my eyes more when it comes to purchasing food from the grocery store. This film matters and should be seen by every individual in America. It’s definitely easier to not know what's in our food. I truly believe that instead of being unaware of the growing agriculture issue, we as Americans should be coming up with solutions to make our people stronger and healthier. 

“Though this be madness, yet there is method in't.” - William Shakespeare

Sincerely, Woe Amor ♡