Toastmasters: Becoming an Officer

Usually my Toastmasters Club meets every Tuesday, but in the summer it is only every other week. I missed last week's meeting due to illness and today there was not a meeting. Last week, I was asked to become and was voted in as the Sargent at Arms. It is the lowest level of office that one can hold in the club, but I still feel honored that I was asked and chosen to do this task as I have not been a member for too long. I set the expectation that I would not be able to finish the year as I am looking for a job and may move back to Japan soon. They understood. 

As a new officer, I attended a special district meeting last night. I meet a few people from the other clubs in town, which was pleasant. And I learned some things about Toastmasters. 

The meeting was basically an introduction of the positions as officers, including Sargent at Arms. It was interesting, but I should go through the PowerPoints just to make sure I didn't miss anything. I like to carry out my duty to the best of my ability in most all situations. 

And that is my Toastmasters update. I'm the new Sargent at Arms. Cool. 

Off the Deep End

I spoke yet again at my local chapter of Toastmasters, but I was actually on the schedule this time and not filling in for an absentee speaker. 

Project #5 "Your Body Speaks" has a goal of getting the speaker to incorporate gestures into the presentation. I remembered my mentor's advice from last week about ditching my notes, memorizing the beginning and the ending and just having a feel for the middle parts. I had my topic about scuba diving in mind for quite sometime, but I wasn't sure how to organize it exactly. In fact, that was something my evaluator commented upon. I had "stage 1" through "stage 3," but it would have been more properly organized had I used more stages as "stage 2" was really long and the finale was too short. Good tip. I had only thought of adding those indicators last night around 1 am. (>.<) 

Essentially, I did not have this speech memorized, so the written version is not exactly what I said. I also used a ton of gestures, made the scuba/Darth Vader-esque breathing throughout, and pretended that I was underwater. This is of course more difficult to put into the notes.

Again, I won without voting for myself. This time I thought I would certainly lose as the other speaker was AWESOME. I am 5 for 5 on the wins! Not bad.

Here is the speech, comments to follow:

Off the Deep End

(Sound of Darth Vader like breathing) There I was, on a tiny swaying boat off the coast of Bali, Indonesia. I was in full scuba regalia—immense fins made it impossible to maneuver forward out of water, the mask was clear as I had just cleaned it with my own spit and sea water, the wet suit clung to me perfectly, while the air tanks were heavy, my weight belt coming in at around 13 pounds, my BCD vest slightly inflated and pressing against my chest, and, of course my regulator. Was I really going to literally going off the deep end? Did I really need to find Nemo?

Stage 1 fear. I seemed ready to confront it. My instructor did all of my checks. For example, my air was on, my BCD could inflate, I knew the hand signals.  But, I suddenly found myself embarking on confronting one of my greatest fears—drowning. Now, the thing is not that I’m actually afraid to be UNDER water, but rather I hate holding my breath, swallowing water, and having water in my eyes. In scuba diving, these things don’t really happen all that often. You NEVER should hold your breath. It’s dangerous. Generally, you don’t swallow water as you are breathing through your mouth. And, in order to get your PADI Open Water license, you are taught how to deal with water in your mask. In the pool, we practiced having our masks partially flooded, fully flooded, and then taking your mask off, putting it back on, and then clearing the water. Essentially, I was more-or-less golden. Well, except waves makes me a bit nervous too because I’m not a great swimmer. Sigh.

But, there I was. There were two other students, a couple from Minnesota. Both, I should mention, out swam me in the pool. But my Norwegian instructor thought I should dive in first. Did I seem more fearless than the other two people? I certainly didn’t think so. My stomach was already queasy from being in the boat and being anxious. My heart was galloping at full speed.

But, there I was. I was trying not to use up all of my air above water. I was poised to go, on the ledge of the boat. I was to do a back roll into the great unknown. (Showing audience how to keep mask and regulator in tact as I pretend to roll into the water.)

Stage 2, confronting my fear. The air tank pulled me backwards. I was actually in the water!!!! The bubbles were rising to the surface, I was breathing, I could see so clearly. And, as is standard, I returned to the surface of the water and signaled that I was okay. My classmates and instructor slowly descended into the ocean. I let air out of my BCD as to sink down to the benthos. My eyes at the surface, now underneath, sinking so gently down, down, down. All I could hear was my own, rapid breathing and the water around me. I maintained eye contact with my buddy, the instructor, and followed his lead.

We went 11 meters under to do part of the scuba training, flooding and taking off your mask as to prove that you can clear the water out effectively. Upon completing that task, we swam on. We were able to see clown fish (hey, I found Nemo!!!), sea slugs, brain coral, spotted sweetlips, and a wrase. It was amazing to be underwater—I felt like Superman flying underwater, except I had trouble controlling my buoyancy and sometimes would start floating away to the surface.

The 30 minutes swiftly went by. It seemed sudden when my instructor indicated we needed to ascend, with a 5 minute safety stop. When we bouncing on top of the water, we each had to climb into the boat. Handing each fin over and the weight belt to the boat men. Being back on the bouncy boat, I made it to step 3, amazement and empowerment. I did it!!! I went off the deep end and managed to survive.

Comments:

• "Nice speech. Reminded me of my PADI class years ago. You seem relaxed and confident."
• "Very visual, felt like I could feel & see the experience you were in."
• "Excellent job. Great efforts--organization good. You really captured your audience's attention."
• "Great job. You made it very realistic. I felt like I was right there with you."
• "Great gestures! Anyone that has been scuba diving or taken a class could relate well. Good job describing the events including what you saw. Watch 'Oh God.'"
• "Great job removing the lectern & no notes! I enjoyed your speech & could see the view underwater. Great speech!"
• "Well don. No notes! Your comfort level is much improved! Loved your speech. Very informative. Much entertaining involved."
• "Excellent job. Great vocal variety, expressions & actions. I felt as though I was there with you--excellent. To conquer your fear & go for the plunge. You are improving every time."
• "Excellent job! Your gestures were fantastic which made me feel like I was right there with you. And no notes! I love the fact that you stepped out from behind the lectern." 

Ahh...shucks!!! (*^.^*) 

I just need to keep focusing on content and organization, plus I was a bit nervous about keeping within the time limits. 

Toastmasters: Singing the J-Way

Today was another round of Toastmasters. Apparently, upon speaking to a friend, I had not made it clear what is the purpose of the club. The idea is to become a better public speaker. Every week, members are assigned different roles. There is a grammarian, an MC (called the Toastmaster), a timer, speakers, and evaluators of the speakers. There are other roles, but that is the gist. Lately, our club has not had enough members attending, so often we do double duty. (For example, today I gave a speech and I evaluated the other speaker. Often, the timer will also be the grammarian.) 

I was somewhat ready to speak today in that I had a speech written, but it was not as well-rehersed as I would have liked. I was not on the schedule to speak, but I think it is great practice and have resolved to be ready in case a speaker cannot attend. Today, unfortunately, I woke up with a mini-migraine, which made it difficult to memorize my speech. (Perhaps you will recall that last week I mentioned that I have difficultly memorizing speeches. It is something I am aware of and trying to improve upon.)

This week's project, #4, was "How To Say It." The objective of this presentation is to "use clear, accurate, descriptive and short words that best communicate your ideas and arrange them effectively and correctly." You should not use jargon or those big, "college" type of words. The idea is good, punchy content. 

I tied for best speech evaluator, and I won for best speaker. Yay! As a note, I do not vote for myself. I abstained from voting for both the speeches and the evaluations. I find it so interesting that I keep getting voted best speaker. (Yeah, I know it's only out of two, but still, it's a great feeling and very encouraging.) Thus, I am four for four. 

Here is my speech with comments from fellow members to follow:

Singing the J-Way

I’m sure you’ve all heard of those wacky, drunk Japanese business men getting crazy and crooning away the wee hours of twilight after some big pow-wow at the office. Ties around their heads, getting naked, and pounding the sake away as if they would never have to see their colleagues ever again…well, not until tomorrow at 8 am at least. Yep, you guessed it. It’s karaoke.

Some of us would probably rather commit “harry-carry”(that’s 腹切りin Japanese) over karaoke any day of the week. Even us Toastmasters. But, the difference in American style karaoke and the J-way is vast.

As you already know, the American version of karaoke is a rather humbling, or even humiliating, experience. Generally, you sing in a bar comprised of a motley audience, mostly strangers. If you aren’t the next Beyoncé, chances are nobody will appreciate your (coughing) lack of talent. If you don’t know the song well, aren’t well practiced, you’re probably going to have a very traumatizing realization the next day in the midst of your bottle flu episode.

In Japan, there are chain stores that are dedicated to Japan’s national past time of chanting J-pop tunes, aka places like Jumbo Karaoke or Jan-Kara for short. Upon entering your local Jan-Kara enterprise, you will be greeted with the cutest little Japanese girls that are eager to help you get sorted. First, you must choose between Drink Menu A and Drink Menu B. Essentially, one is non-alcoholic and the other is well loaded with choice beverages such as barley soda, bottom-shelf whiskey, chu-hai, and sho-chu, which is a hard liquor that comes in varying degrees of quality.

After you and your troop has decided upon what drink to be served first, you are given a basket usually containing a tambourine, an electronic remote to select your songs, and, if you’re lucky, an English song book. You are then shuffled along a narrow hallway and shown where you’ll be getting trashed for the evening. Always note your room number, unless you don’t mind stumbling into a room full of naked business men.

Your room will vary in size with in terms of your group. The one thing, at Jan-Kara, however that seems to remain constant is the décor. The walls are inevitably plastered with plastic-y, 70’s-esque wallpaper. There is a built-in air conditioning/heating unit. There are bench seats upholstered in industrial strength, never-gonna-die vinyl. Near the door is a telephone as to order more intoxicating refreshments. Libations, as it is well known, must be paid to the all-powerful karaoke god. The table will become littered with dead soldiers, possibly cigarette butts, half-eaten portions of smiling fried potatoes, various menus, and, if nobody is looking or to drunk to remember, one or even both of the devices used to choose the songs will be laying in front you so you can choose another song.

The tv’s are Jan-Kara are not top of the line like at some more up-scale karaoke lounge, the microphones have cords, and the newest English songs usually date back five or so years, but it’s cheap. It’s hard to argue with all-you-can-drink liquor, singing 80’s songs, and even getting a slight physical workout. At the end of each song, the screen shows how many calories you just bellowed off, but it doesn’t include how much you danced during your solo.

One of my favorite aspects to Jan-Kara is the shoddy karaoke videos that accompany each song. If you were to sing a Japanese song, it is very likely that you would also get to watch the real music video that the artist produced. That is certainly not the case, however, with the English tracks. After viewing hours of shaky, low budget cinematography, sometimes bordering on soft-porn, you really probably need to ply yourself with more of those liquory libations. The karaoke god can be very demanding on his followers. I try to take it in stride as I belt out with my amigos some Guns-n-Roses as the night wears thin.

And suddenly in the middle of your duo of “A Whole New World” from the Disney soundtrack, everybody swaying in time and singing along with you and Aladdin, the phone rings. Nobody wants to answer it for 3 reasons. #1 the front desk person will be speaking in Japanese #2 even if your Japanese was decent, it’s impossible to hear over Jasmine’s shreaky, drunk voice #3 they will be asking if you want to stay or go. (Imitating the Clash) Should I stay or should I go now???? If I go there will be trouble, and if I stay it will be double.

Stumbling home after a rousing round of J-style karaoke makes you never want to return to the American style. You bonded with friends over drinks, bad singing, possibly even nudity, and won’t probably have a remorseful hangover of how stupid you looked or sounded. The J-singing-way reigns supreme even at your local, ghetto Jan-Kara. Jan-Kara, 行きましょうか？Let’s go to Jan-Kara!!!!

Comments: 

• "Excellent, well done, amazing for a new Toastmaster. Keep up the good work."
• "Loved how you opened and gave us the difference between karaoke in the U.S. & Japan. Enjoyed your pronunciation of Japanese words. Great descriptions of atmosphere, vocal variety, eye contact, & gestures. Great close!"
• "Good job, Beckie. Great adjectives (I) can totally see the rooms....Good job moving from the podium. Excellent job!"
• "No um's or ah's. Nice job. I like your descriptions, your pace, and your vocal tone was great."
• "I liked her flow. I thought she moved about a little too much."
• "Did a great job to keep attention to the audience. Fun topic to hear about."

Essentially, as pointed out in my evaluation, I need to ditch any use of notes. I did move away from the podium, but still looked at my notes. I probably moved too much, as one person stated. My mentor told me after the meeting that I should try to memorize the beginning and the conclusion. As for the middle, just get a feeling for the time, which will take away my crutch use of notes and the podium. 

Honestly, I am never sure about where to stand or how much to move. During the MBA, we told by our instructors from the Dale Carnegie institute not to move. At Toastmasters I am told to move, but apparently should not move too much. I need to find a balance...and, well, stop using notes and probably ditch the podium. 

Onwards and upwards! Oh, and next week I am scheduled to speak. I am working on project #5 already. Whew!

Toastmasters: Learning Another Language

I filled in for an absent speaker and gave my 3rd speech. The goal of project 3 is to "get to the point." Essentially, the objective is to have a purpose such as to inform, to persuade, to entertain, or to inspire. 

Here is my speech, with some comments by my fellow Toastmasters to follow. Please also note that in today's vote for best speech, I won against our club's president. How exciting!

Learn Another Language

日本語分かりますか。Parlez-vous français? Sprechen Sie Deutsch? ¿Habla usted español? Speaking more than my native English has changed the way I see and think about, well, everything. Learning a second, third, or even fourth language gives new perspective on life, especially in terms of language as it is its own limiting paradigm. Everyone should learn at least one other language.

There are many benefits to learning another language. In the U.S., I feel that it is important to empathize with immigrants. It can be a difficult process learning English for non-native speakers as would be for us to learn something even as similar as Spanish. In some locations, there are many chances to speak to others in their native tongue. It puts you closer to the pulse of how America was founded—by immigrants. It also puts you in the shoes of understanding how difficult it can be to make yourself understood by others, especially in another language.

You will also get a better understanding of English if you choose to pursue another language. In particular, if you choose a European language, you would understand your own English better in terms of vocabulary and grammar. English is comprised of 30% of words that come from French, but has its grammatical roots in German.  If you understand one romantic language, it is easy to pick up on other romantic languages. Romantic meaning that it is a Latin based language. It is much easier to understand the etymology of words if you have a good Latin base, therefore increasing your own English lexicon.

Learning Spanish as an American will allow you to speak with a whole other subculture of those living here. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, by 2050 the population of the U.S. will be about 24% Hispanic. The implication being that the U.S. may shift from an English-dominant nation to one of Spanish. Spanish also has the 2nd most amount of native speakers. Mandarin Chinese is 1st and English ranks 3rd. Imagine being able to speak and connect with so many other people.

Another benefit to learning a foreign language is it also allows you to see the world with another pair of cultural goggles. European languages are fun in that they are more akin to English in general, but Asian languages are more interesting in that they do not use the same alphabet. Japanese has 2 syllabaries and another system based on Chinese characters, also known as kanji.

Through kanji, the etymology of each word becomes quite clear. When translating from English into Japanese, the feeling of each word seems to change shape and the overall meaning also fluctuates. For example, in English, we often say “I miss you.” To me, the feeling is that part of me or my heart or even my soul seems to be missing. But, it Japanese, no such sentiment exists. In Japanese, 会いたい、literally means “I want to see you.” To me, this is not the same feeling as “I miss you.” Another case in point is the Japanese term frequently used, 頑張って。If you were to analyze the 2 characters that comprise the word, you would find the first character means “stubborn” or “obstinate.” The second kanji means to “stretch” or “spread.” Together the word “頑張って” means “good luck” or “I’ll try my best.” It seems to have more depth in Japanese than in English. If you take all of these little differences or nuances and add them together, it becomes more obvious how the Japanese culture and our culture was shaped. Language is a paradigm into which we are born. It defines our reality. By learning another language, you learn another perspective that would not be possible otherwise.

I think it’s important to learn another tongue. It will allow you to empathize with other people from different cultures more readily. Additionally, you can gain further insight into your own English language. And perhaps most importantly, you will realize how trapped you become by language. You will be able to embrace life in a whole new way by learning a different cultural understanding by using another language. Please consider the benefits of learning another language by signing up for a class, talking to a Spanish-speaking neighbor, or even by traveling to another non-English speaking country. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised when you do.

Comments by fellow Toastmasters:

• "Great topic....You are a great speaker."
• "Very enjoyable speech. Your topic was relevant to (the) audience especially as the world is today. Your speech was very well organized and I especially liked your opening--you definitely grabbed my attention....My one suggestion would be to add more vocal variety to your speeches. You are not monotone, but let your voice tell the story too."
• "...Encouraging and motivating."
• "Great opening...."
• "Great information! Good motivation to follow up on those languages I have touched in the past. Good eye contact and vocal variety. Looking forward to more!"

Essentially, it went well. As my evaluator mentioned, I need to memorize my speeches better and use less notes. If I can do that, I won't be glued to the lectern as I am now. (I already knew this about myself. I've always had difficulty with memorizing speeches in English, and for some reason I find it easier to do in other languages. It's just something to work on.)

3 down, 7 speeches to go to earn my "Competent Communicator" award. 

My Fishy Fate

I've been a member in my Toastmasters Club since January, and I had only given one speech! My plan is to write a speech for every meeting in the event that a speaker does not attend or if there is time for a third speaker in order to enhance my writing and speaking prowess.

My project's focus for this week was to organize. As you may have guessed, I enjoy writing; therefore, I was more concerned with content and flow than actual delivery. I felt my transitions were not the best and my evaluator commented on that very issue. None the less, I was voted as best of two speeches. I beat out our most experienced and top-rated speaker who has earned the title "Distinguished Toastmaster" (DTM).

Here's my speech:

My Fishy Fate

My fate is somehow linked to fish. I’ve been to the ER three times, all with fish related injuries. I worked in a fish market. I studied Japanese because I liked sushi. I overcame my fears by learning to swim with the fish. It all seems to boil down to fish affecting my destiny.

When I was about three years old, my brothers Tony and Daniel and I were playing in our backyard. Tony, the oldest, was sitting on top of our wooden fence practicing casting while Dhann and I tried to chase the line as it whizzed by us. Obviously, this was not the best idea. All I know is that after getting hit in the head, right between my eyes with a sinker, I woke up with Mom driving me to the emergency room. Fortunately, I seemed to be fine.

Fast forward about 17 years. I was living in Minneapolis and was working full-time as a fish monger. I had not one, but two injuries while working at Coastal Seafoods.

The first accident is what I consider to be rather odd. We had freezers in our retail store that we kept locked as there were expensive items such as lobster tails kept within. The key was attached to a fish scaler. The scaler’s handle was a piece of metal that bent around where the two sides had a bit of a gap. One day, I was opening a freezer door and my thumb somehow slid into that gap. The fish scaler was pinching my thumb and wouldn’t come off. Off to the ER I went.

The second incident was a bit more severe than the first, but it actually hurt me much less. I was in the back cooler unpacking salmon from Styrofoam boxes. I used a boning knife with a blade about so-long that had just been professionally sharpened by our knife guy that morning.

I was cutting boxes, like this. When I looked down at my left hand. I saw the first latex glove open, then I saw my blue neoprene glove open, and then I saw my hand open. Suddenly, I saw blood appear. I grabbed my left hand with my right—it felt floppy. I ran to the retail door where I peered in. My immediate manager was with a new employee and a customer. I then ran to the back of warehouse yelling to the general manager that I needed to go to the hospital. He at first didn’t believe me. Then, he saw my hand. Off to the ER I went. I came back with 22 stitches.

Coastal Seafoods is the place where I learned to make sushi. I had already dropped out of two universities—the University of Montana and Arizona State University. It was time to decide what to study when I enrolled full-time at the University of Minnesota. I thought about my options. I had studied chemistry and hated it. I previously was a psych major but didn’t want to pursue a career in being around people with issues worse than mine. French seemed like a pointless pursuit. Aha!!!! I figured I’d studied Japanese. It’d set me apart from other liberal arts majors and I liked eating sushi and learning the fish names in Japanese. Three years after I graduated with a B.A. in Japanese, I took the plunge and moved to Japan.

For most of my life, I’ve been scared of drowning. This may have something to do with my brother Dhann playing “shark” when we went to the pool. He would swim underwater and when I least expected it, he’d pull me under. Because I would be screaming as this took place, I usually felt like I was going to die as I would always swallow so much water.

One of my dreams was to scuba dive. I wanted to see the fish in their natural habitat that I had seen in the aquariums, eaten at both Coastal Seafoods and in Japan. It was time to fulfill my destiny. I took my first international vacation alone from Japan to Bali to obtain my PADI Open Water license.

Taking the scuba course freed me from most of my fears of drowning. At that point, I realized there wasn’t anything I couldn’t do. I was the only one stopping me. The fish had empowered me once again.

Without fish, I would have missed out on many adventures. I never would have visited the ER, probably never would have learned Japanese, and maybe I would have never overcame my own fears. My fishy fate has led me to led an interesting existence.

My Role as Toastmaster

One aspect of Toastmasters, in addition to becoming a better public speaker, is to gain experience in various club roles. There is a leadership track which you can focus on in addition to becoming a competent communicator. The leadership workbook has 10 projects that help with the topic, specifically on managing meetings.

This week was my first time being the Toastmaster since I began this new club. The project I worked on for leadership was time management. I, like many, could benefit from such a skill.

Planning, another leadership component, is important. I had to know the schedule both in terms of who has which role and the time allowed for each portion of the meeting. I needed a theme, although I originally thought this was the topic master's duty. I chose "spring." I needed introductions from each speaker, but both scheduled speakers did not attend. Fortunately, two people volunteered and I was given one introduction.

Ultimately, my first time as a Toastmaster went well. I was glad to see that people were able to improvise in giving speeches. I kept things running on time. People commented that they enjoyed my theme and the facts and stories surrounding spring. It was a good experience, and I learned more about becoming a better leader.

The leadership portion of Toastmasters is something I look forward to completing. I really enjoy being in an environment where people are friendly and supportive. I also feel that many of the lessons taught at Toastmasters will support future career growth opportunities.

Go Uptown Toasters!!!

A Peek into My Passport

I don't believe I've mentioned this previously, but I have joined a local chapter of Toastmasters International. I figure that 1. I'll improve my public speaking skills, which are already quite good 2. I can meet new and different people 3. I get out of the house instead of always constantly thinking about my job search.

I gave my first speech today. I was one of two speakers, and for what it's worth, I was voted as having the better presentation. Also, my evaluator thought it was an excellent and unique speech. Here's my "ice breaker" speech:

A Peek into My Passport

Like my passport, many labels have been applied to me. Some stamps have seared themselves into my core and others fade quickly or are over-written with something more potent. Many of the impressions of the true me are hidden by the eagle that dons the cover of my American passport. But, don’t judge a passport by its beat-up, worn, withered, crinkled blue jacket. There’s more to me than just the bald eagle that first appears.

First and foremost, I am a 5^th generation Montanan and the youngest of 5 Faught kids. The label “baby” is often applied to my name when my family introduces me. This mark cannot be expunged from my permanent record.

I grew up in Missoula, went to Big Sky High School, and managed to graduate from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Japanese. I owned a house, 3 cars, and a myriad of other stuff that somehow defines happiness or success. I found the marks of so-called success by society given to me to be absurd. Why should I allow others to brand me? But in the end, I traded it all, including my husband, for an adventure of a lifetime.

The first stamp onto my fresh passport was on a holiday to Japan. The love I felt for Osaka, Japan’s 2^nd largest city, was deep and was not to be erased from the blue pages of my government issued document. All those years of studying an intensely difficult language finally seemed to be paying off. That was 2002.

Fast forward to 2004, I applied for a teaching position in Japan with the blessing and consent of my husband. Unsurprisingly to me and surprisingly to him, I got the gig. I was awarded with a 3-year visa that was inserted onto a blue page. That sticker still adheres to me everyday. But, my husband did not. For whatever reason, he choose to remain behind thus ending our 5 year marriage.

Don’t worry, I’m happily divorced. It doesn’t appear anywhere near the bird on my passport rendering it almost invisible to most people even upon inspection. But, the brand is hidden amongst all of the other stamps as to not be the first thing that strikes people when they meet me.

There are other concealed signs of who I am within my frayed document. The French student visa is on a page further back, on a page that the U.S. embassy added to my almost full booklet in Osaka. I needed more pages to take a ferry from Osaka to Shanghai, then to board trains spanning from Shanghai to Beijing to Hohhot, Inner Mongolia to Ulan Baatar, Mongolia and eventually to Moscow, Russia before flying to Nice, France. Many pages were inspected and stamped at various points before I was able to begin graduate school.

After thousands of miles of railroad tracks, 10 months in France, a couple stamps from Morocco and South Africa from class trips, a long flight from Nice to Dublin to JFK to LAX, a good mark on my final project, and I can finally add the latest brand to my name, an MBA.

Some people may have other labels for me currently that are not embossed permanently, such as unemployed, escapist, but the labels from my life experience are continually collecting in my passport. The plethora of impressions on my pages are not just from the 20+ countries I’ve been to, but each unique life experience. Each stamp, each visa gives a new zest to my life. As my pages become more and more filled, I find that most people may only see the embossed symbol of the U.S. when they meet me, but there’s a lot more to me inside the pages if you care to read.