h a p p y

1. be nice to the people you don't like for good faith to go towards your loved ones, kind of like karma I guess. 

2. listen to your mama she can spot the bad when you're blinded by love/lust. 

3. eat foods from the earth and stay active. even if it's twice a week. you're doing something at least

4. down to your last dollar? give it to someone in need.

5. keep your faith alive and personal, don't shove your beliefs and opinions down other peoples throats

6. don't say yes if you don't mean it, make yourself happy first 

7. when in doubt write it out

8. love yourself, you can't love another person fully if you can't even be kind to yourself

9. take care of your skin, hair, and nails. take your vitamins and get/make your treatments. 

10. say hi to strangers. look up and smile. 

11. apply to jobs/schools you fear, you never know

12. the word 'friend' should be given sparingly. be careful. 

13. travel alone and eat alone, you usually meet great company. but your own company should always be your favorite. 

14. know you are never alone, when you love yourself, you will know this is true 

15. be on time 

16. always give back, and pay it forward 

17. don't do anything for recognition 

18. you only have one body, be nice to it! don't sham yourself. encourage it, it's keeping you alive! 

19. read. a lot more. 

20. be careful with what news outlets you trust 

21. always friend the locals, they know more than anyone. they are the people. 

22. listen. give your undivided attention. put your phone down. 

23. be the person you want to meet

24. say 'thank you' to a compliment. that's beautiful and humble, not "omg no way I'm blah blah." stop!

25. be silly

26. feed the stray animals when you can 

27. stay connected to your loved ones, keep your foot in their worlds too.

28. be around people who want to talk to you about theories and controversies of science and the world, not gossip about others. 

29. sleep 

30. live like a nomad for a year, sleep on floors if you have to. the heavenly views and sunsets make it worth it.

31. volunteer because you care, not to make yourself look better 

32. global issues are OUR problems, not their problems 

33. pray/meditate, or something...theist or atheist, there is always something you can do to free your mind and soul. if you don't believe in the soul do a logic puzzle then lol those are fun help you unwind. 

34. leave the patriotic and self-entitled attitude at home before you travel. 

35. they don't speak english, it's never their fault. it's yours for not learning the local language before your travels. 

36. don't believe social media, people make themselves seem like prophets on there. image crafting can be dangerous 

37. love. no matter how hurt you are love anyways. 

38. the greatest battle is to battle your own soul, to fight, the evil within yourself 

39. do not find the fault in others, if you find the fault in them, god may take their faults way and give them to you. 

40. routine may perhaps be lethal, but it is still necessary. have a positive and enjoyable one wherever you end up 

41. you grow outside your comfort zone

42. eat on the floor

43. don't be around energies that influence you negatively. if they make you feel bad, stay away. it's lethal. 

44. whole heartedly believe in good faith because it exists

45. smile, you may have made/saved someone's day 

46. it will never ever be cool to be mean 

47. if you don't communicate thoroughly and kindly, it will never be resolved 

48. always wonder and wander

49. Anything said before the "but" is bs. I love you but...hahaha (my professor taught me this)

50. feed your soul, not the ego 

51. close your eyes, fall in love, and stay there. be foolishly in love, because there is nothing else greater than love 

52. good attracts good, what you see around in the world is a reflection of who you are. any ounce of hate in your heart is poison. get rid of that toxic it has no place to be in your beautiful heart. 

53. don't compare journeys or paths, rather support and send love that we all make it 

Just a list I compiled. There are many more you guys should add to it. The way I try to live especially as a nomad lol. Traveling doesn't change you. It just heightens your strengths and weaknesses. I'm still indecisive and naive melody. I still have a bad sense of direction and my blonde moments are heightened to the max. However, I do know more than ever that I should love everyone, trust a few, and learn from all. Everyone is bound to teach and influence us in some shape or form, it's up to our character to form the outcome of it. Be the person you crave to be, and do the beautiful things your heart desires. When you learn to become friends with your heart incredible experiences and miracles come your way. Don't forget to always spread that love!

"Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love." -Maria Rilke 

all of my love,

melody 

do what you can

Simple

This blog entry will be a little different than my updates. I guess this one will be a reflection entry. Or something like that? Short and simple.

I have been in Indonesia for five months now. Yes, it has been five beautiful, chaotic, humbling, exhausting, crazy, loving, and fulfilling months. There have been days where I am on the back of motorbike riding into the sunset with an ice cream cone in my hand, laughing and singing country lyrics obnoxiously as I snap chat the moments. Then there are nights I am in my bed crying my heart out trying to figure out if I should just pack up and go back to my comfort zone. But then I think will that even solve anything? Won’t I just cry at home because I didn’t finish what I started?

You see, as I seek my love for knowledge and as I seek my love for the world, I am forgetting to balance it with my love for my spirituality. You can’t eat a banana split without the bananas; it loses all-purpose of having a banana split! Lol weird analogy, but it works. Alas, I am learning to love the questions themselves that linger in my heart and soul, because I know I am living my way to the answers. I am not expecting immediate results, however I am expecting an incredible amount of effort from my end.

The first three months were a struggle. Acclimating to a foreign home that is very different from mine, but God does send you some precious gems to help you. Never do I go a day without hearing someone say “Hello Melodeeeee, how are you today?” That means, these people no matter how they are feeling that day, regardless of their poverty stricken situations or even comfortable/rich lifestyles, have the time to always ask me how am I. It may not mean much to you all, but when you are nowhere near your family and loved ones, it means the world to you. You can enjoy being alone, but it does not mean you are ever lonely. Human connection and interaction is all around you, YOU have to make the time and effort to smile and be kind. That’s exactly what I promised myself to do. Talk to the cab driver that is eagerly curious about America and Obama. Talk to the little old lady who is curious about this young naïve girl roaming the streets at dawn. Or take that photo with the little girl who is admiring you from afar, you will make her happy. Communicate with your eyes, with your smile, and most importantly your heart, even if you cannot speak their words. They will understand because kindness is universal and it makes everyone feel something happy in their heart. You will start to slowly see that these strangers become your family in your heart.  

Giving back is the best feeling. No amount of money or material matters can compete with the feeling of helping those in need. I am grateful for my search and successes with helping the children, elderly, and women in poverty. The point is whatever you do to help bring awareness on important matters, always be genuine about it. Do it for them, never for you. Our world is insanely sad. I am talking about six year olds smoking cigarettes or toddlers begging for money and food; sights that should never exist. We have to do what we can by hoping that one interaction of positive reinforcement can spark a drastic change. If it doesn’t, its okay you at least TRIED. I have to keep reminding myself this. It is really difficult to not be emotional about everyday injustices. You see over a million child refugees of Syria, the hungry children around the globe, the lack of proper education, and the child brides of the world and it hurts, damn it. It hurts so much because no matter how hard you try you cannot fix it all. However, educating one child is a power that can never be taken away, and that feeling alone is what keeps me yearning to make a difference. Be the good you want to see in the world.

As far as my personal growth, it’s a beautiful struggle and I am doing it. Some simple yet important advice I am practicing everyday. Don’t compare yourself to other people’s journeys; we have our own path to follow. Support and love all, even if they are haters. Because any amount of hate in your heart is still a poison that has no place to be there, it will only spread. Traveling shows you the beauty and the ugly about the world and yourself. You see what you do like and don’t like about yourself and others. You decide what type of people and energies you want to share your soul with. You really learn to become friends with your heart. Your heart is what helps guide you to your passions and desires, don’t fight it. Learn to love your own company, when you do you learn to love yourself. You can’t love others fully if you don’t even love yourself. It’s not fair to anyone.

Everything I have written thus far is raw emotion from my heart. I thank the love people have sent my way from near and afar.

All of my love,

melody xx

backpacking the hot springs

beautiful children of the kampung, where we built their homes