Malea Explores

I feel a bit lost in life right now. By many measures, I'm quite successful -- I have a lot of friends and a few very close confidants. I have great mentors. I've got a job, a roof over my head, a kid that is making their own way in life, a dog that I love. I am able to explore the world and my interests, and I no longer have to work 60 to 80 hours per week to afford to live.  And yet... I'm feeling a bit directionless.  This happens every now and then, but since my uncle died from a brain tumor (glioblastoma) in 2017, it's been happening far more frequently and much more intensely than it has before.  This week, I'm feeling the rut.  I have some things percolating and am building a new business, but so far it's mostly behind the scenes work, so I'm not yet seeing the results of my efforts.  I have a couple of books that I need to read for my private tutoring students and a couple of groups I'm in, but none is really grabbing my attention fully right now...

When I wrote the post below, I was halfway through a three week trip and had my second cold in less than two weeks. Despite implying in the post that I thought about and opted against cutting my trip short, a few days after writing the post, I slipped and injured my ankle and foot badly enough that I did go home almost a week early. I've never done that before, but numerous factors led me to this decision, including several that had nothing to do with illness. My injury was my final straw -- I may or may not write about that in the future. (Please note: I am not a healthcare professional and these are merely tips that have helped me. If you feel ill or in crisis, please seek out professional medical help whether at home or away.) Any links may be affiliate in nature -- purchases made through these links may result in a small commission to me at no extra cost to you. Thank you. To be honest, I'm not at all happy right now. I feel frustrated, a bit depressed, and I'm second g...

It can be really hard to feel like you have the time or energy to invest in being an activist for your community whether it's local, regional, national, or even on a global scale. There are so many issues and so many details and aspects to each issue. How do you narrow down what to act on? And then, how do you act in a meaningful way? Many non-profit organizations have built their activist options around being able to aggregate activists around specific action items in ways that bring huge numbers of people together so that signatures or letters or postcards or petitions or other materials can be presented en masse to the traget individual, organization, government, and so on.  And, often these non-profits are able to do so in ways that effect REAL CHANGE.  No matter what issues are important to you, I find it best to: Narrow down a list of non-profit organizations that are in line with your values Decide how much time and energy you have to invest in your activism Decide how ...

So, you wish you could be more involved in issues that matter to you. You wish you could make a difference, but... You don't know how. You don't have time. There are just too many issues. You're just one voice. I totally get it, and there are days when I feel that way too. Taking action on every issue that matters to you can be exhausting, especially since most issues require multiple actions by multiple people for change to happen. I understand. But, here's the deal, if you just aren't going to take action at all, then stop talking about the issues you are concerned with. Stop posting to social media about them. Stop being outraged.  Because if you aren't DOING anything, then you aren't DOING anything. Taking action does not have to be a big, long, difficult process. Between your family, your job, taking care of yourself, your pets, and so many other factors, you just don't have a lot of time left in the day, right? But, let's take a look at the tim...

As I write this, the world of travel and tourism is in complete upheaval as we deal with a global pandemic. However, a few months ago, I commented on a luggage company's Facebook post in response to someone wondering if their backpacks are pick-pocket proof. What follows is a revised response not about the backpacks,  but rather about staying safe and comfortable while traveling.  I have traveled solo a lot compared to most of my friends and almost all of my family, and so far I have never been pick-pocketed, mugged, or otherwise (thank goodness!). I'm sure that part of the reason stems from how I behave when I travel.  Simply put, I strive to look like I belong and to not stand out as a tourist. Here are a few tips that have served me well so far, as well as questions I've been asked about how I conduct myself when traveling: You don't need a money belt I don't wear a money belt or any other sort of hidden pouch or bag or anything to protect my money or ID. Instead...

For many years, really since I became a mom in 1998, I have sought to make my spending and shopping match up to my personal values. A friend and I were discussing this the other day in light of Black Lives Matter activism and calls for policing reform. We both agree that we want to make our spending have an impact by shopping at black owned businesses, when possible, and not shopping at those that don't support Black Lives Matter.  So, how do you decide where to shop and how to spend your money in alignment with your values?  I wish there were one, simple answer, but this is a complex process that may take into account several factors that don't always match up. I suggest you decide which values matter to you most and find tools to help you support companies and brands in line with those values and your budget. It's time consuming, but I think it's worth it. Below are some of my values and preferences with the tools I use to guide my shopping. Environmentalism A great r...