Thoughts Archives - Page 4 of 4

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award: Q & A, My Nominees

November 12, 2015 rubymary Comments 8 comments

Wow, I am honored that Jocelyn from Speaking of China has nominated me for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award!

It’s my first time being nominated for any kind of blogging award, and even though I probably won’t win (is this a contest?), it’s been great to see the blogs of other fellow nominees and read about so many amazing women living around the world.

Without further ado, here are the answers:

How did you come up with the name for your blog?

In China I wore red. Everyday. I don’t know why, it just happened.

Ronin is a Japanese word for a wandering samurai without a lord. It also has the connotation of a traveling vagrant. As a frequent traveler, I often felt like a wandering samurai with no real place to call my own. read more

Different From the Crowd

November 1, 2015 rubymary Comments 15 comments

“Maybe, in a year or two, you can get married. You can buy a house in Los Angeles when he makes more money. Perhaps three, or four years down the road you can plan for your first child. It’s a perfect plan, Mary.”

Advice from my aunt. A realist.

Although the demographic is starting to change, thirty tends to be the age when we start to think about having a family; or at the very least, if and when we want one. When I was 22, I always figured that when I hit my late 20s I would start to feel the tug of motherhood and cave in and have a child (or, at least, be married by 30). read more

America is Not The Greatest Country on Earth

August 24, 2015 rubymary Comments 24 comments

I remember in grade school we had to stand up, put our right hand on our heart, salute the flag and say the pledge of allegiance every single day. We looked up to the flag hanging near the chalkboard as our nation’s anthem echoed from the school’s loudspeaker and chanted the mantra of our great nation.

At school we were not only taught to be proud at the fact we were American, but grateful. While no one ever distinctly said it to my face, I was educated that America was the best country in the world. read more

The Ethnicity Question

May 29, 2015 rubymary Comments 20 comments

After years of being uninsured in the U.S. (and a few more years of having third-world equivalent healthcare in China), I finally received fully covered health benefits through my new job. In fear of medical bills and non-preventative coverage, I went years without a standard check-up. When I got my shiny new insurance card, I booked the first appointment I could to get tested for–well, everything. After all, I was fully covered.

“It looks like your application is incomplete, Ms. Mary O’Connor,” the secretary smiled sweetly. “You’ll need to answer a couple of quick questions before you can see the doctor.” read more

Happiness, Ambition and the Renaissance Fair

May 12, 2015 rubymary Comments 11 comments

I know. It’s been a while. And the site was down for a bit.

I have switched to a new server and am still working out the kinks. If you found that some of the comments you left recently were deleted, please forgive me–some of the newer comments did not make the leap over to the new server. Expect at least another week until things are back to normal.

Unfortunately, I can’t blame the lack of updates on the server alone. To be brutally honest, I have been struggling emotionally–so much so, I find it difficult to write. I am still suffering from severe reverse culture shock, even after one year. I tried to summarize my feelings and anxieties in a post to conclude my one year anniversary here in the United States, but none of the drafts seemed to convey just what I was feeling. Plus, I was paranoid about sounding like a whiny, Asia-homesick weenie. read more

Turning 29

February 27, 2015 rubymary Comments 16 comments

Last weekend I turned 29—in other words, I’m that much closer to 30.

I used to dread turning 30. Growing up, we often believe 30 is the age that you become a true “adult.” If you didn’t have your life in order by 30, then by society’s standards, you were seen as a failure or a screw up. It’s why if you google ‘turning 30,’ you’ll find questions and blog posts filled with fear, anxiety, and questions.

Yet I’ve met countless people my age or older that have been struggling not only to find a job—but their path in life. For many, life begins at 30. read more

Why I Travel

January 19, 2015 rubymary Comments 10 comments

There’s a scene in the movie Wild that stuck with me.

The protagonist is on the road. She’s exhausted. She has only taken the first few footsteps into her journey, but already she feels the weight of the road. Can I do this? Is this what I’m supposed to be doing? Have I gone crazy?

And then she stoops down, pulls some sagebrush from the road, rubs it in her fingers, closes her eyes and deeply inhales the scent.

The scent of the Earth. The scent of the journey. The scent of the world itself. read more

Resolutions for 2015 and my Favorite Posts of 2014

January 2, 2015 rubymary Comments 6 comments

Before I delve into 2015, let’s look back at the resolutions I kept (and dropped) in 2014:

Learn French.
Take a class in web design and economics.
~~Find an amazing job in the USA~~ (although it’s not very amazing)
~~Keep up the habit of going to the gym 3 times a week, aim to run for an hour nonstop (can do 30 mins now, up the score!)~~
Take the GRE.
~~Grow out my hair. It looks good short I must admit, but I do miss having my long black locks.~~
Continue to write, and publish an article!
~~Volunteer! Find an organization in Shanghai or the USA, sign up, and go help others!~~ (volunteered on Thanksgiving and have joined a volunteer Meetup group in my neighborhood).
Practice J-E interpreting 3 times a week, C-E once a week
~~Learn how to properly, and effectively, invest money~~ (I purchased my first stocks this year)
~~Travel somewhere new (have plans of Thailand in March, so this one’s definitely going to happen!)~~ (Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore–you were amazing!)

Alright, Time for 2015 Resolutions:

Lose 20 pounds–and more importantly, lead a healthier life. I know. It’s a typical resolution, but this year it means even more. I gained a lot of weight since moving back to the United States. I want to blame the unhealthy food, the portion sizes and the lack of physical activity (I used to walk everywhere in Shanghai–now, I drive). But still, I can’t just blame America. I already downloaded MyFitnessPal and I have a plan set in motion. If this doesn’t work, I’ll join weight watchers. Either way, I need to take control of my weight, my health, and my life.
Learn Italian and Sign up for an Italian Class. I tried to learn French and my god, it just didn’t stick. Since most of my friends are Italian, I’ll take this as a divine sign from heaven and just learn what I love: Italian.
Learn Advanced CSS, HTML, and Javascript; as well as Photoshop, Illustrator and In-Design. I love drawing, coloring, and creating. I have always loved web design and I want to teach myself more so I can make creativity my source of income instead of just a hobby.
Publish an Article (or ten). While I did continue to write (as this blog so clearly showcases), I have yet to publish my work. I want 2015 to be that year.
Update this Blog Once a Week and Really Commit to The Ruby Ronin. I love this blog. It’s my baby. I love the people I meet through this blog, and I love writing. I didn’t start to really invest time in this thing until 2014, and I want to go even further in 2015. I know life gets in the way and sometimes I only update once a month–but that’s just ridiculous. I need to show this blog, and my readers, that I’m serious about this thing.
Become an Irish Citizen. I know, random. I’ll write a post about how to apply for Irish Citizenship later, but for the time being, I just want to make this happen in 2015.
Pay Off My Student Loans. After almost ten years of paying my stupid loans, this year will finally be the year where I write my final paycheck to the Federal Government.
Visit at Least One National Park. Here’s lookin at you, Yosemite.
Run a 5k. While this isn’t #1 priority, I’d really like to make it happen!

Realizations from 2014 to Push me Forward in 2015

I didn't just leave friends in Shanghai--I left a family. — I didn’t just leave friends in Shanghai–I left a family.

I will forever remember 2014 as the year of great change. I moved back to the United States from my wonderful life in Shanghai and experienced some of the worst reverse culture shock to ever grace an American. It was truly a painful and difficult experience. Even a year later, I cannot say with confidence that I have fully adjusted. read more

The Ruby Ronin

Connecting China, Japan, and the World

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