"There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find how you yourself have altered."
— Nelson Mandela.
My name is Jennie. I love people, love life, fight for human rights, and currently live in Paris where I am studying International Law and Public Policy.
I want to be the change.
about.me/jenniearmstrong
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indiefolkrock: New Music Roundup!
Few things in life are as satisfying as finding new, fantastic music. I’ve recently discovered 3 cant-get-enough-of bands and I wanted to share them with my fellow indie rock music connoisseurs:
Bowerbirds - In the yard
Local Natives - Airplanes
Devotchka - All the sand in all the sea
Cheers to new music, and let me know what you think!
J
"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."
— H. Keller
It’s not about what you look at, it’s about what you see.
Life is a little crazy right now. Full-time grad student, full-time worker, full-time explorer of Paris, plus a lot of extra-curricular’s squeezed in between and a bucket list that stretches on for infinity. Despite the madness, I have never forgotten a promise I made to myself when I first moved to Paris: Find the beauty in everything.
With the never-ending craziness of life, I have come to realize that it’s the moments in between the chaos where I become absorbed by the beauty that surrounds me. Whether it’s the design that the cracks in the cement make below me or the always amazing beauty of Eiffel at sunset, I constantly remind myself to always find the beauty. And though in moments it seems really hard to do, I have learned something invaluable: It’s not about what you are looking at, it’s about what you see.
No matter how busy things are, or what curveballs life throws us, we have the power to decide how we see everything. And although I have always been the eternal optimist, it never hurts to remind myself that I can always choose whether I’m going to see the good or the bad, the beautiful or the ugly, in the things that surround me. Because it is all those moments in between the roles we play that life really happens.
Never forget to go out, get into some trouble, do something reckless, or be totally lazy and just soak up the day. And never forget to find the beauty in everything around you. :)
And to simplify and find the balance :)
(Source: tatteredcorners)
Why I love Valentines Day
I absolutely love Valentine’s day, and I’m going to stand my ground against everyone out there who view this day as a corporate construct or treat it as a day to be angry because they haven’t found the ever-elusive “one.”
I don’t care if this holiday was created by corporations trying to make an extra buck. So what? Is it so bad that someone wanted to make a day dedicated to love? And also, anyone who’s seen a newspaper headline or turned on CNN can see that the economy isn’t in the best shape, so an extra holiday where people pack restaurants and buy gifts is only going to do a world of good. Besides, has a heart shaped box of chocolates ever hurt anyone? I think not.
And to address the angry girls who want to dress in black and act like this one day is the end of the world. This is a day about LOVE. So what if you’re 22 and haven’t found your soulmate? Look around at your friends and your family, and take this day to show them just how much you love them. Instead of mourning over a boyfriend you don’t have, smile because of all the people you do have.
But most importantly, find love and happiness within yourself. I think it’s time that girls stop being sad and start looking at the positives. Treat yourself to a great lunch and a yummy glass of wine, and sit back and think about all the reasons why you should be happy. If you can’t approach this day with a relaxed smile and you attach your happiness to something you don’t have, you probably aren’t ready for a boyfriend. Love yourself, find happiness in yourself, love those around you, and I promise, the rest will fall in place.
Happy Valentine’s Day, y’all :)
Life is short.
Life is so short.
Why do we always seem to conveniently numb ourselves to that? Why do we waste so much time breaking hearts and playing games when what we should be doing is grabbing everyone around us and telling them how much we love them? Why do we sit at jobs we hate and not chase the things we love? Why can’t we just attribute ‘happiness’ as the meaning of life and spend our days doing everything that makes us happy and brings happiness to others? Why do we let baggage from the past stop us from enjoying the future? We’ve all had our hearts broken, we’ve all lost someone, can’t we just stop holding back and learn to let others in? Isn’t the risk of pain worth the happiness that could result?
I know these things are easier said then done, but it’s possible. People usually think that the happy ones are the ones who had it easy in life, and I can tell you that that’s the farthest thing from the truth. The happy people are the ones who wake up everyday and decide to be happy, because honestly, life is to short to be anything else. I know it’s not possible to be happy all day, everyday, but we can find something to smile about in each day given to us, and I won’t let myself forget that :)
Tags | inspiration | life |
"If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never get it.If you don’t ask, the answer will always be no.If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place."
Tags | quotes | inspiration |
Five Things To Be and Do in 2012
2011 was a roller-coaster of change in the world and my own life had some pretty big landmarks as well. I graduated college, finally let go of a bad relationship, traveled to Africa and The Middle East and moved to Paris to begin grad school. 2011’s been a little busy.
Staying true to my Type-A personality, I didn’t just come up with some vague resolutions for myself, because let’s be honest, most of that is BS anyway. Instead, I created a 5-point action plan and decided to focus on the aspects of my life I want to work on. I’ve learned a lot, especially the latter four months of 2011 that I spent in Paris. After some soul searching, here’s a summary of what I came up with:
- Become a stronger communicator - While communications is something I’ve both studied and practiced, I find that this is an area of constant improvement and hope to really strengthen my skills over the next year.
- Be more patient - Grad school has been an excellent test to see how I react to increasing amounts of stress, and I found that getting frustrated at children screaming in Starbucks when I’m studying is something I just need to let go. It’s time for more woosah.
- Eat more amazing food - Okay, this didn’t really require soul searching. But I miss those meals you linger on for hours and cooking every night. Grad school turned me into a mindless eater of peanut butter and jelly and that just doesn’t suit someone like me who is absolutely obsessed with food.
- Work really hard - 2012 is the year I finish my master’s and finally enter the real world. I feel like I’m on fire, literaly vibrating with excitement about getting a job and starting the next chapter in my life. One thing I keep promising to myself is that I’ll never lose my motivation to work really hard and stay forever optimistic that it will pay off, no matter how much everyone around me tells me I’ll be jaded before I can say “career.”
- Explore more passions - I used to have this silly notion that I probably had too many passions, and thought I should hone in on just a few (like human rights, reading, traveling, etc.) However, I now want to do the complete opposite - I am completely infatuated with so many random things and I’m giving myself free reign to go from a dilettante to a pro in my other interests.
Bonne Annee, y’all and cheers from Morocco!
J
