I have posted about this book before (Read Here) and now that I am on vacation I plan on reading it.

Travelers, down time should also be productive time toward your journey. Think of it as a tune up. The whole essence of this book is that we are ever learning and growing and though we will make mistakes along our journey it is time to make new mistakes.

What books are you reading to help you along your journey?

Happy Travels

Hello Travelers! I'm back and ready to hit the road. I had a great birthday weekend and I think I did alright with finals. My roommate graduated and took her Internet with her so I will be library bound until the new quarter starts. Still I am keeping in mind the upgrades and thanking you for all your support!

Happy Travels!

My bestfriend says that her year doesn't start on January 1st but on her birthday. From there she works to build a better her for that year. Today I too shall start "My Year" this way and one notable change will be this blog right here. So here are some of the upgrades I would like to make this year on my blog:

• A new Photo section titled Billboards
• A Personal Branding Series
• More comprehensive posts about my journey
  
• Share more relevant articles
• Do a lot (A LOT) better with this Freeway theme
• Post at least 2ce a week
• More Road Map Interviews
  

Let's see how this goes....I must get better with consistency! But for now...Birthday!!!!

Happy (New Year/Birthday) Travels!

**PS: When I get back this will be a great time to do a Mile Marker post of last year..

"One Step Forward, Just Glance Back. No Fear, Just DIVA!"
(source)

**Originally Written 1/10/09**

While cooking Christmas dinner with a friend she and I were discussing our jobs and how although we are grateful to have them we are unfulfilled in them. But these are the jobs we have, and our source to pay tuition and provide the minimum of our basic needs.

So what’s a student during the middle of a recession to do? Keep looking, Keep volunteering, and talking to people. Treat the job you have now as if it were the best job in the world. Now you have the time and the luxury to be selective about your next position.

My personal delima at my current position is that I am bored. But it’s not up to my store manager to entertain me, so what are my options? Here’s what I came up with:

• Use the clothes in the store to test myself in Textile Science
• I’m not the top seller so work harder to meet my sales goals
• Product knowledge

This is my second time working for this company. I chose to go back because I had a really great experience while an undergrad and left with corporate aspirations. The company has expanded greatly and is a perfect example of successful brand extensions. I’m afraid that leaving the company twice will hurt any chances of a corporate offer.

Weeks ago my career advisor asked for a coverletter for this company and due to a lack of prioritizing, I never turned it in. Nonetheless I am working on it now and have plans to turn it in the first week of school. But the fact that I have put it off so much makes me wonder if my heart is really in it? When I think about everything that I have done and am willing to do for my internship how I break my back to show my supervisor that I really want and appreciate my position, putting off this coverletter makes me think.

A friend and smart business person once stated that being a good sales person transcends industries and this is so true. So I will work on my sales skills, write this letter, and let all else fall into place.

**3/15/09**

As of today I have gone 3 consecutive weeks without a schedule and have decided to put in my Two Weeks Notice. I have been fighting with this because of fear mostly. But in closing this door I am hoping it will open another. I will keep you posted...

Happy Travels

I finally found some fashion shows going on in LA! Starting tonight Boxeight will sponsor/host Fall/Winter 2009 LA Fashion Week which will only be from Friday March 13 - Sunday March 15th 2009.

Tickets are still available for $125 for access to the shows for all three days. $125 for all three days!!!! You can buy the tickets online and for some of the shows you can even pay in person. Call first to verify.

Tonight I will be attending the GenArt event to kick off the week(end). I signed up to volunteer to work behind the scenes but didn't have the time to make the interviews. My editor for my internship asked me if I wanted to take his place at the event and you know I jumped on it!! So tonight I am going to tutor my kids then off to the event. I want to make sure I get there by 7:30, but I have to make money too.

photo courtesy of wwd- raquel allegra

I will be back with a full report this weekend!

Happy Travels!!

I want to take the time to thank Luckie Daniels who has been so supportive of my Freeway. After reading my FIDM Fund post she wrote a post of her own titled No Laughing Matter that brings light to more than just my financial situation, but that of women across the country.

This economy is taking a toll on millions of us in a very personal way and has caused us to take some very drastic steps to make ends meet, or in my case make a tuition payment.

In her post Luckie questions the cost of a dream; such a valid question none of us can answer.

I was sharing with her that my situation at FIDM is not uncommon. There are so many students who are paying their own way through school with little to no loans. I know so many of my former classmates who have had to sit out a quarter with "hopes" of returning. Financially there just is no guarantee.

I remember during my Undergrad years at Otterbein College and when a student would say they were going to take some time off to try to "get their money situation together," we expected them not to return. And most of them did not. I'm sure I'm not the only one who knows students like this.

But this situation is not just limited to students. How many businesses, inventions, etc. have been put on hold because of our current financial states? How many of us have waited until the bottom dropped to bring light to our situation (myself included)?

I don't have an answer for this. If I did the FIDM Fund would not be necessary. But I can say don't let your dream have a price! Refuse to allow this ($) to stop you from being something great! Take a leap of faith, start on your Freeway no matter where your road may lead and believe that you have the Roadside Assistance to make it to your Point B!

That is what this blog is about, being fearless on your Freeway, no matter the destination. But as I grow and learn, I want my fellow Travelers to do so as well. So here are two resources that I am hoping will help just a little:

Wells Fargo, Hands on Banking Program - this program takes about an hour or so to complete and has 4 sections: Kids (for parents to do with their children), Young Adults, Adults, and Teens

Campus Progress, Debt Hits Hard Campaign- the Debt Hits Hard campaign was created to bring awareness to the rise in debt amongst young people and bring these issues to Congress as well as local government representatives. Click the link to read more about it, and watch the video below for entertaining, yet home hitting facts. (I am the girl in the apron!).




Happy, and Fiscally responsible, Travels!!

"One Step Forward, Just Glance Back. No Fear Just DIVA!" (source)

Lately I have been feeling like I have been neglecting my blog. I get writers block every time I go to post. I will have an idea and have no idea how to post it. Worried that I will not be consistent with my message, and that what I am trying to get across will remain unclear. What I once called my "baby" is turning into my burden.

At what point did I make my own blogging experience difficult? This is my space to grow and perfect my craft, and reach others on their Fashion Freeway; so, how did I complicate these things?

Since coming to LA and FIDM I learn new things about myself everyday. For example; free reign. I just don't do well without boundaries; clear cut boundaries. Within those boundaries I can add my own creativity, but free reign...not one bit.

In writing: choose your topic
In class: choose your own fabric and create! (more like identify)

My blog gives me free reign. Hmmmmm...I really appreciate the lessons about myself I have learned here in LA because now I can correct them. I can push past it and make myself that much better.

What part of your life have you been neglecting? Is it due to fear, lack of time, or some other unmentioned paralyzer?

I say look it straight in the "eye" and have "No Fear, Just DIVA"

Happy Travels!

This is probably the hardest post I have ever had to write, but putting pride aside Travelers I need help.

My journey has been so much fun and I am fortunate to be on it. From my internships to my classes and new networking connections. I couldn’t ask for more; except to be cleared for Spring Quarter 2009.

As it currently stands I still owe FIDM $1,035.92 just to register. My mother and I are pulling what we can together and I am tutoring extra hours just to pull some things through by March 15th. My date to register was March 4, 2009.

I am sure there are some out there that might find this a bit tacky, but I want this degree and financially I am running out of options. So I have started a FIDM Fund. This by no means mean that I will stop working as hard, if not harder, as I have been to stay in my program

For those of you who are new to my site and want see what exactly I am all about here is a brief summary:

I am currently a Merchandise Product Development major at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. I am in the Professional Designation program and will be entering quarter 3 out of 4.

My current GPA stands at 3.68.

To pay my tuition I tutor elementary school students in English. I also am a sales associate at a retail store that has cut my hours due to low sales.

For more information please read the About and Resume Rundown sections of this blog.

On the right hand side of this blog is a “Donate” button where donations can be made at the amount of one’s choosing. That amount will go to a PayPal account that I will use to go directly to FIDM Financial Services. For those of you who would like to make a donation but do not feel comfortable with online services you may go to FIDM Financial services directly by US Postal mail:


I want to thank everyone who has been so supportive of me, my blog, and overall journey. I promise to keep an ongoing FIDM Fund update until I am able to register, which I believe I will be able to do!

Happy Travels and Thank you!

"One Step Forward, Just Glance Back. No Fear, Just DIVA!"
photo curtosey of ANTM - feeling fabulously broke!