- Wander Girls Aliya & Carolina
From the time we are little girls, we're bombarded with this idea of "soulmates". Not everyone is lucky enough to find that person. Distance, fights, relationships, break-ups, moving to the other side of the country, deaths, tears, and laughs. She's that one person who you call when you're having an emotional breakdown, that one person who is always at the top of the list when you have good news to share, that one person who you can talk to for hours on end about nothing important and your deepest fears and goals all in one sitting. Turns out, your soulmate is your best friend.
- Wander Girls Aliya & Carolina
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I've been fighting this battle against myself for the past 10 years. Self-inflicted wound after self-inflicted wound, I never even gave myself a chance to come up for air. I was internally exhausted... When I finally made it out of this self-destructive cycle and I looked at myself in the mirror, I realized the dark forms I was fighting were figments of my imagination. My biggest enemy was staring right back at me. I feel like it's time I address something... The hijab is a covering, a piece of cloth a Muslim woman chooses to wear on her head to embrace modesty and her beliefs. Hijab is such a huge part of me, my identity, who I am. It always will be. But I realize now that I wasted so much energy wrongfully blaming the hijab for so much in my life. People didn't like me because of my hijab. I didn't get invited or included because of my hijab. Someone looked at me funny because of my hijab. I was an outsider because of my hijab. I let it become a weight on my shoulders I felt compelled to carry around with me to every corner of the world I went. I think I actually became a less likable person because I felt like I was being irreversibly perceived in a way that I had no control of. I still remember the first time I put it on. I was twelve years old and in the environment I was surrounded by, it was only natural that I start wearing it. I didn't look back until a few months ago at the age of 21. There were times before then that I seriously contemplated taking it off. But up until recently it was never a real option for where I was in my life. I do want to clarify some things though... Nothing irks me more than people who denounce the true meaning of the hijab. I do not intend to ever be one of those people. I admire, respect, and wish to be again one of the many strong and intelligent women who wear the hijab with pride. It's a symbol of strength and of our identity as Muslims. It is not a symbol of oppression or sexism. I believe in its concept. I am not blaming the hijab for anything anymore and I never will again. For me, I didn't wear the hijab for the right reasons. I did it to please people around me without ever really having the faith and conviction in God that gives you that inner strength to keep wearing it. Sometimes I worry that I took it off to please other people as well. But at the end of the day, I know I did it for myself. And when I put the hijab back on someday, I will again do it for myself. I'm still learning to let go of everyone's judgments of me. I'm not going to lie, I've judged others before. How can I be so hypocritical to expect anyone to not judge me? But to the people who think its okay to talk about me in a negative way, no one leaves this world in any condition but by themselves. My religious choices are between myself and God. This is my journey and I don't really think that I have to explain myself to anyone. That's not why I'm writing this... I'm writing this for every human being that is so wrapped up in everyone else's view of them. Let go, live your life for yourself. Let yourself breathe. Let yourself heal. The people who truly matter won't care how you live your life. When all is said and done, they will support you and love you no matter what. Perhaps that is the most profound lesson I've learned from this experience. There will always be people who will not understand, who will fail to see your point of view. Whether I kept the hijab on or took it off, I know I would have received judgments and negative criticism. But how I choose to live my life is my prerogative. I can no longer hide behind my hijab and place blame on a piece of cloth. I'm learning to accept responsibility for what happens in my life instead of making excuses. I am not ashamed of who I am, who I was, or the decisions I've made. It took a lot of courage to take the hijab off and I know someday it will take even more courage to put it back on. I'm still the same person with the same problems, insecurities, and inner turmoil. I think the important difference now is I've learned to take control and be proactive with my life. That's not to say I am not still terrified half the time of what friends, family, and even strangers think of me. But I know now that I am making decisions about my life for myself and not for anyone else. Till Next Time -Wander Girl Aliya There are an infinite amount of reasons we smile. It may be a good afternoon spent with family, a birthday celebrated amongst friends, a cup of tea, reading a delicious novel, watching a fabulous film, taking a stroll in the garden, talking to your pet pig... Anything and everything. However something that hasn't been touched on before here on fieldswewander ... Loving yourself. Easier said than done, true. How often do we find ourselves becoming frustrated and overwhelmed because we feel we aren't perfect or even just enough because of the standards we see in society day to day? All too often. Recently, I've begun doing things every single day that make me happy. Even though I am busy all day long, I make the time to do yoga, read a book, watch some Gilmore Girls or Gossip Girl (who's with me?), eat the snacks that make my mouth water, talk to someone I love, write in my journal or anything else that allows me to unwind. Little gestures you do for yourself to feel special and content are important. You are all that you need to be. You were created to live every day with the soul you possess, the mind you use to think all of your own thoughts and the body that makes it possible for you to do as you please. You are incredible in every way and deserve to treat yourself with that mentality in mind!
Nourish your soul: take time to breathe and feel whatever emotions come across, if you are unhappy then you alone can find it within yourself to change that because you are strong. Nourish your mind: listen to your favorite song or make your own music, light a candle, take a bath and make a list of all the ways you are proud to be who you are, have one of those much-needed conversations about life with someone who inspires or motivates you, go to a museum or learn more about a subject that fascinates you. Nourish your body: remember that you only get one body so feed yourself well, do not shy away from trying new foods. If you want to cook but don't know how then you can always learn. Take yourself out to dinner (it gets easier after you do it the first time, promise!). Dress yourself comfortably and wear your clothes with confidence! If you prefer a touch of makeup or a curl in your hair, pamper yourself and do it because you feel good when you do. Regardless, you are beautiful. We only have one lifetime to search for ourselves and love ourselves as best as possible. Wander Girl, Carolina Trying to Make it HomeI asked you to let me go, Instead you cast me out to sea. Even after I told you I didn't know how to swim, You didn't make a move, even as I struggled to breathe. It isn't your ghost that haunts me, It's you in the flesh. How I long for the memories to drown out your voice, You're not listening, you don't give me a choice. I asked you to let me go. Please listen, leave me alone. You'd pulled me on the path. Now I want to go home. Days of the PastLaying awake at night, You are out of sight. Even though you're not out of mind yet, I won't allow it to take any of the strength I have left. Can't help feeling tired from all the time wasted on you, Now I'm getting strong, feeling better from the trouble you put me through. I dreamt of you the other day and now it's faded away, You're not my sun, I'm not your moon and that's okay. There were days we hoped, days we loved, We weren't right, not worth fighting for. Tomorrow is full of more hope than you could've ever given me, It took parting ways to realize who I could be. "We know what we are, but know not what we may be." - Shakespeare Letting go is everything,
-Wander Girl Carolina Life can fly by without giving us an opportunity to truly embrace all it has to offer. It was something I had heard all too often but until stepping outside, riding my bike for a while and spending the afternoon watching the sunset last week, it had been ages since I had made any effort to breathe in fresh air. Between school and personal relationships, I know I don’t spend as much time reveling in the beauty I am fond of losing myself in. All of the trees and flowers that make my backyard an incredible place allowed me to adopt a serene mindset I had been lacking for a while. Taking just an afternoon to open my eyes and soak in what makes me happiest did me more good than I can express. I hope everyone has the ability to take a little while to do something that makes them happy; whether it is going for a jog, taking a bubble bath, listening to your favorite band, sitting down for a cup of tea with a friend or watching a movie with your mom, do it before you find yourself too busy to make yourself happy. There is a place, a mindset where we are all happiest and we owe it to ourselves to be there as often as possible. It isn’t easy to let go of negativity, to focus on what we need instead of what we want but it is worth it to get through those feelings to choose positivity and feel happiness.
Don't forget to take the time to do what makes your inner light shine brightest and keeps your soul inspired!
Till next time, -The Wander Girls After spending a whirlwind day soaking in the Grand Canyon as much as possible, we headed to Sedona, AZ. Our drive there was spent during the nighttime and took about 3 hours. We were pretty exhausted after arriving to Sedona and searched for any restaurants that were still opened even though it was only 8:30. Sedona is a quirky town and definitely caters towards tourists. Since we were there during an off season, wintertime, nearly every store was closed by 9. We ended up eating at a quaint, family operated Indian restaurant. The owners graciously stayed open past their closing time for us (for those interested, here's the info to the restaurant: http://www.indiapalacesedona.com). I definitely recommend this place! The food was comforting and warming, just what we needed after a long and exhausting trip. The next day we woke up and were greeted by gorgeous, red mountains everywhere our eyes could gaze. Sedona is known for its vortexes. Vortexes are swirling energy masses that are thought to bring about positive energy and vibes. Sedona has four main energy vortexes and everyone we talked to seemed to really believe in their effects. I was skeptical. But we set out for the hiking trails to see these vortexes for ourselves! The first hike we embarked on was a trail that led to the Boynton Canyon Vortex (pictured above). The hike itself was beautiful and full of majestic scenes. When we reached the Boynton Canyon vortex we took in the incredible views of vast red rocks and valleys. Around the vortex area was a man passing out hearts made out of carved red rocks. He explained that he passed out these hearts to promote a message of love and peace. He climbed to the top of the vortex and sat playing beautiful songs with his flute until the sun began to set. We just sat listening to his songs and slowly more and more people began to gather around him. It was a truly unique and Sedona-like experience. Our second full day in Sedona we decided to venture a little outside the town and pay a visit to the Montezuma Castle. The castle is a preserved cliff dwelling built by the Sinagua people who are thought to be ancestors to several Hopi clans. Fun fact: we learned that the monument's name is historically inaccurate. It turns out Montezuma was a famous Aztec emperor and he had nothing to do with these cliff dwellings! The monument itself is far away and can't really be seen from the inside. However, to just stand and observe this construction of ancient human invention was fascinating. Surrounding the monument were these massive Sycamore trees whose trunks looked as if someone painted them on. I couldn't resist snapping a few pics, shown below. That concluded our trip in Sedona. I must say, Sedona is a truly magical place. By the end of our stay I felt a peace and serenity I didn't feel in any other place we had visited. Maybe there is something to the energy of the vortexes after all! All I know is if I had to pick my favorite place from this entire vacation it would have to be Sedona. The next day we woke up early to start driving towards Zion National Park in Utah. On our way, however, we decided to stop off at Antelope Canyon in Page, AZ. This stop was well worth the detour. Antelope Canyon is other-worldly and unlike anything I've ever seen. We visited lower Antelope Canyon, which according to several people seemed to be a better option than the upper Antelope Canyon. I also highly recommend stopping by Horseshoe Bend before or after visiting Antelope Canyon. We didn't get the chance, but it is a very iconic and beautiful meander of the Colorado River and just a 10-20 min drive from lower Antelope Canyon. Next stop is Zion National Park in Utah!
Stay tuned & never stop exploring, -Wander Girl Aliya As 2015 came to an end, I found myself surrounded by mountains and peace: the best way to end the year and welcome a new one. My family and I decided to do a three state road trip from Nevada to Arizona to Utah. We didn't stay in one place for more than two days and by the end of the road trip we had full hearts, sparkling eyes, and peace of mind. I highly recommend losing yourself in mountains and nature whenever you get the chance. It's an experience unlike any other. This post is all about our first stop: the Grand Canyon in Northern Arizona! We started in Las Vegas, Nevada and drove to Tusayan (a little town just outside of the south rim of GC). It was a projected drive of about 4 hours but we had to make a stop at Hoover Dam, of course. After snapping a few pics, we were off! Unfortunately, we didn't get to catch the sunset over the GC before arriving to our hotel but nonetheless there were several spectacular views along the highway and we began to spot snow as we reached higher elevations! (very exciting for a Texas girl like myself) After arriving at our hotel, tired from being in the car for the majority of the day, we crashed! We decided to wake up at the crack of dawn to catch the sun rising above the Grand Canyon. In reality, we were out a little after the sun rose but we still managed to get in some breathtaking views. We had less than 24 hours at GC so we made the most of our quick visit by taking a hike along the South Kaibab Trail. This was my first hiking experience and the trail was steep and icy, not a good combination for someone with a slight fear of heights! But I kept going down the trail and eventually managed to overcome my inhibitions. The air was pure and the views were unbelievably vast. It was a surreal feeling to stand in a small piece of this vast canyon and see it stretch out as far as the eye can see. We ended the day watching the sun set over the canyon. Our next stop: Sedona!
Stay tuned! -Wander Girl Aliya Life is full of change. Fortunately, studying abroad in 2014 allowed me to change in ways I’d only imagined. The journey in Australia was incredible in every aspect. I had many firsts such as traveling alone, leaving home for the first time, and making friends from different places. People can change your life for the better or worse. Little did I know that the people I met, people that would come to be as familiar as my own family, would make me feel confident in my own skin and proud of who I am for the first time in my life. Thanks to them, I am now able to say that I make my happiness a priority. Without the group of friends known as Hutton Family after the house we called home during our time in Rockhampton’s CQU, I wouldn’t be who I am today. Although we kept in touch for fourteen months, it wasn’t the same as going to every meal together, going on vacation and experiencing Australia as a group. A couple of us from our study abroad family were able to reunite for a few days in Houston upon which my heart was full again. Tears were shed when we banded together and they were shed again when we had to part ways. After our first reunion during which we were able to celebrate the New Year together, we all know it is possible to reunite and nothing will change between us. Memories such as these do not fade and for that, I am glad. -Wander Girl Carolina To the nights that turned into mornings with friends who turned into family.
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We're two best friends with a passion for living life to the fullest! Follow us along on our adventures as we grow and learn with all of you on this exciting new journey. To contact us please shoot us an email at fieldswewander@gmail.com Archives
January 2018
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