Tag: lifestyle

Life, Travel

Why I Kidnapped My Friends

by Jasmine D. LoweLeave a Comment on Why I Kidnapped My Friends

I grew up in a predominantly white, rural town. Some people identified as Latino or Hispanic, but in every single class that I was in, whether it be dance, school, gymnastics, or karate, I was always the darkest one. There would be another Black person occasionally, and it wouldn’t be until I was able to explore more around town that I finally saw the rest of the community. The ones with darker skin like mine were, quite literally, segregated on the other side of town. None of the people I hung out with even knew about it. My classmates would even freak out when we got another Black boy in class.

Continue reading “Why I Kidnapped My Friends” →
Life

An Essay For Your Thoughts

by Jasmine D. Lowe1 Comment on An Essay For Your Thoughts

Writing and blogging.I didn’t have access to a pen and paper. No ink blots were to be left as stains on my hands and parchment. There were no sticky notes around, no computers or phones to type with, and no notepads to doodle in. It was then that I knew that I wouldn’t be able to think.

At times, the only way I can dissect and delineate my thoughts is to write them down. I’ll have vague ideas in my head, stories sitting on the edge of my tongue, but no way of describing what’s bouncing around inside my head through word of mouth. Continue reading “An Essay For Your Thoughts” →

Life

Traveling Back to My Hometown

by Jasmine D. LoweLeave a Comment on Traveling Back to My Hometown

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by: Petr Kratochvil

As Published in Miss Millennia Magazine

The strangest feeling are the rush of memories that wash over you when you step foot on the old soil of your hometown. It isn’t the intricate arrangement of buildings, city lights or sounds that draw you into that pool of mind-refreshing energy, but the people you cared about when you lived there in your hometown and the many adventures you had that will tie you all forever with that familiar place.

Where we love is home – home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts. -Oliver Wendell Holmes

The warm state of mind that is created from the vivid flashbacks of my small town is definitely one of those experiences that beat any new destination. It’s very similar to the moment you find yourself missing the comforts of home while traveling abroad in another city. Just imagining yourself slipping into one’s familiar cozy sheets in their own bed is enough to draw any adventurous traveler back to the place in which they originated in. Continue reading “Traveling Back to My Hometown” →

Life

Quick Tips On Traveling Abroad

by Jasmine D. LoweLeave a Comment on Quick Tips On Traveling Abroad

As Published in Miss Millennia Magazine

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by: muha acquired from Flickr

Taking the time to clear your schedule and pack your bags for relaxation isn’t the only thing you have to worry about when planning a trip abroad. Thinking ahead is the difference between what could make or break a trip, but don’t panic. We’ve listed a few tips below for you to follow before you jump in the car or hop on that airplane and begin traveling around the world.

Make a List

Having that feeling that you forgot something as your plane is taking off for a destination overseas is probably one of the most nerve-racking feelings. Without a written or mental list, how will you know what you stuffed into your suitcase is what you really need or, even worse, if it is excluding anything? Making a list and then double checking it right before you begin traveling abroad will take the stress out of wondering if you forgot something, and it keeps you organized in the process. Continue reading “Quick Tips On Traveling Abroad” →

Life

The Top Five Staycation Ideas

by Jasmine D. LoweLeave a Comment on The Top Five Staycation Ideas

Looking for interesting ways to vacation without breaking the bank? Try these five staycation ideas to keep the summer fun going.

1. Go on a geocaching adventure.

GeocachingGeocaching was first coined by Matt Stum on the “GPS Stash Hunt” back in 2000. It is an outdoor treasure hunting game that uses GPS-enabled devices. Those willing to partake get to navigate a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (a container) hidden at that location. Geocaches can be found all over the world, so there are bound to be some hidden around your own town.

Just remember, if you take something from the geocache (or “cache”), the rule is that you leave something of equal or greater value in the same spot and then write about your find in the cache logbook by going to Geocaching.com. To learn more about Geocaching, visit the website.

2. Create a makeshift water park.

Forget heading down to an actual water park and spend way too much money on tickets and overpriced food and try turning your backyard into the ultimate summer paradise……Read More

Life, Nature & the Outdoors, Vegetarian / Vegan

The Environmental Benefits of Vegetarianism

by Jasmine D. LoweLeave a Comment on The Environmental Benefits of Vegetarianism

As Published in Miss Millennia Magazine.

Are you thinking about becoming a vegetarian but not sure what some of the benefits are of making the lifestyle transition? One factor actually involves the environment. Check out the info-graphic below for ways in which vegetarianism could help save the environment.

The Environmental Benifits of Vegetarianism

Sources: http://www.wfp.org/hunger; www.smallplanet.org; http://www.vegsoc.org/environment/why%20its%20green%20final%20small.pdf; Vegetarian Society of the UK; Vegetarian Society of the US

For more meal ideas, and veggie tips, check out my book, “The Beginners Guide to Becoming a Vegetarian,” on Amazon.

Life, Stories

College: Take It with You When You Go

by Jasmine D. Lowe4 Comments on College: Take It with You When You Go

15325_wpm_hiresAs published by Miss Millennia Magazine.

It’s that time of the year when thoughts of self-reflection and planning for the hot days of summer come rushing like cool fresh water of a rapid river in to your mind. Your anticipation for the future is overwhelming and the possibility of new adventures feel just like the subtle changes of the coming season within the air. This time is also an important one for graduating seniors at the high school and college level. You think back at all the hours you have sat at wooden desks and metal tables and you wonder how it will all play a part in the time yet to come. As the realization of reality hits, you wonder about your career, and dare I say, you wonder if you will be successful. Continue reading “College: Take It with You When You Go” →

Life

The Religious Left

by Jasmine D. Lowe1 Comment on The Religious Left

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As published in Miss Millennia Magazine.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton eloquently delivered her passionate opinion endorsing gay marriage on Monday. Republican Senator, Rob Portman of Ohio, recently reversed his opposition to gay marriage, and the President has mentioned he supported gay marriage even recently mentioning in an ABC News interview that he couldn’t imagine a constitutional defense for states to ban such unions. According to a poll released on Monday conducted by CNN/ORC which surveyed 1,021 Americans, 53 percent of the country believed same-sex marriage should be recognized as valid compared to 44 percent of the population who say it should not. The study revealed that women, Democrats, those under 35 and non-churchgoers were the most likely to support the legalization of same-sex marriage. So why is it, in a country currently dominated by an overly saturated religious and misogynistic political appearance, a poll representing a more tolerant society toward same-sex marriage exist today? Continue reading “The Religious Left” →

Life, Vegetarian / Vegan

The Arsenic in Our Poultry

by Jasmine D. LoweLeave a Comment on The Arsenic in Our Poultry

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As Published in Miss Millennia Magazine.

Brominated vegetable oil, Azodicarbonamide, BHA, BHT, rBGH, rBST, brominanted flour, food dyes, the fat substitute Olestra, potassium bromate, and arsenic—this list of harmful toxins are part of a list of more than 150 individual ingredients that have once been used in food and are now banned in 100 different countries, but for some reason they are still being used in the foods here in America. Continue reading “The Arsenic in Our Poultry” →