throwback thought ~ being skinny is the end all be all

I used to think that being skinny was the answer to happiness - if I was skinny that meant I would get a boyfriend, be popular, be more confident because I could fit into clothes and that it automatically guaranteed a better life.  Truth be told, being thinner now makes me feel a lot healthier, but I can say that some of the most memorable days of my life were ones where I wasn't skinny (not even close).

throwback thought ~ you need to have a good job to be successful

There was one point in my life where I felt like my career defined who I was and validated my status in society.  

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throwback thought - world travel

There was a time when I thought everyone traveled to international places on vacation....

My first time on an international flight took place before I can remember - pretty sure I was still an infant and by the time my first passport expired, I had more stamps from customs than I could count.  My parents are immigrants from the Philippines and majority of our extended family still lives in Manila, which meant that most holidays were spent abroad.  In 4th grade, and yes I remember this vividly, I recall having a conversation with a classmate on the playground about air travel.  She talked about having never been on a plane and I remember reacting immediately with, "You've never been to Japan?!!!"  Boy was I wrong.  My parents did a fabulous job of showing us the world and back then, I remember thinking that everyone was as fortunate as I was - that travel to Asia was as normal as a drive down to the store.