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 After a short break from the computer, I’m back with another controversial interview. Ken Goldberg has gone through many phases in his life from runaway to lawyer, and yes, Buddhist monk. With all the violence in his life, it’s amazing that he’s still here at age 58. Ken is proof that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself if you really want to.
Jennifer Barry: Thanks for agreeing to the interview. You’ve had an amazing life, starting at a very young age. I know that you spent a lot of time on the streets in Chicago.
Ken Goldberg: I started out in an affluent Jewish family, and I started running away when I was 13 from a physically abusive dad. I tried to poison my father when I was 10. I finally left home on a regular basis at the age of 15. I would come back home when I was too sick to cope with the streets anymore. At 17, I moved out for good.
I hung out mostly in the ghetto in those years because white, middle class families didn’t want a runaway hanging around. But black families said, “Don’t make any trouble or any noise, and you can go to sleep in that room over there.” Continue reading From Gunslinger to Monk
 Shannon above Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina This is the second part of my interview with Shannon O’Donnell, travel blogger. To read the first part, click here.
Jennifer Barry: So what are the differences between Chiang Mai and the south of Thailand?
Shannon O’Donnell: Chiang Mai is much quieter than Bangkok, even though Chiang Mai is the second biggest city. It’s much smaller. Everything is motorbike-able within about 20 minutes here. But the north has a somewhat different culture, with different food than you see in the south. The islands in the south have so much Western influence in them.
JB: Really?
SO: Oh yeah. I went to the Thai islands on my visa run last month and it was so expensive and so Western. Continue reading A Brand New Role, Part 2
 Boston - to move, or not to move? This is another post I’ve meant to do for a while. Raam did a post called 7 Pieces of Advice for My Younger Self back in July, and I found out that Abubakar and Farnoosh were organizing a whole series on this subject. Then I promptly forgot until Bryan at ElevationLife wrote his letter to his teenage self.
Even though I didn’t finish this soon enough to be in the ebook on this subject, I recommend you check it out. It’s free!
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Dear Jennifer,
First of all, break up gently with your boyfriend. I know he’s your first serious relationship, but he ends up costing you a lot of time and money, and the relationship goes nowhere. You make innumerable decisions on what to do and where to go because of him, many of which don’t make any sense in hindsight. Continue reading Advice to My 18 Year Old Self
 Image courtesy of http://www.blondeepisodes.com I think it’s sad that older people are frequently overlooked in American culture. After all, they have a long life full of experiences, and a lot of wisdom to share. I would like to give you a peek into the life of someone very close to me, Ruby. Due to privacy concerns, I’ve changed the names of the people involved, although the details are true.
1. Pursue Your Passions – Ruby was one of 6 children born into an Italian immigrant family in Boston, Massachusetts. Her parents barely spoke English and they were far from rich. That didn’t stop her from realizing her dream to be a dancer. As a young child, she took lessons to improve on her natural talent. She started performing at the young age of 6 as an acrobat, eventually moving up to be a chorus girl at a club run by Lou Walters, the father of Barbara Walters. Ruby later performed in the Ziegfeld Follies, as a showgirl in Las Vegas, and as a member of the world-famous Rockettes.
2. Don’t Quit – Being a performer is hard on your body. You are expected to give 100% and smile while doing it, even if you are in pain from injuries. Ruby frequently had to use her willpower to get through a hard night, and that reliability is what kept her steadily employed in a field she loved. Continue reading 8 Life Lessons from Ruby, Age 94
 If you read this blog regularly, you know I haven’t done much to “monetize” it. I don’t have a lot of ads or affiliate links because I only promote things that I believe in and have tried out for myself.
However, when I read that Wandering Earl was coming out with a guide to cruise ship jobs, I had to check it out. I knew he had years of experience on ships, so I was sure he had a lot of information to share. Earl was kind enough to send me a draft copy to read, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Earl (aka Derek Baron) teamed up with another cruise veteran, Liz Aceves, to write How to Work on a Cruise, a comprehensive guide to getting a job in this field. In 173 pages, they answer questions you didn’t know you had. They discuss every aspect of getting work on a ship, from choosing your job and picking the best cruise line for you, to designing a resume that will get attention and how to ace the interview. Earl and Liz even tell you how to pack for your first cruise ship contract! Continue reading Insider Secrets: Get a Job on a Cruise Ship
 Traveling used to be a lot more dangerous. While there have always been explorers, wanderers, and people who wanted to see what was over the next hill, this group used to be dominated by single men. After all, the world was dangerous, and travel was very slow and arduous. Your ship could sink, you could be felled by an exotic disease, or you could be fatally attacked by a wild animal at any time. Even if you survived, you would not see your loved ones for many years. Mail service was nonexistent in many locations, so contact was infrequent at best.
Fast forward to today, and technology has made exploring a whole lot easier. Now single women, couples and even families can jump on a plane and go. Tours and guidebooks are readily available to make your trip go smoother, with hotels and restaurants serving all but the most remote locations. Modern medical care can treat you if you are ill, and vaccines can even prevent diseases. Animals are rarely a danger outside rural areas. Contact is cheap and frequent with the internet, and you can post pictures of your travels to Facebook or your blog before you even return home! Continue reading Mobile Lifestyle
 Katie Stewart in a traditional mourning gown. When visiting my parents in Southport this summer, a hoop skirted young woman caught my eye. It turns out she is the lovely and talented Katie Stewart, owner of the Old South Tour Company. Katie started the business back in 2005 as a way to make some money through her love of theater and history. Katie researched over two centuries of local lore to come up with an entertaining and informative ghost tour.
I don’t want to spoil all the stories – after all, you should experience Katie’s telling of the ghost tales yourself. However, I will tell you a couple of my favorites from the tour. Continue reading Ghost Stories from Historic Southport, NC
I now have a guest post up at Jonny Gibaud’s lifestyle design blog, thelifething.com. He wrote “Discovering Hidden Gems” which I published a couple of weeks ago. Here is an excerpt from my post on Jonny’s website:
Maybe you’re sitting in your cubicle asking yourself, “Should I stay or should I go?” Here [...]
photo by Michael Shake
This a guest post from Jonny Gibaud at thelifething.com.
Being in India has brought to my attention the importance of actively taking an interest in discovering the “Hidden Gems” in life; whether this be great friends, great jobs, great restaurants, great bars, great real estate deals or great [...]
Matthew Ogilvie has a unique outlook on the world. He moved to the US in 2003 from his native country, Australia. Matthew was interested in the intersection of religion and terrorism, so he designed his own college curriculum on the subject. This summer, he returned to the Southern Hemisphere with his wife and [...]
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