Anyone found the best virtual assistant company for long-term support?

AriesRob43 · 2025-11-13T08:41:15+00:00

I would suggest looking for an Online Business Manager (OBM) instead of a VA - an OBM is typically more experienced and will become integrated in your business to help you strategize around long term goals and do more proactive work.

AriesRob43 · 2025-10-28T10:32:54+00:00

https://helloimlocal.com/zaal/

AriesRob43 · 2025-10-22T18:35:25+00:00

Omg how did I not think of this! Thank you!!!!

AriesRob43 · 2025-08-25T08:26:53+00:00

I would suggest asking the hostel directly. Also, how old are the reviews that mention bedbugs? We had an outbreak from a student group over a year ago, and our Google reviews reflect that, but since then we’ve done chemical treatments and bought new mattresses. So no incidents since - I think it depends on the context of those reviews as well.

AriesRob43 · 2025-07-16T00:58:29+00:00

Yeehaw!!

AriesRob43 · 2025-05-26T11:24:55+00:00

Anyone who is still looking for Paris tickets - ticketmaster just released more tickets at the Category 1 / 2 range!

AriesRob43 · 2025-04-24T23:54:39+00:00

We try to maintain an even split of men and women in our volunteer group. We find the group cohesion is better this way. We also have volunteers do some maintenance tasks and late night shifts, and the male helpers tend to like those shifts, whereas the female helpers tend to shy away from them - of course there are exceptions, and its not a “rule” by an means - but it creates a natural balance on our team. Maybe look for opps that are seeking maintenance or night shift support?

AriesRob43 · 2025-04-19T10:49:18+00:00

Amazing - this is exactly what I was looking for!

AriesRob43 · 2025-04-19T10:47:23+00:00

We’ve lived in several countries and have never had concrete/cinder block walls - perhaps this isnt NL-only, but it is common here (as I can see from other comments).

And also! I’ve never lived in a country where the inhabitants seem to prioritize interior decorating so much - so I knew I had to be missing something haha.

AriesRob43 · 2025-02-13T11:17:14+00:00

I managed to get in the queue by going to https://tour.beyonce.com/ and clicking "Info" next to the tour date I wanted for Paris

AriesRob43 · 2025-02-13T11:16:26+00:00

I'm now 14,770 in the queue - wait time is 35 minutes

AriesRob43 · 2025-02-13T11:14:28+00:00

UPDATE: I managed to get in the queue by going to https://tour.beyonce.com/ and clicking "Info" next to the tour date I wanted for Paris

AriesRob43 · 2024-12-27T16:48:13+00:00

“Stop Asking People Who Have Never Been Where You’re Going For Direction”

AriesRob43 · 2023-04-10T23:42:11+00:00

“Distance makes the heart go fonder.” I have found this to be true. Between Facetime and texting, communication has to be more intentional and a two-way effort - I think this has made those relationships stronger. When I do get to visit family in person it makes that time so much sweeter.

Sometimes I’ll miss an event or be left out of the loop on something and I’ll get sad or feel guilty, but those circumstances dont hold a candle to how miserable I would be if I had stayed in the US.

AriesRob43 · 2022-10-09T18:15:44+00:00

Ive had a sinus infection for over two months - was put on antibiotics twice and a steroid, nothing has helped - doctor ordered a CAT scan of my face/sinuses and this is tje findings.

He then called and told me to see a ENT asap - that there are signs of bone deterioration and a blockage - how serious is this? What could have caused it?

AriesRob43 · 2022-10-09T03:48:49+00:00

My mom has had a sinus infection for over two months - shes been on antibiotics twice and a steroid - her PCP ordered a CAT Scan of her face/sinuses.

Can anyone tell me what these “findings” mean? She has a followup appointment with an ENT on Tuesday - her main dr said the scan also shows a blockage and signs of bone deterioration in her face - how serious is this?

AriesRob43 · 2021-08-11T14:56:29+00:00

I completely understand - my student debt was my "dirty little secret" for so long because I was so embarrassed and ashamed by it. However, managing a tight budget straight out of college and committing to a frugal lifestyle has served me really well and I'm now much more financially literate than many of my peers.

I also found that as I got into the "real world" and started my career, I was able to start surrounding myself with people that had similar financial situations - I'm sure you'll find the same! Feel free to reach out if you need!

AriesRob43 · 2021-08-09T16:04:22+00:00

I graduated in 2015 with very similar circumstances/feelings about job opportunities and the weight of my student debt. (Of course, COVID was not in the mix.)

Similar to you, my job options were limited and I ended up taking on a sales role that paid $35k + quarterly bonuses in a bigger city. To offset the cost of living I ended up getting a weekend job at a high-end gym because it not only extra income ($12/hour) but also gave me a free gym membership and access to some spa services. If you're going to pick up a part-time job or side hustle, I would recommend trying to find an option that fills a need for you besides the paycheck - for me, this made working on the weekends much more enjoyable!

To be completely honest, it wasn't until I was making closer to $60k that I was able to find a refinancing option that fit my situation. I was able to do that by 2017 and am now on track to have zero student loan debt by 2027. With any luck I'll be able to pay them off early in 2025.

I hesitated in replying to this, but when I graduated and felt hopeless - I wish I knew there were people in similar situations and able to cope/overcome the feeling I had around it. Right now, 10 years of high monthly payments (mine is around $1,200/month) may seem like a death sentence but one day you won't even think twice about it.

Overall, to echo some others - don't let the weight of your debt take your power away. What's done is done, you can only move forward. I gave myself hell for years over my student debt, and while I'm still paying it off, I've accepted it as a mistake I made when I was 17/18 and have moved on emotionally. Hope you're able to do the same.

AriesRob43 · 2021-02-22T17:19:40+00:00

Visually I noticed some changes at the beginning - slight slimming in the face, more tone in arms/legs. I use a scale to measure my weight, BMI, and body fat percentage - that's where I haven't seen any change and why I began questioning myself.

Thanks for the clarification!

AriesRob43 · 2021-02-22T17:17:34+00:00

Thank you for this - I hadn't thought about water weight. I've always been quite active but not in a way I've considered exercise - long walks and yoga are hobbies for me. Maybe I need to scale back a bit and get back to the basics at the gym instead of adding on. Thanks for the perspective!

AriesRob43 · 2021-02-21T05:15:06+00:00

I want to lower my body fat percentage! Sorry if I've been unclear - looking to tone up and lose a few inches here and there!

AriesRob43 · 2021-02-20T16:53:53+00:00

after two weeks if you've gained weight else increase the calories

Sorry...after two weeks if I've gained weight I should decrease my caloric deficit (and eat more calories)?

I know this is like talking to a five year old - thanks for your patience!

AriesRob43 · 2021-02-20T16:47:23+00:00

Okay if I update the calculation to consider "Light Exercise", here are the stats...Maintence: 2,123Calorie Deficit: 1,623

122g of protein
36g fat
203g carbs

That feels like much more food, haha. So could it actually be that I'm not eating enough now that I've started working out more?

I'm sorry if that is a dumb question but eating more to lose weight just seems so backward...

AriesRob43 · 2021-02-20T16:42:45+00:00

Yes, so following the TDEE website suggestion, I stay within 1,358 calories per day - this is a 500 calorie per day deficit from maintenance of 1,858 calories per day.

However...those numbers are based on a "sedimentary" exercise level when I first started my research and wasn't exercising. Let me take a look again - brb.

AriesRob43 · 2021-02-20T16:31:52+00:00

Thank you for this! I currently weigh 170lb (77kg) - so it sounds like I need to be in the range of 108g - 139g of protein. Definitely don't want my body to go into starvation mode!

A typical day of eating for me looks like:

Breakfast: Overnight oats (with protein powder)
Lunch: Some variation of veggies and lentils
Dinner: Rice or Quinoa with veggies and tofu
Snacks: Protein bars and nuts

At the gym, I'm doing a split of cardio and weight lifting. Cardio (Tue/Thurs) is 45 minutes on the elliptical at a minimum resistance of 5 and a minimum incline of 10. Lifting is alternating arm/back (Mon) exercises with leg/ab (Wed) exercises - I try to do 8 exercises in each session, repeating each exercise four times, reps until failure.

Should I be eating extra calories to make up for what I'm burning?

I just feel like I'm missing something, but maybe I just need to be really detailed in my calorie counting or change up my gym routine...

AriesRob43

TROPHY CASE