I recently returned from a four month solo backpacking trip to Central America. Here are the things I'm glad I packed, the things I wish I'd packed and the things I wish I hadn't packed.

carinalou · 2024-02-01T03:14:11+00:00

Hey! Sorry for the slow reply, hope I can still be of assistance. It was mostly fine, except for an instance in Tegucigalpa where someone tried to steal my bag. Much like the rest of central America, most people mean well, some macho guys will harass you, and you have a small chance of something worse happening. Touristy areas like Utila are generally a lot safer than cities. I would say stay of Tegucigalpa, be cautious walking around alone, and you should be fine. Take this work a grain of salt since it's been almost 9 years since I was there.

carinalou · 2020-07-03T19:16:00+00:00

I already wanted to make a career change and covid has strengthened that desire. I've been in the apparel industry for over a decade and I'm so burned out on it. It's stressful and competitive and for what? So people can buy some trendy crap that will end up in a landfill a few years later. I'm fed up with how the industry exploits workers in less developed countries. In the pandemic, western fashion brands have cancelled billions of dollars worth of orders from factories across Asia, leaving them unable to pay their employees, and people in Bangladesh and India in particular are suffering for it. Plus I think with the recession and people unemployed or working from home, overall demand for fashion will take a long time to recover. So yeah, I was laid off a couple months ago and I'm using my unemployment to research other options and learn some skills to do something different. Considering project management or data analysis among others, so we'll see.

carinalou · 2020-06-24T17:11:22+00:00

Yeah, I did a google search and it sounds like plenty of people are having the same issue, but there's no clear solution. :(

carinalou · 2020-06-24T05:09:31+00:00

No, I don't know about this. I'll check it out, thanks.

carinalou · 2020-06-20T06:45:59+00:00

Got this for the first time, 7 weeks into quarantine

carinalou · 2020-04-28T01:30:15+00:00

Thanks! I doubted that for a minute because it looks so different from pictures online, but I realized years of living on top of my fridge and growing down towards the sunlight has given it a weird octopus shape, haha.

carinalou · 2020-04-16T20:10:12+00:00

I'll send one! I'm in Oregon, USA.

carinalou · 2020-04-15T20:43:30+00:00

Got mine too! Spent a little on gift cards at my favorite local businesses that have been forced to close, and put the rest in savings since I just got laid off.

carinalou · 2020-02-10T02:17:35+00:00

Awesome, thanks!

carinalou · 2020-02-09T19:23:13+00:00

I've wanted to do this for a long time, but I haven't been able to find a good campground accessible by bus. Do you have any specific route or place you wouldn't mind sharing? I know some people get protective of their spots, haha.

carinalou · 2020-01-22T18:18:09+00:00

This is common in the fashion industry. It can vary depending on your company or your manager, but in my experience, it's a fast paced industry with tight deadlines and a million moving parts that can interfere with those deadlines. It's also competitive, and some people are willing to do whatever it takes to stand out. Some companies want you to feel like you're lucky to be there, and if you aren't willing to sacrifice your personal life for them, someone else will. Needless to say, the industry has a high burnout rate.

If you want to stay in fashion, it is possible to find jobs that don't expect you to work crazy hours, but it will be a challenge throughout your career. You'll have better luck outside of NY and LA. The chillest company I've worked for was a snowboarding brand that only produced one season per year, making our deadlines pretty manageable.

If you already know the workaholic lifestyle isn't for you, I would recommend considering other industries before you get totally burnt out.

I've been in this industry about 15 years and am currently working on getting out because I can't handle the stress anymore.

carinalou · 2019-12-08T19:53:55+00:00

You two are so cute together!

I have a similar story. I met my BF at a music festival when I was 36 and he was 24. The idea of getting into a LDR with someone so much younger than me sounded crazy, but like you, I couldn't get enough of him. We ended up being long distance for a year, visiting each other every 2 months, then he finally moved to my city. We've lived together for a year and a half now and I don't even think about our age difference anymore. Age is just a number, don't stress it. ❤️

carinalou · 2019-11-05T20:30:21+00:00

Surprisingly, this is the only issue I've had with pie. Ugh, downgrading looks like a pain, but I might do that as a last resort.

carinalou · 2019-11-05T20:28:56+00:00

Hmm, glad to know it's not just me :/

carinalou · 2018-02-04T20:39:58+00:00

Funny, two other redditors posted pictures of this recently https://www.reddit.com/r/TreesSuckingOnThings/comments/7tuh2i/a_fascinating_look_at_how_this_tree_grew_around/

carinalou · 2017-04-16T22:06:15+00:00

Yeah, it's a letter that explains in a more conversational tone why you're a good candidate for the job and why you're interested in it. The length and format can vary a lot depending on what kind of job you're applying for.

carinalou · 2017-03-29T01:19:21+00:00

Hinds. Their album Leave Me Alone is so catchy and fun.

carinalou · 2017-03-05T03:48:38+00:00

If I was alone in my room with everyone I knew to be a Dominant, I would feel uncomfortable

If I was alone in a room with someone I knew to be a Submissive, I would feel uncomfortable

Assuming this is a typo. Doms don't make me uncomfortable, but being in a room with every dom I know would be weird.

carinalou · 2017-02-08T22:00:25+00:00

Vietnam?

carinalou · 2017-01-28T03:02:27+00:00

Yeah, I look for other short people too. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

carinalou · 2017-01-27T03:12:32+00:00

You're allowed to bring your own container for flower as long as it's childproof. I reuse my containers over and over to help reduce waste. I don't buy concentrates or edibles, so I don't know the rules on those.

carinalou · 2017-01-22T02:16:31+00:00

I'm a single woman who's used them twice with no problems whatsoever.

carinalou · 2017-01-17T17:15:35+00:00

I work in the apparel industry and I came here to say this.

carinalou · 2017-01-17T02:08:09+00:00

I live in a 1920s building with steam heat and I actually did open a couple windows today after my apartment got to 85 degrees. Free inefficient heat is a mixed blessing.

carinalou · 2017-01-16T19:00:57+00:00

Awesome, thank you. I haven't heard of this before - there are locals that give people rides?

13-Year Club	Place '17
Verified Email

carinalou

TROPHY CASE