The Blissfool

Hello friends,  It's been a while, I know no one really takes the time to read these but I feel like writing things out helps and it's kind of a personal (public) journal.  So here are some ah ha moment I've had recently. It came to my attention that not many people, unless Ethiopian, knew me well. Meaning they didn't know that they were saying my name wrong for years because I never corrected it after 3rd grade. I was so vulnerable when it comes to culture and identity that I didn't introduce it to friends.  For many years I was just an American born to and Ethiopian. Even thought I live my Ethiopian side I never once suggested getting Ethiopian food when asked where should we eat. I never once tried to bring friends or even my former boyfriend into that culture. I don't know if it was fear or thinking it's so different there's no way they'll like it. Either way I'm sorry that I had you miss our on a learning experience, a cultural exchange.  Se...

 Have you ever done something to farther someone in their career, life, goal etc. and once they start glowing up they just leave you behind. Forget about you. Act as though speaking to you is a courtesy.  I'm not sure why but I am seeing this pattern in the "friends" I have around me. Once they receive the motivation, the energy, the help, finance whatever it is that they are looking for they dash. I am then left feeling empty, sad, and left to put myself back together again for it to happen all over again.  I then find myself feeling like I need to start being real picky with the people I allow to receive my energy. Like that is really a thing. The people I choose to have a relationship past hello need to be a selected few. I have wanted that "Girlfriends" or "Friends" group so bad that I held the door open to anyone and everyone around me. Well that all has to change very very soon!  In the words of Eryka Badu: See I picks my friends like I pick my f...

It’s funny how may times I’ve sat in front of a screen to write. From slogans, tag lines, body copy, to well you name it. Every time I’m asked for a writing sample I’m left blank. And to be honest I’m glad that I have been left blank. I don’t think it’s fair for me to give someone a writing sample of something that I wrote 1-2 years ago. So where does this leave me... I don’t know to be honest. I know that I need to research something and write so that when I am asked I can respond quicker and prouder. 

I recently brought an idea to life. There is a lot of room for improvement but I am soooo exited that something this amazing was able to come together. It is more than I could have imagined in such a short time. Thank you to all that were involved in this!!!

I know it's been a while but here me rant I promise I think I have a good reason... 

Discipline - the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience. 2019 will be a year of discipline for me. I often confused discipline with practice (the customary, habitual, or expected procedure or way of doing something.) But as much as we reward ourselves for doing something we are suppose to do, I felt like I need to get in the habit of punishing myself for not following through as well.  The word punishment seems so harsh to say but, simple things like not being able to watch my favorite show, or have dessert might be the way to go for now. I need to have a disciplined lifestyle if I'm going to accomplish all that I want in this lifetime.  This is the year I turn 28, on the 28 which makes it the golden year! That said major goals to stay golden are...  - Understand singleness  - Cut out unnecessary time spent, on people and projects (if they're not helping with the goals then...

Today I read a question on that asked "would the 8 year old you be proud of who you have become?"... At first I felt a bit sad thinking that she wouldn't but then I remembered the 8 year old me. she would have been really really proud of me. Eight year old me is the one that left her home to go to America, but she did not do it quietly. She put up a fight first, she ran away to her grandmas in order to get out of having to leave. She dreamt of marrying a farmer and moving to the country side to live with her 24 kids in a hut. And well anyone who knows me knows that I'm not married to a farmer and have 24 kids but I did get something right by her. Ever since she left Ethiopia all she kept talking about was how she was going to return one day and live in her birth country. How she was going to do all that she can to rebuild the childhood she felt like she missed out on. And more importantly she wanted to stop feeling like she was meant to be somewhere else, th...

As most of what I blog about is my own personal experiences, this is more of an observation as well as experience. When hiring for a job most companies look for someone that studied that specific field. There are many problems with this in my opinion one being people do not get to choose their field of study another being the material studied may not fit for the businesses standard. And even if that student did indeed understand the in’s and out’s of their field, they will still need to be introduced to the way the company operates. When you push a newbie into the deep end your brand sinks. And by now we should understand the importance of brand, I mean look at Nike, Coka-Cola, Apple, Google and so on. They did not get to where they are just by giving someone a work load on their first day and expecting them to complete it without the proper resources and training on those resources. Which is why proper HR hiring books and training should be a requirement for every company! I'm...

🌼 I want to start off this post by wishing all Ethiopians celebrating the New Year, A very very very happy new year! 🌼 Dear future me,  You have worked really hard to get to this point in your life. I hope that you look back and find that all of your life experiences were worthwhile, that you gained a lesson out of all your mistakes and that you came out stronger than you were before. I hope you have learned to say no more and that you find your yeses a lot more meaningful and not out of "yulenta."  When making a decision make sure to think and double think about how it will affect your future and not make emotional ones. Continue to love and hold on to your values, especially that on family. Blood can be thicker than water sometimes. Choice wisely on who you allow to be your friend as most people in your life are there for a season and not permanently. If anyone in your life wants to leave let them go. Be okay with being alone as you are your own bes...

Forth of July in Ethiopia. I have to probably be the only one that did anything. What can I say I am Ethiopian-American after all. No fireworks :( So As you can tell with the above picture I got highlights but this was my favorite picture of the color. And of course mom did it. If you’re ever in the Fairfax, Virginia area check her out.  10560 Main Street #407 Fairfax, Virginia Feeling glamours during a photo shoot I had with the amazing and unrealistically talented Tedos Teffera. Images from the shoot to be posted soon.   It’s so wonderful to be an auntie!!! Got to finally meet my brother’s kids. Image of nephew will be posted soon. Their relationship is amazing with him which made me very happy!!! That said I’m soooooo happy I’m in Abu Dhabi!!!!! My very first country I was not born or raised in.  

Moment of honesty...  I think I stopped blogging partly because I don't have time anymore. But mainly because my life wasn't fun anymore.  And although a little bit of seriousness is needed in order to live an adult life, I think I've lost myself in the process. I'm back to being a floating object. Not sure what the next goal is.  I miss the days of us being in grade school where we knew what was next, pass the test move on to the next grade keep doing that until college. Then you choose your "path" graduate. Than float.  When I grow up I want to be happy, but I also want a family and live a proactive and productive life. Chasing money doesn't make me happy, that's one thing I've learned so far. But I also don't want to let my future me down.  She deserves to live a life full of everything she wants and needs.  I'm at another turning point in my life not sure which way to go. I'm not sure if back to the Sta...

NO REALLY! It's raining. So it's been a long long time since I've updated. I have posts written out, just not posted. I feel like I'm keeping a diary with them still in my tab. For one I need to collect a few pictures which I haven't had time for but the other I will be sharing ASAP. There are those days when you think of something and you go damn that was a really great thought process, like if I write that out it would sound poetic and ish. So long story short my status on Facebook today was one of those moment. As I was walking into work and I think I was feeling myself a little more than I should, more confident than cocky I promise. But any who here was the status happy day beautiful people! " Two men who were having a serious conversation in front of me turned around (still talking) when they heard me coming, the moment they saw me they went silent... It was just one of those days, I'm feeling myself and they were too. Heyyyyyy lol Good morning ...

The creative world can be hard!

When a child is born we don’t expect it to start walked right away. We tend and care for the child until it’s old enough to move on to the next stage of their life. We patiently wait for the next major stage before crawling, their first words and walking. Before that they start eating solid food. This is the point in a child’s life when they taste all the options and figure out what they like. This is a messy process and can mean that food is all over their face and clothes. They continue growing and now can get their hand there with majority of the food. Before long they’re crawling. They hold on to something and prop themselves up and walk with assistance. Somewhere in there they say their first word and you melt at the sound. Not before long they will take their first unassisted steps. They will fall. They will get up. Try again, quick phase of walking then they’re off running. What they call the terrible twos will make you start wondering what’s going on, when the answer to eve...

Live the life you deserve along with the challenges  I am finally living my dream life, that’s no doubt. But it would be a lie if I say certain things haven’t been hard. Some of the challenges are a lot harder for me to handle than others. Most, you just have to “smile and wave.” I have been slacking on my updates. We had a busy season at work and it was really hectic. It was a good amount of running around and a good balanced out stress. When it comes to my personal life, I think I still have a lot of work left. I need to do better on building better and healthier relationships. My new project for myself right now if finding a freelance position (any where in the world!) I want to continue getting challenged and although I’m getting that here in Ethiopia, some times is not the kind I’m looking for. (I.e. lack of internet) I want someone to take my writing skills on a test drive… So anyone of you reading this want a writer please reach out. Am I adulting yet? Sad to ...

So I get on facebook after not having been on there for a bit and come across this message. I think I teared up a little. I haven't had much time to blog due to the work schedule and me trying to find a second gig. I have so much that I want to accomplish that I really don't want to rest or take time off until I get everything where I want them to be. And of course I'm not forcing anything to happen. I'm just listening to my gut feeling and taking into account the world around me. There is so much left to tell you all about my experience that I will have to take a day out and post. Take you all for your love and support and can't wait to make you all proud! And a special THANK YOU to the beautiful young lady who wrote me this. I remember this girl in high school and I know she's going to do absolutely great in whatever she decides on. (I hope she feels encouraged to come to Ethiopia but none the less she's phenomenal). P.S. to any of my readers in...

Making the decision to move to Ethiopia without a job lined up was a bit scary but I believed in what the universe was telling me to do. Fast forward to a three months in and funds low with no job. I'm ready to purchase my plane ticket back to the States and just call my "dream"/ journey quits. And with people around me telling to do so, it made the decision seem like what needed to happen. I then told myself that I said a year and a year it will be. So I got to thinking... and planned a Young Professional Networking Event. Which I was also discouraged from doing.  It was way more successful than I had planned. And a week later I landed a job I could only dream about. So needless to say I am very very happy and glad that I waited for dawn.

There is soooo much I need to write on/ catch you up on. I was in the middle of giving up on my dream (after ONE month of unsuccessful job search) and was getting ready to pack my bags and move. I had a lot of challenges that kept hitting me and thought that Creator's way of telling me it's time to leave. I had advice from both ends. I was told to pack and leave/come and I had a few who kept repeating the Amharic version of "darkness before dawn" quote. And of course I kept at it because I told myself a year and a year I had to give it. I had to ask myself what can I do in the mean time... something I loved doing. So I put together a networking event for young professionals in Addis. In order to be somebody you have to know people so it was the best way for me to meet people. Needless to say it was way more successful than I thought. During the planning period I also had spoke with one of the top Ad agencies in Addis and thought me being inexperienced would be ...

Hey all, I've been going through a few changes as mentioned in the last post. I will try and do a huge update on all that I've been doing. I've been trying to keep my creative side up but seem to fail at doing that. I have decided to do "Project 54" all over again but different products per week. Project 54 was a into to advertising project that we did with one brand and we produced 54 "ads." It was what had me fall in love with advertising and hoping that I can tap into that. I've been so caught up on making sure that the bills get paid that I forgot to keep up with what made me happy and what I choose as a career path. I will start posting soon. I will go through an adjective a week and push out as much finished work as possible. Please provide me with feed back for this is both personal and professional development. Much love and appreciation to those who have been keeping up with me.

Everything happens for a reason... for a good reason. When making my decision to come to Ethiopia I had a couple of plans lined up. The way life works is you can't plan it. You set a goal for yourself and achieve it with all the twists and turns that come your way. Recently I had a huge change in my life, something happened unexpectedly and it was pretty major. It pushed my estimated plan about a month or so back. I believe that this is happening for a really great reason. I may not be able to see it at the moment but I'm sure I'll get to see the bigger picture in the end. I am now living at my grandmothers which is a little ways outside the city. The peaceful nights are one for the books. I am hoping to figure out a few things while I have this isolations. I have not been able to think straight but I am reminding myself of what my goal is. Will let you know what the good reason of this is soon as I find out.

April 3 - I got to spend the whole day with Lulit, who lived in Ethiopia for one and a half years. Background on her, she’s family, who I’ve never got to spend time with “for real for real.” We randomly talk via social media here and there and her energy spoke volume   (based on what she shared). I can’t say how much of a blessing it is to “meet” someone who’s such a breath of fresh air. I was told we look alike which is a complement since she’s absolutely beautiful! She’s the Lynn to my Joan (I don’t know who Maya and Toni are).   She is in the process of starting up a center in the neighborhood that we grew up in. And her vision for the place is just so incredible I’m so proud to be a part of it. Check out her website to get the full details on the place, the history and the vision. CLICK HERE So needless to say today was an absolute adventure. I met her in Bole which is like the Americanize part of Addis. We went to a café to eat and I saw how local Lul...

April 2 – I am pretty speechless this journey was well needed. I was told about this group in the states and the amazing work that they do. So glad I got to experience one of their works first hand. This trip was a large gubaye, but it was also to raise money for this small church in the Southern region that didn’t have the means to build a larger church. They were only able to have kidasay one a month, and that’s if they were lucky. A good deal was raised; it was so nice to see such a large crowed of people (200+ full of buses) coming together for a great cause.

April 1 – Got to go to Yaya Village, which is a resort build by a famous runner. Then it was time to turn up like a 10 year old. saved snap

March 29 - I got to hang out with my friend from the NYC trip! We went to Nazrate. You’re wondering why the title is Awassa if I’m in Nazrate. So he was taking a business trip to Nazrate and asked if I wanted join. I asked if it was a warm place since Addis had been a bit on the chilly side I wanted a place I could ware a dress and be fine. After being told that it’s hot I decided to join. Because I had talked about Awassa that day with my uncle or cousin I for some reason thought I was going there. Later that night at dinner I was with my Dad and step-mom and he asked where I was going. I said Awassa and he told me that it was an over night trip I said no it’s too close to be over night and argued the mess out of where I was going. I asked what the nearest hot city to Addis, but in the midst of arguing I decided to text Amare (the friend). Well you could only imagine my reaction to the answer. It’s good to humble thy self sometime. Non-the less it’s s...