if you haven't lived in a cave the past two days, you probably are aware of the happening in charlottesville, virginia in the united states of america. this post being about self care for my fellow POC i won't recap the happenings, do it so if you feel like to or have a the courage but i won't do it here. this post is to remind my fellow poc that self care is important, self care is what keeps us going in a world that never was thought for us, self care is healthy and we need to take care of ourselves in the midst of those terrorist and triggering events. you do not have to read the news today, switch off your devices if you need to, but do something that you like, that keeps you busy and smiling. know that you are allowed to skip those facebook posts, do not read the comment section. take a book, plug your phone and blast some music, watch some cartoons, a film, a documentary. take a piece of paper, write, draw, doodle. crafts something from scratch, bake a dish. play dress up, sort out your clothes, plan your next trip. sip some tea, eat biscuits, look away to the horizon. take a bubble bath, put on your favourite pyjamas, take care of you, sleep. you've got this. below a beautiful song of Adetola called "we need love" because sweet songs like this are full of gold.
what i am wearing: sunnies - weekday // denim jacket - thrifted // hat - h&m
long time no see... last time! i am still alive, i braided my hair and went for the bob cause it's hella lit, it's been boiling hot here in switzerland since i've come back from my interrail trip in scandinavia but thanks good we are having some days cooling off the atmosphere until the next round of heat wave forecast in two days. i am going back to paris next week, and you already know how excited i am about that because paris and i are having a serious love affair, so serious than i might go live there in about two years for my master degree. talking about master degree, i past all my exams of my first year of bachelor meaning i have less than two years of uni before getting my bachelor degree which is nuts but oh so exciting at the same time! so paris 2019 it is? oh my sounds so damn close. touching up on all that i wanted to spill the tea on a subject i knew about but never realised how i was benefiting off of it... the subject in question is privilege but particularly the privilege of travelling.
it's something i want to talk about because lately i've been reminded that my situation and social status gives me privilege to enjoy and go explore the world without worrying one bit. i have a student job since 2010, i don't earn big money with it but enough for leisure activities such as outings, one day roadtrips, travels and stuff. i first got this job because my parents have always told me that it's important to be independent financially also it was at a time i was reaching an age which allowed me to go out, and being so close to my majority (i hit 18 in 2012.. yes, yes i am a 1994 baby) and then so close to start travelling parents free. this was the first of my parents' argument for me to get a job to have myself some pocket money and knowing that my parents situation is stable, never did it ever cross my mind that me having a student job was to pay or help my parents pay for my studies. not that i was ignorant, it's just that we live in a financially good situation so my parents can pay for my studies and the needs of other sibling/family with no problem. i've been working at the same place for 5 years now and most of the clients that come to my workplace don't actually know that it is a student job... some think that i am a regular cashier or that i work there part time. so when a couple of them found out i was a university student on a student job, not only have they started treating me differently and with more respect (it's no news that being a cashier can be hell, people treats you like shit thinking they're superior because they happen to have a higher rank job or whatever) but i had two of them asking me or just presuming that i was working to pay my studies or help my parents doing so and that's when i realised "OH SHIT I AM ACTUALLY WORKING FOR MY OWN AND ONLY GOOD" those two people actually reminded me that the reason i am allowed to go to paris every year so many times, the reason i can go on holidays in a foreign country, plan road trips or interrail is because i have the privilege to live a good and stable situation where my parents pay for my future and necessary needs while i go around visiting new horizons.
i had never seen this on that point of view, because 90% of my friends have student jobs and are in the same situation as mine, meaning the only reason we work is to be financially independent and having the possibilities to travel. working for some pocket money was the "norm" for me, like in my head every student on a student job where actually working for some pocket money, it never crossed my mind that there are some of them working to pay for their future... this is funny how you don't pay attention to the privilege(s) you enjoy until people point them out to you. on the privilege of travelling as a 20-something uni student.
CONTACT ME
Inquiries: ruthnoemibendel@gmail.com
