volunteering

Channeling my energy ✨

/ Cate Tracey / 2 Comments

I lay awake at 03:52 ET, hearing the sounds of Alex and Linley breathing (my forever favorite white noise machine) 😌 and feel empowered — although exhausted.

October was such a lovely month full of positive changes, and ever since the election things have felt bleak. Unbelievable. The air has felt heavier, and then family and new job drama layered on top of it *almost* took me out of the fight. The fight to celebrate my engagement. The fight to keep looking for that career that’ll springboard me on the right path. The fight to continue listening to progressive independent liberal media.

But I’m not out of the fight, and I’m not out OF fight. ✨

Instead of basking in the shambles of the election, family tension and feeling like I “got it wrong” on the job front again, I’m going to do the following:

  • Continue going to therapy and feeling in control of my life, the way I did during yesterday’s session
  • Continue knowing that I’m on the right path for ME, even if others “don’t get it”
  • Continue looking for wedding dresses so I can try them on with my mother in law, her best friend and my aunt — because I’m excited people want to celebrate with me
  • Continue applying for jobs in the nonprofit/government space in the city of Atlanta, because Atlanta is my home and I want to find a job based here
  • Learn French the way I used to in college, because I deeply miss it
  • Fix my typewriter, because similar to this post, I just have to do it EVEN when I feel my words aren’t “worth it” to anyone (they’re worth it to me)
  • Find a solid volunteer organization here, directly helping those impacted by the election results (Feminist Healthcare perhaps)
  • Fuck what society, family, former friends, ex-coworkers… think of me, because I’m my favorite version of myself 💛

^ All this is within my control, and I have a LOT of Google searching and ordering to do. 😉

Hold me accountable? I need all the help I can get…

With nothing but love and hope for the future,

Cate 💛

Volunteering Abroad: Life in Thailand

/ Cate Tracey / Leave a comment

I’ve been here since April 17, and I can already tell you that my life has changed for the better.

I’m living in a camp/”commune” like setup.  I have been living in a room with a mosquito net above my bed, have been taking cold bucket showers, and have been eating a low-protein, high-carb diet (opposite from home given that I’m a celiac). 

This experience has been humbling, and to say that is an understatement. 

I am currently teaching English at a local orphanage. The children are so grateful to have us there, teaching them and playing with them of course. I have always wanted to adopt children, and my time here has shown me that I’m meant to do this one day. 

I will be volunteering until May 13, and I am beyond thankful that I have made this decision. I will aim to not take things for granted when I come home on May 21. I want to live like the villagers here: having less and making the most out of life (always having smiles on their faces)! 

Chiang Rai, Thailand 

/ Cate Tracey / Leave a comment

I have been struggling these past few months, post-graduation. I had been through the ringer with job applications, interviews, and other miscellaneous drama that needs no further explanation. Rather than sulking and doing the same things day in and day out, I decided spur-of-the-moment to volunteer abroad.

I have been living in a “commune-like” setting in a village in northern Thailand. This experience is very much different than home: cold bucket showers, mosquito bites like no other, and copious amounts of sweat. 

When you think of Thailand, you think of beaches and tourist destinations, right? But take a moment to consider the poorer side of the nation; I have been teaching in an orphanage and playing with young village children, who barely know English at all. Thailand is more than tourism: it has personality and it truly is “the land of smiles.”

Thank you to all of my friends and family who supported, and continue to support, me through these major life decisions! 

Message of the day: always be grateful for what you have. There are others who have less than you, but may be more likely to give more because of it!