Things I love: Day 4– Thailand

If you haven’t read my blog before, I had the most incredible life-changing trip when I last went to Thailand.  I re-connected with my dad who I hadn’t seen in 20 years, I met a soulmate, forged life long friendships with the most amazing individuals, had the craziest adventures, and re-discovered who I truly am.

Thailand is a magical place, and if you haven’t been before, you should definitely think about going!

Here is my Top 10 list on why I love Thailand:

1. The Food. Thai food is amazing! It’s SPICY, SAVORY, CREAMY, TANGY, and full of deliciousness. Best of all, many Thai dishes can even be catered to vegans and vegetarians with ease.  Craving a Panang Curry, but don’t eat meat? No problem! Ask for tofu as your protein choice instead. Easy pea-sy! Also, the fruits are so exotic, it’s almost impossible not to indulge. Mango sticky rice is my favorite dessert served with sweet coconut milk. Who doesn’t want to finish off a meal with that?! To read more about my 5 favorite Thai dishes, check out my other post here. 
2. The Culture. This is the country of Smiles. That is what it’s known for. Politeness. Courtesy. Respect. Peace. How can you not fall in love with a culture based on peace and harmony?
3. The Temples. Regardless of whether you are Buddhist or religious at all, the architecture is awe-inspiring enough to send you into a blissful state of wonder. Golden Buddha statues. Intricate carvings and decorations. Buddhist temples are definitely ones to enjoy.
4. The People. Most Thai people you encounter are super sweet. If you grant them a little bit of kindness, you will receive tenfold in return.  Smiling and saying thank you goes a long way and they will help you out as much as they can.
5. The Beaches. They are PARADISE. Whether you are looking for a full moon party or a quiet sanctuary, Thai beaches have you covered. The water is really clear and with the jungle as a background, it’s hard not to want to stay here forever.
6. The Art. Amazing artists in Thailand! From painters who paint from photos to those who draw exotic animals that look incredibly lifelike, this is definitely a place to snag an art piece to hang on your walls at home.
7. The Jungle. Want an adventure in the jungle? You can experience many in Thailand.  From zip lining to swimming in waterfalls to interacting with wildlife, Thailand has it all. Their lush vegetation allow for gorgeous backdrops to hike through and create your own wild journey and memories.
8. The Wildlife. Elephants and tigers and monkeys— OH MY!  So many beautiful animals to see and touch and interact with. Be forewarned: some of these animals are mistreated, so do your research and find preservations that treat the animals humanely before throwing down money to take that picture with a ferocious tiger. 
9. The Clothing. Silky. Elegant. And CHEAP! You can find a wide assortment of Thai fashion that will have your friends envying your wardrobe the next time you go out! From elephant pants to silk robes, pack only half your suitcase so you have plenty of room to take home these treasures!
10. The Massages. Thai massages are THE BEST!! Not only do they relax and re-align your body to pure bliss, but they are so cheap! About $8 will get you a one-hour incredible massage. If you get addicted to them, you can always learn to become a Thai masseuse yourself.

What have you seen about Thailand that you’d like to experience? I’d love to hear in the comments below. Or if you’ve been, what was your favorite thing about traveling there?

Lots of Love,

Alicia

A Month of Love: Day 1

In honor of February, the month of love (Thanks Valentine’s Day), I want to share with you something I love each day this month. Things that bring a smile to my face. Things that my heart swell with joy. Things that make my soul soar with the hope and possibilities of love.

Last night FOX aired “Grease: Live”, a musical I was eager to see. To steal USA Today’s review of it, “Grease is the word. And the word is… OK.” I was really excited because I have this love for Aaron Tveit (Broadway star and now tv star on USA’s “Graceland”) . He has this wonderful tone that makes me smile. Such an amazing singer!

Unfortunately, Aaron was AWFUL as Danny Zuko.  As my best friend put it, he was totally a wet noodle! He didn’t have that cool, popular, bad boy that this character needs. He lacked that spunk and youthful exuberance. It was cringe-worthy to watch. He just looked so bored performing. Like he was too bored to even try. Like he was marking the whole thing. I officially had to end my love affair with him (Sorry Aaron). Devastating, I know.

I was thinking about who I’d cast instead of Aaron Tveit, and I immediately thought of Jeremy Jordan. Now, that’s a guy who gives me butterflies every time he sings!  Jeremy is raw, he’s passionate, he’s invested, he’s… every girl’s dream! Or at least this girl’s dream guy. Oh, what I wouldn’t give to have Jeremy Jordan sing with me every night…

I first fell in love with Jeremy Jordan when he was staring as Jack Kelly in Broadway’s Disney musical “Newsies.” I scored a front row dead center lottery ticket to the show where I got to see Jeremy perform up close and personal. I cannot even begin to describe how freaking amazing he was! And to top it all off, the chorus was comprised of exceptional dancers from “So You Think You Can Dance.” I mean, Disney songs, super hot boys singing and dancing right in front of me, Alex Wong, Jeremy Jordan… YES PLEASE THANK YOU MORE!!

For those of you who don’t know who he is, here’s a video of him singing. The song is a Kerrigan-Lowdermilk original called “Run Away With Me.” A romantic song sung so beautiful by Jeremy… Yes— I will run away with you any day!

I LOVE this song. And I love Jeremy singing it. Aaron Tveit also does a version of it, but Jeremy’s is better 🙂 I love what this song means and what it stands for. I would love for some guy to sing this song to me. This to me is love in every sense of the word. It’s that CONNECTION, from soul to soul, that to me, indicates true love. Doesn’t every person want that?

Love is… BRIGHT. Love is BOLD. Love is a declaration. Love is eternal. When there is this kind of love that oozes out of Jeremy, what else in the world do you really need?

 

Jeremy Jordan singing “Run Away With Me”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVwtGU3KOro

What song makes you feel loved? What songs make you swoon? Write them in the comments below.

Write your favorite lyric from your favorite song in the comments below that makes you feel LOVE and I’ll make a graphic for you for free! It’s my way of spreading the love this month.

Here’s to all of us finding that passion and vigor and dancing-on-clouds connection!

All Love,

Alicia

My New Mantra for 2016

My new mantra and manifesto:

LOVE YOUR ADVENTURE.

We are all on our own journeys through life, searching for that ultimate happiness and success we all crave. For some, it is the nice house with the family and the dog. For others, it’s to visit every country on the planet and discover all the wonders of the world.  We rise, we fall, we slay dragons, we fall into pits of despair. But through it all, I believe we should all love our journeys because our life is an adventure. So, if you love your adventure because that means you love your life. And if you love your life, that means you love yourself. And if you love yourself, you radiate this magical energy that pulls in all the happiness and success and joyful experiences that you desire. Love your adventure. That is my motivation for this Monday ❤

Share this mantra if you agree!

What is your manifesto? Comment below!

Hugs and Love,

Alicia

 

 

 

20 Ways to Pay it Forward

TGIF! It’s Feel Good Friday!  And it’s also Good Friday. For me, Good Friday has me reflecting on what I can do for others. When shit hits the fan in my own life, it is easy for me to panic and only think about myself. Panicking does no good. For anyone. Luckily, I have the most compassionate friends who talk me off a ledge and help me find solutions to my problems. I have also found it interesting that even in my worst times, being able to focus on helping someone else with their problems always made me feel better. While my problems may be big and real to me, there is always someone else who is much worse off. Taking a moment to listen to their worries and help them out of the darkness inevitably helps me sort out my situation.

No act of kindness no matter how small is wasted. – Aesop

So today, I challenge you to do something to pay it forward. Spread some kindness or encouraging words to someone. One small act of kindness can change a person’s life.

Dante’s View: 5 Steps to Let Go of Your Worries

This weekend I went to Death Valley, California to explore more of the state. I went up to a place called Dante’s View where you stand at the highest point in California and can look down to see the lowest point in California. It took my breath away. The mountains and valleys were so deep and seemed to go on forever.

The view from the top was spectacular and it reminded me to keep life in perspective. I had been worrying about the future so much that I started to lose all creativity and gumption. But standing there looking out into the horizon, I was reminded to take a step back and look at the big picture.

My life was filled with abundance. I had just allowed fear to consume my mind. I started to focus on what I did have, and a smile crept onto my face. I had a nice apartment to live in, great friends, a healthy body, food in my belly, plenty of clean water to drink.  I had the freedom to choose whatever job I wanted, to create my own business, to live a life that I loved with the love of my life by my side. There was coffee in my cup every morning and a warm bed to sleep in at night. Things are pretty good right now. I have so much to be thankful for.  My anxiety left my body as the wind blew my worries away.

Life is short. Why bother wasting it worrying about what tomorrow is gonna bring??

1. Do what you can with what you’ve got.

2. Live in the moment. Life happens in the present. Not in the past, and not in the future. Your time is NOW.

3. Have faith that it’s going to turn out all right in the end. Believe. Surrender. There are always going to be bumps in the road and obstacles to overcome. But you have the power to find a solution and climb over any hurdle that comes your way.

4. Focus on what you DO have and what you CAN do. You get what you put your attention on, so think about all the good things you have in your life and the actions you can take. More good things will come to you!

5. Just keep going and do something that you love each and every day. Every step forward, no matter how small will get you to your goals. And if you are doing something you love everyday, your life will be filled with so much more happiness.

Travel not to find yourself,

but to remember who you’ve been all along.

What steps do you take to free yourself from worry and destress? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

If you want more up-to-date pictures of my adventures, follow me on Instagram!

And as always, I am here for you. This is your time. You’ve got this!

Much Love,

Alicia

How to Find Your Purpose

This has always been a nebulous, esoteric question: What is your purpose?

Is it to have kids, have a family? Get a good job? Make good money?

Or is it… creating change with your art? Making people smile with your cooking? Inspiring kids to live a better life?

For me, I’ve always known my purpose: to make people happy. I love to put smiles on people’s faces! Whether it’s telling a funny joke, baking them some cupcakes to celebrate their new job, or just listening to worries and offering them a shoulder to cry on, it has always brought me much joy to make other people’s faces light up with a smile.

However, being in a rut can bring you down. I know that I had lost all sense of my purpose after two years of slaving away at my job. It wasn’t until I traveled to Thailand that I remembered why I was put on this earth. Here is a poem to describe my purpose:

PURPOSE by Alicia Ying

I believe that anything is possible.

I believe that true love exists.

I believe that happily ever afters can happen.

I believe that you can find your bliss.

 

I believe in doing what you love.

I believe in loving what you do.

I believe in letting your inner beauty shine.

I believe in being the truest form of you.

 

You can pursue your passion.

You can live out your dreams.

You can turn them into reality.

The impossible is not as impossible as it seems.

 

There is a solution.

There is always a way.

I can help you find it.

Let’s make it happen, what do you say?

My purpose in life is to inspire people to discover themselves and start doing what they love for a living. Being a creative, it can be hard to turn that passion into a paycheck, but pursuing my passion for helping people has been more rewarding than any other regular job that I’ve ever had.

Here is why finding your purpose is so important:

Your purpose is the reason you get out of bed in the morning.

Your purpose anchors you when times are tough.

Your purpose fuels your fire to get the job done.

In order to find your purpose, ask yourself the following questions:

1. What are you passionate about? What excites you? What makes your eyes light up? Is it writing? Painting? Making sculptures? Helping people? Feeding the homeless? Traveling?  Making lists? Organizing? Sketching new designs? Photography? Cooking? Baking? Giving gifts? Party planning? Volunteering? Working with animals?

2. When are you happiest? What things make you happy? What puts a smile on your face? Are you happiest when you are with your friends? Watching TV? Singing karaoke? Alone reading a book? Knitting? Cooking? Eating a delicious meal? Meeting new people? Connecting? Accomplishing a new skill? Receiving flowers? Watching the sun rise? Watching the sun set? Walking along the beach? Taking a hike up the mountains? Doing a yoga class? Meditating? Giving a hug? Receiving a hug?

3. If money were no object, what would you want to do with your life? How would you spend your days? Who would you spend your time with? Would you be working with orphans in an ashram in India? Travel the world? Work with wildlife? Lock yourself up in a room and paint beautiful paintings all day? Sail off into the sunset on a private yacht with your loved ones? With yourself? Create films with your friends? Write stories that you want to tell? Make youtube cover song videos of every single country song that you love? Learn kung fu from a kung fu master in China?

Now look at your list and look for a trend. What do all these things have in common? What is the through line? Your purpose doesn’t have to be complicated either. It could be simple. To help people. To discover the world. To make art. To inspire the world. To create a change. To make an impact.

Find that purpose and start fueling that purpose/passion in life. You can do what you love for a living. You deserve all the happiness in the world. Reignite your purpose whenever you are lost. It will always be your North Star!

What’s your purpose? Comment below! I’d love to hear what you were meant to do in this world!

Much Love,

Alicia

Adventure: Floating Lanterns in Thailand

One of the most beautiful things that you can do in Thailand is go to the Floating Lantern Festival. It takes place in November of every year where thousands of people gather together to write their wishes on a lantern and send their desires up to the sky to hopefully be made true by the Universe.  Unfortunately, I missed the festival by one week and was devastated. I really wanted to light a floating lantern in Thailand and send my wishes up to the sky!

Luckily, when I was in Koh Tao (a small island famous for diving), my new backpacking friends (some of whom have become my life-long friends) helped me make my wish come true. It was our last night together on this magical island, so all ten of us decided to go out for dinner on the beach together.As we sat around a large table reminiscing on our favorite times together, I spotted one single floating lantern soaring above the ocean. I squealed, “Look! It’s a floating lantern!! We have to light one!!” All of the girls immediately jumped for joy at the idea.  One of my friends spotted a man walking along the beach selling some. We leaped out of our chairs and asked him how much it cost. After some haggling (never accept the first price! You can always get cheaper! Check out more Thailand tips here), we scored ten lanterns: one for each of us. He had to go back and make more, but promised to be back in one hour to help us light them. That gave us plenty of time to finish our meals.

One hour later, he returned as promised. I hunted a waitress down and begged her to find me a marker so we could write our desires and wishes on the lanterns. Charmed by my childish excitement, she snagged one from the bartender and I scribbled furiously onto the rice paper. Twenty minutes later, we were all ready. We stood on the beach as the man helped us light them.

The heat from the flames were surprisingly strong and the hot air immediately started lifting our lanterns high. I had to hold on tight to make sure we all released them at the same time. This is my friend Jessica from Canada 🙂

Finally, we were all ready.

Three… two… one… RELEASE. My lantern floated up into the dark night sky.

It was breath-taking. An overwhelming sense of peace and wonderment enveloped us all as we watched our group of lanterns float off into the distance.

All the girls got into a group hug and begged me to sing “I See The Light” from Disney’s “Tangled.” Naturally, I obliged.

It was one of the most beautiful and bonding moments of my trip.

If you have the chance to light a floating lantern in Thailand, do it! I must confess that some of my wishes I wrote on my lantern are already coming true!

Follow me on Instagram for more pictures of my travels: http://instagram.com/aliciaying/

Much Love,

Alicia

How to Find your Soulmate in 5 Easy Steps

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I am dedicating this post to all of you singles out there who want to find your soulmate. Love is possible. Happily ever afters exist. There is someone out there who is searching for someone like you as we speak! Believe it because it happened to me. Yup, I found my soulmate while traveling in Thailand and we fell in love. I’m not talking about the three-day romance or the steamy few night hook ups with a hottie. I’m talking about that incredible “you complete me” connection of mind, body, and soul. The stuff that fairy tales are made of. The love that lasts a lifetime.

NOTE: These tips are for both guys AND gals. I’m just using the masculine pronoun to make it easier to read.

How to find your soul mate in 5 easy steps:

1. Decide what you want. If you’re not ready, he will not come. I know from first hand experience, that every time you say, “I want a boyfriend” but deep down you’re not ready, your soulmate will not come. You may meet guys who only want sex or who are not looking for a relationship. The moment you decide that you are ready and open and willing to meet your soulmate, he will appear.

2. Be available and open. Meet people. Stay at a hostel. Go to Full Moon Parties and group adventures. Strike up a conversation with the person sitting next to you on the ferry. You never know if they are going to introduce you to your soulmate. And allow yourself to be surprised! The love of your life may not come in the package that you had always imagined. My soulmate was not my usual Abercrombie all-American type and yet, I was really attracted to him. He made me feel beautiful, not just hot or sexy, but beautiful. And he made me laugh! He made my heart sing. Best of all, he brought out the best in me. He saw the kindness in my heart and celebrated that. So, take a chance! YES TO THE YING TIP: It doesn’t matter what he looks like, but how he makes you feel.

3. Ask questions. Connect! This is easiest to do when traveling. Ask him where he has traveled to, which city has been his favorite, what adventures he wants to do while he’s abroad. The best way to connect is to find something that you agree on. So, talk to him. Listen. And hopefully you’ll find things that you have in common. For me and my soulmate, we started a strong connection because we both have fathers who left us when we were young. I shared my story and asked him about his. Turns out they were surprisingly similar. We understood what the other one went through and the connection kept growing from there.

4. Be yourself. I’m sure you’re probably thinking, “le DUH! I know that!”, but it’s so easy to try and impress someone by trying to be something that you think they want. The moment I dropped down my walls and just spoke from my heart, we started to really fall in love with each other. Inner beauty trumps outer beauty every time. Being who you truly are will attract the right guy to you. Even the guys who just want sex will respect you more if you stay true to who you are without the walls. You attract what you are, so be yourself, know that you are worth it, and you will attract the person that best compliments you!

5. Trust that the Universe is on your side. I was really down and out because I had a death grip on my need to find my soulmate and had been visualizing everyday for a month exactly how we were going to meet and fall in love. When it didn’t happen on the plane like I thought it would, I was devastated. I started to lose faith. Then I remembered that The Universe is on my side and is going to bring my soulmate to me in a way better than anything I could have imagined. I had to release my desperate need to find him and remember that The Universe works in mysterious ways, that I just needed to  put my desire out there. Well– sure enough, once I allowed The Universe to handle all the details, I met him two days later on a train. It turned out to be a better story than I could have imagined! Trust that The Universe has your back. It’s taken care of you thus far, right?

I hope this inspires you to find your soulmate and feel the excitement and joy that I experienced.  Declare. Release. Rejoice. Your soulmate is out there! Subscribe to my blog for more tips on how to attract the man/woman that you want!

Much Love,

Alicia

 

3 Steps to Finding Where You Belong

I feel like it is difficult to find a place where you belong in LA. Yesterday, a girl friend of mine confessed that she didn’t feel like she belonged in her acting school, like people in her class didn’t care about whether she was there or not. She wanted to find her home, a place where she felt like she was welcomed and accepted. A place where she “fit in”.  I totally got it. I understood exactly where she was coming from. It completely reminded me of how I felt before I left LA. I felt alone even though I was surrounded by “friends.” I felt hollow because I kept on trying to act like the people in my crew. There wasn’t a place where I could truly be myself and be accepted. I wanted to find a place where I belonged. (Cue music: “Go The Distance” from Disney’s “Hercules”)

For those of you who don’t know, I went to Thailand for a month. Part of it was to have a backpacking adventure. The other part was to meet my dad who I hadn’t seen in 20 years. #FREAKOUT! This trip ended up being everything I wanted and more. As cheesy as it sounds, it was truly life-changing. I’ve always known who I was, but I didn’t know where I belonged. And for the first time in forever, I found everything my heart was desiring– I found my HOME♥ Here is how I found out where I belonged:

1. Get out of your normal space. Change of environment is a valid form of therapy. Granted, you don’t have to go to Thailand. Or even make an extensive trip. But if you are needing to find yourself, get out of your house. Go on a hike up to a peaceful look out. Or take yourself to a quiet beach. Somewhere that is beautiful to you. For me, it was Thailand. Naturally, I was able to drop the heavy loads of stress I had been carrying in LA. Completely surrounded by beaches that were truly paradise, water so blue and clear, lagoons and jungles that made me feel like I was in Neverland, I was able to let my worries fly away. With all these new exciting sights and sounds and people and food, it was impossible to not truly live in the present moment and really LIVE. I felt RADIANT, VIBRANT, ENGAGED, and full of LOVE. So this is what true living felt like! Give me more, please!

2. Get to know other people. Seriously– take a few moments and really ask someone else how they are and what they are doing. Find out their story. The moment you start being interested in someone else’s life, you’ll start to discover what really matters to you and what kind of friends you want and value. One of the biggest gifts this trip gave me were the friendships I made along the way. I finally felt CONNECTED. I met the most wonderful people on this journey! I bonded with wonderful Brits, Germans, Swiss, Dutch, Canadians, Spaniards, Texans, Utah, New Yorkers, and even made some delightful Thai friends. My favorites were these amazingly kind-hearted and like-minded Canadian girls who are now my life-long friends. Everyone was so open (it was hard not to be when you’re backpacking), so we were able to click and make a connection instantaneously. The bond became so strong as we explored each city and island with each other. Going on these adventures brought us closer together and magical memories were made. Laughter, adventure, exploration, dinners, parties, dancing, swimming, playing, shopping, getting massages, living! “Unbelievable sights, indescribable feelings…” To get beyond the palace walls of LA was invigorating! (Cue music: “A Whole New World” from Disney’s “Aladdin”). Each person was so special and had such an interesting story to tell. I enjoyed getting to know each one. I discovered what kind of people were “my kind of people” and who I wanted to spend my time with. They all have a special place in my heart.

3. Fall in love. WITH YOURSELF. Easier said than done, I know. But start to ask yourself: what do I like about myself? Sure, it can be your abs or your hair. More importantly, ask yourself: what are the qualities about me that I like? Am I creative? A good listener? Funny? Charming? Start to build a list of all the wonderful things that you are. I’ll bet there’s quite a bit of great stuff there! For me, I started seeing my natural beauty and it was pretty humbling. I had people tell me to stop worrying about whether I had makeup on or if my clothes matched or not. “STOP BEING SO LA!” a Texan told me. “You’re a nice girl. So sweet with a big heart. I like that about you,” a Dutch said. “You’re beautiful because of what shines out from your heart. You are so caring and kind and warm-hearted and generous. That’s what we love about you. That’s what makes you beautiful to me,” confessed a Canadian. I was moved to tears. The concept of inner beauty finally clicked in my head and I was finally able to embrace my own beauty and worth. I didn’t have to try so hard anymore. I could finally breathe. Oddly enough, it was effortless to be that way. Because it was just being who I already was  And I like the girl that I am. She’s pretty cool. Even if she is a bit of a princess sometimes 🙂

You’ll start to meet like-minded people who love you for all that you are and who lift you higher. When they come into your life, welcome them with open arms.  The place where you belong is wherever you are in your heart.  It doesn’t matter whether you are in the shittiest hotel or living in the grandest palace. All that matters is who you are with. Find yourself and you’ll find your family. Find your family and you will find where you belong.

xoxo

A

“Ohana means family. And family means no one gets left behind. Or forgotten.” -Lilo and Stitch

Quote- All You Need is Love

 

I was having a rough day (Mercury is in retrograde AND the moon is being all weird with this eclipse and another one coming up this month!), and my friend sent this to me. It immediately turned up the corners of my mouth into a smile.  Love is all anyone really needs. And a tiara is definitely nice. Aaand the cookie doesn’t ever hurt hehe 😀 Despite all the chaos and turmoil, my life is not so bad. Especially now that I have a cookie in my hand!

Rock the love, baby. Rock. The. Love.

xoxo

A