Category: Lifestyle

Lifestyle

Bucket List Item: Phuket, Thailand

by juliettetameka12 Comments on Bucket List Item: Phuket, Thailand

I finally made it to Thailand! I have been living in Korea for the past 23 months, and finally got a chance to do what I said I was going to do before I got here. Thailand has been a dream destination of mine for about five years now, and it finally happened. This trip was a “baecation” which was a first for me, and had its challenges, but it was fun nonetheless. I actually traveled to Bali after Phuket, but I will talk about that in another post.

We started our voyage to Phuket from Incheon Airport in Seoul. Side note, having an American Express Platinum Card is AMAZING when you’re traveling abroad. One benefit of the card is a free Priority Pass membership which gives you access to the executive and business lounges in the airport. They usually are equipped with comfortable seating, free food, wi-fi, wine, beer, and TV. They are the best for long layovers, or if you get to the airport early and are just waiting to board. It definitely beats waiting at the gate with hundreds of people. For military members all the fees are waived, which is an extra perk. If you would like to apply for the card here is my referral link.

Anywho, the first day that we arrived was pretty late. We stayed at the Bandara Phuket Beach Resort in Panwa. The area was more quiet than the busy city of Patong, but it was nice and the people were very friendly. The breakfast buffet that we had there was amazing. The pool had a restaurant and bar attached that had really good food and a nice happy hour special for drinks. There is a fitness room there that opens at 8am if you would like to keep up with your fitness while on vacation. We used it twice.

While we were in Phuket we did a lot! We saw Big Buddha, went to Tiger Kingdom, Patong Beach, ate at some really cool restaurants, did a James Bond Island excursion, Phi Phi Island excursion, ate street food at a night market, and even went to a ping pong show (if you know, you know). If I were to tell you about each day, this post would be too long, so I’ll just give you the highlights. My favorite part of the trip was the James Bond Island tour. The tour was a free gift to us because I took advantage of the offer from the Club Wyndham representatives at Tiger Kingdom. They gave us roundtrip transportation from our hotel and included lunch, drinks, and fruit as a snack. We went to a few smaller secluded islands and had the chance to go snorkeling and canoeing through the limestone rocks in the ocean. James Bond Island was a beautiful site and I would highly recommend checking it out if you’re in Phuket. Phi Phi Island was cool too, but the experience wasn’t as good as the James Bond Island tour. The next time I visit that area I will actually stay on Phi Phi Island.

If you would like more information about this vacation, feel free to contact me. Be blessed!

Walking up to Big Buddha in Phuket
Lifestyle

Climbing Mt. Katsuu

by juliettetamekaLeave a Comment on Climbing Mt. Katsuu
Climbing Mt. Katsuu

This Labor Day weekend I traveled to Okinawa, Japan to spend time with my beau and get away from Korea. My last trip to Okinawa was in June, and was not that great, so I was a little apprehensive but gave it another try. This time the weather was amazing as opposed to the rain and total downpour that I experienced while visiting in June. I was able to do way more “outdoorsy” activities and enjoyed my time there very much.

Since we decided to relax on Friday night instead of going out to party we were able to wake up early enough on Saturday to go hiking. I had no idea what we were going to get ourselves into, but I decided to be optimistic. As we start heading up the mountain, it’s kind of steep but we figured that it wasn’t going to be like that the entire time, but boy were we wrong. It took about 45 minutes to climb the mountain with a couple picture breaks in between. On the way up the mountain we passed a guy who warned us of how steep it was, but we still were not prepared for the amount of climbing we had to do. Once we got to the top of the mountain it made it all worth it though. I was tired, sweaty, and my legs were shaking once I saw how high we actually were.

Reaching the top of Mt. Katsuu with a person that I love and care about very much was an amazing feeling. There was a family that we ended up passing by on the way up that eventually caught up to us and offered to take our pictures. My beau got some amazing shots of me as well, and of course I made him shout out his love for me once we got to the top of the mountain. Overall, it was a great experience that I probably won’t want to do again. It was cool and all, but I only need to try it once. It was super steep and we were sooo tired afterwards.

Informal, Inspirational, Lifestyle, Queen Pics, Uncategorized

Something’s Changed

by juliettetamekaLeave a Comment on Something’s Changed
Something’s Changed

Hey y’all! So, recently I have been feeling really happy lately. Like something has definitely shifted in my life. I am receiving love and positive attention from every angle. Things are going great at work, I have people in my life that love and appreciate me. Strangers even take the time out to tell me how special I am. So what really changed? What brought about all this positive energy? 

I know what changed. My mindset, my outlook on life. I know it may seem like I have always been this positive person, and that’s true but we all have our own insecurities, and that includes me. Nowadays, I am more secure in myself and my abilities. I don’t stress about how I look, if people will like me, how much money I make, etc. I just know that everything will work out for me in the end. I am vibrating on a frequency of love and happiness because that’s how I truly feel. Since I give that energy out to the world, that is what I am receiving. 

As a woman, I automatically possess this divine power, but being a black woman makes it even more special. Being in Korea has made me realize that. To a lot of people, I am this exotic being. I get so many stares and looks that I don’t even notice it anymore until one of my friends points it out. When you live in your own little world of peace and love, you tend to block all of that out, at least I do. I just want to do my best to continue to live a life that others look up to and to inspire the next generation in my own special way. 

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Imformation, Lifestyle, Uncategorized

So, it’s been awhile!!

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So, it’s been awhile!!

Hello everyone!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted on my blog, and I just wanted to catch you up on some things that have been going on with me. If you follow me on social media, you have seen how busy Korea has been keeping me. This PCS was a blessing that I didn’t know I needed. Since I’ve been here my credit has gone up, I’m more confident, I’ve gotten to know myself better, and overall I am just happy with the woman I’m becoming. My last blog post was about me getting fit, and I did just that. I got the best score on my Air Force Fitness Test that I’ve gotten in my entire Korea. I think not having a car in Korea and working out consistently really helped. I was surprised at myself when I heard my scores.

I’ve also made some new friends, explored Korea a lot, and even won an award at work. Things have been really great here for me these past ten months. Most people would be preparing to leave here around this time, but I still have 14 months left. My first international vacation while being in Korea is going to be to the Philippines. I’m excited to visit, although it was never on my list of places to see, but why not? I may actually start vlogging while I’m there, but we shall see. This was just meant to be a quick post since I haven’t written in a while. I have a lot of new ideas for 2019. I just hope that I can keep up with myself because I’m barely making it now with my jam-packed schedule, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Life is great!

Inspirational, Lifestyle, motivation

Get Fit With Me!

by juliettetamekaLeave a Comment on Get Fit With Me!
Get Fit With Me!

Hello everyone!

It’s Easter and April Fool’s Day! Holiday’s aren’t the same for me over here, it’s just another day when you aren’t around your loved ones. Any who, today I wanted to talk about something that we can all relate to and affects us all, our health. Health and wellness has been important to for a while now. Growing up I watched my mother become sick and I just knew that if she had taken better care of herself, she might be here with us today. That motivated me to make sure that I made better decisions when it came to my health. I also like to look good, and there was a time when I wasn’t comfortable with my body. Social media can definitely make us feel less confident about ourselves. I have spent hours looking at others girls on Instagram with the banging  bodies and figures and wanted to emulate that look. Now I just try to be the best version of myself. So for the month of April, I challenge you! If you haven’t already, you can start of the second quarter of 2018 on the right foot with your fitness goals. I’ll be doing this challenge as well. I’ll be posting tips and meals on my fitness page on Instagram. You can follow me here Julie Fitness. We all want to look and feel our best, but sometimes we need that extra push when the self motivation is lacking. I already have about five people that are joining me on this challenge, and I actually saw it from another one of my friends, and it inspired me.

I recently purchased a Vitamix Blender, so I’ll be sharing recipes for that also, and maybe I’ll make some videos. There’s more to come on that. Other than that, I hope that you join me on this challenge. Hopefully it starts off as a challenge and turns into a lifestyle, because at the end of the day that’s what it has to be. Start off by cutting the things out of your diet that aren’t good for you, and it will be easier to make healthier options everyday. That’s what I did and for the most part, I am pretty healthy. Thanks for stopping by, and if you’re with me on this challenge leave a comment. Have a be-YOU-tiful day!

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Informal, Inspirational, Lifestyle, Queen Pics

Accomplishments & Cocktails!

by juliettetamekaLeave a Comment on Accomplishments & Cocktails!
Accomplishments & Cocktails!

I found my new favorite spot in South Korea! Okay so I know I haven’t been giving you guys that many updates about my time in Korea, but it’s coming, I promise. I finally finished studying for my CompTIA Security + Certification, which I passed! I am now CompTIA Security + certified, and the feeling that I had when I passed that exam was pure joy. I was so excited that I did the Lebron once I walked out of the testing room. I had focused and studied for that test shortly after arriving to Osan, so for about two months. This was my third time testing and I was the only person in my work center that was not certified and that is a certification that is needed for my job, so the pressure was definitely there. Any who, I don’t want to get too deep into that. If you want to learn more about the certification just follow the hyperlink…

Today I also took my E-6 promotion test. I have been in the Air Force for eight years now, and I feel like it is time for me to step into that next level of leadership. E-6 is the rank of Technical Sergeant in the Air Force, and in my opinion, it’s when people really start to take you seriously. This was my fourth time testing for promotion, and I’ve watched some of my peers pass me by in rank. Some people would look at that as a failure on my part, but I don’t. I am proud of all of my peers who joined the Air Force the same time or shortly after me that have already made E-6. I know what type of work has to go into achieving that rank. I was focused on other things these last couple of years, and financially I still made the same amount as them, because I wasn’t solely focused on the Air Force being my only source of income. With that being said, I am happy that I tested for this promotion cycle and I don’t have to worry about it again until the results come out in the summer.

The past weekend I explored Suwon with some of my friends, and enjoyed a nice cocktail in the Songtan Entertainment District (SED) after our fun day. The SED is literally about a five minute walk from my home and it has many different restaurants, cafes, bars, and clubs. It is what makes Osan so much fun. The one really cute cafe called Cafe CF had the nicest atmosphere and the prettiest drinks and decor. I fell in love with it and I am happy that I get to enjoy it for the next 21 months! After we left Cafe CF we went to one of our regular spots and I ordered my favorite blue drink there. I think it is definitely important for you to get out of the house and destress. I felt like I’ve been cooped up for the past two months, but this weekend was really fun and I enjoyed myself getting away from the base. Trust me, there is more to come!

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Here’s a photo of my “Blue Think” from the Think Lounge in the SED. (Photo taken by iPhone 7 Plus)