#uncollege

[ireony]

I miss Bali so much...

[intercontinentalcate-blog]

The Job Search is Over

When I decided to drop out of college, I knew I would get some flak for it, so I designed an alternative education plan for myself encompassing the rest of those 3 years I would have stayed in school. Phase 1: Work HARD. In this year long period, which began soon after returning home from school, I worked 3 jobs, 7-days-a-week, to gain experience in the hustle of life. Phase 2: Travel FAR. Over 15 months, I traveled to 8 countries on 4 continents, learning, volunteering, and networking. I chose the places I stayed based on what I would learn but I ended up receiving so much more than knowledge. Phase 3: Intern/Work in agriculture.

Phase 3 has recently been squared away. I have accepted a job in Northern California on a ranch that already has a successful wedding business. As the Farm Manager, I will build the farm up to the point of farm-to-table catering for the weddings. This property has a lot of plans for the future including summer and science camps and as we get closer to bringing those plans to fruition, I will also be able to grow with them. The garden I am planning for the wedding venue may also become our own Living Classroom for the Life Science Program of their Science Camp.

I am so grateful for this amazing opportunity. Not only is it exactly the kind of job I wished for 3 years ago when the future seemed so intangible, but due to the multitalented, hardworking, owners of the property, I will learn even more than I could have dreamed. My new boss likes to say he studied at “The University of Youtube” and anyone who knows me well can attest that Google has been my most consistent teacher over the years, so this pairing is divine. I am excited to learn about raising cattle and horses, making furniture, and building a camp. The possibilities are endless here, and I am blessed to be moving to a space that harbors such ingenuity.

I would like to thank all the people who believe(d) in me and my unique path. I will always be a cheerleader for those on an alternative path and I wish you all the best on what can seem like a scary, lonesome, road sometimes. You are not alone. 

This does mean that Intercontinental Cate will be grounded continentally for a while. But this is equally as exciting for me as my travels were. 

[fuckyeahradicaled]

A Personal Manifesto On Learning Bravely

Most of what I share is advice and theory, deeply rooted in my personal experiences, but not often about my own learning journey. So as the ...

Most of what I share is advice and theory, deeply rooted in my personal experiences, but not often about my own learning journey. So as the new year starts--and thanks to a bit of inspiration from

Sue Patterson’s unschooling manifesto

--I wanted to sit down and consider what types of attitudes I want to cultivate, and what pieces of advice I want to give to myself, as I continue my own grown-up unschooling. These are not so much specifics: “read more books” or “take up running,” these aren’t new year's resolutions (easily made and as easily broken), but instead I hope will act more as my own mini-manifesto for the coming year, a year in which I hope I can work on growing, healing, and learning bravely. Here goes!

My unschooling mug! (Society6)

Recognize when I’m stuck, and don’t let myself stay stuck for too long.

Get help when I need it. Professional help, support from friends, classes, whatever. I’m not a one-person island, and reaching out for support, in whatever way is needed, is a good thing.

Push outside my comfort zone. This is one of my biggest goals for this coming year! As a person with generalized anxiety disorder, pretty much EVERYTHING is outside my comfort zone, and the longer I stay in my little zone, the smaller it becomes. I need to always be expanding it, step by step, little by little, outwards if I want to do better.

Fun is important. Really important! It’s okay to enjoy something even if it doesn’t have an immediate, obvious “point.”

Quiet times are good in moderation, but a balance needs to be found. I love daydreaming and enjoying the small things of everyday life: --a good cup of coffee, a good cuddle session with my cat, a wonderful new novel. However, I can get so wrapped up in them I become isolated. Other people need to be a regular part of my life, too.

Stop comparing myself to others, and finding myself lacking. If I truly believe what I say about each person having their own unique timeline, I can’t keep thinking I’m at the “wrong” point on it.

Don’t ever be embarrassed to share what I’m interested in or excited about, even if--or maybe especially if--it’s something that I know some people would dismiss as unimportant.

Celebrate every tiny little success as if it’s a Big Deal, because it IS a big deal! It’s important to recognize progress, whether it’s big steps forward or small ones.

Despite what I tell myself, coffee does not actually help me do anything. Use it in moderation.

Inspiration doesn’t usually just pop up all on it’s own. Finding inspiration is work, a deliberate practice of paying attention, doing new things, engaging in conversation with others, and being genuinely thoughtful about what I read and see and hear.

Being brave in my work doesn’t only mean talking about my struggles (with anxiety and depression, mainly), it also means branching out with my writing, choosing topics that interest me, but I don’t know if others will want to read. It means creating more things in mediums I haven’t explored much before (video, audio). It means saying “yes” more to interview requests.

Productivity is a self perpetuating cycle. While it’s okay to not be productive sometimes, and my value as a human being is not attached to my productivity, when I do more, I feel better. And when I feel better, I do more. Once the ball starts rolling, I have to keep it rolling, even when things are hard. Doing only a little bit feels a whole lot better than doing nothing.

If you choose to join in and write your own mini-manifestos, please share the links in the comments. I’d love to read them!

If you like what I share, consider supporting me through Patreon

[lindortech]

As a founder, I mistook my work for self-worth

As a founder, I mistook my work for self-worth

Dale Stephens Contributor Share on Twitter Dale Stephens was one of the first Thiel Fellows and ran an education company for six years. These days he works an executive coach, helping entrepreneurs and executives grow as swift as their companies.

These days, most days are good days. My clients are founder and executives, I set my own schedule, and I live in a…

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[nikkisteninger-blog]

My first UnCollege work sprint product! Art on fashion, modeled by the lovely Lizzie. #uncollege #fashion #modernart #48hours (at San Francisco, California)

[havent-gotten-caught]

I already miss it

[nikkisteninger-blog]

#agrafort #india #redstone #palace #ispiice #uncollege (at 阿格拉堡)

[nikkisteninger-blog]

#tuktuk #india #traveling #mirror #eye #intense #uncollege #ispiice (at Agra, Uttar Pradesh)