Megan Unbounded

My vision to live a happy life is having the ability to travel the world and work for myself. Though I did not want to lose focus on these important goals this year, I made a vision board to get me started. While some say beauty equals happiness, I think the opposite; happiness is the secret to both inner and outer beauty. Don't you feel more confident and beautiful when you are happy?! Here are my 3 tips to take the steps in the right direction towards your goals, improved happiness and beauty! 1. Brainstorm & Make a List Let your mind go at it and write down the things that you have wanted to do. Actually, just write it all down and do not worry if everything seems crazy and all over the place! We will organize the goals in the next step. My best recommendation to complete this process is to meditate. I believe that it helps to really focus on what are your inner desires with an iPad or notepad close by to scribble it down. Being in silence and away from distract...

My first thoughts when I arrived in Beijing were that there were so many trees, more than I was expecting after reading about pollution issues in China! Also, the sky was clear and blue when I came during the transition of summer to autumn. In fact, China during the fall and spring months are the best periods of the year to enjoy Beijing. However, I want to leave it up to you to decide yourself what you think about China! To start, some of the places I enjoyed while exploring Beijing are: THE FORBIDDEN CITY/JINGSHAN PARK If you are a student and have your identification card, you can enter at a discount. It was cool to see the palace and where they lived back then. My favorite part though was the garden at the end. BEIHAI PARK This park reminds me of a stereotypical garden that you would see in the movies! It is so pretty and a temple at the top to enjoy the views of Beijing. It is a bit of walking distance from the Forbidden City and my favorite suggestion would be...

I decided to go to China through a teaching English program and had the opportunity to test out multiple types of schools that revealed positives and negatives when working with schools directly, being managed by a placement agency, and choosing between an international or national Chinese program. I hope to share with you all some of my observations and experiences shared with me about working as an English teacher in China before making that big move! _________________________________________________________________________________ CHINESE AGENCY Not a bad option if you are a first timer in China and a great way to get started when you do not know the culture, language, etc. My suggestion is do at least a 6 month contract with an agency so you can transition well into China. PRO If you do not know how to read, write, and speak Chinese, this is the best choice to start because they will assist with the visa process, help with setting up a bank account, register a...

Curried Chickpea Soup is one of my favorites to cook, especially with fresh coconut milk to give it a buttery taste! This soup has an earthy, nutty taste that I like to enjoy during the cooler months and with a little spice to bring the heat. Enjoy the yummy combination of sweet and spicy. All these flavors with the tomatoes, spinach, ginger, garlic, and onion complement each other and some side dishes that I like with the curried chickpea soup are coconut rice and vegan naan bread. curried chickpea soup Prep time 15 mins Cook time 1 hour Total time 1 hour 15 minutes A fulfilling curry dish with a balance of sweet coconut milk and spices. Packed with protein and fiber, best served with coconut rice or enjoyed with a side of naan bread.  Author:  Megan Rudnik Cuisine:  Indian, Vegan, Gluten-Free Serves: 3 INGREDIENTS 1/2 lb of chickpeas, soaked for 5 hours (or 1 can of chickpeas**) 2 cups of water (or...

Are you deciding to move to Beiijing, China?! STAY OPEN MINDED Have you ever thought people would eat roaches off a stick? How about scorpions or grass hoppers? For me, China has been the most unique place I have traveled to so far. But, being open to the experience and maintaining a worldly perspective have helped me to adapt to the cultural differences that I have encountered. LEAVE BEIJING FOR THE HOLIDAYS While I really wanted to see the holiday parades and some tourist sites over the long holidays, they actually turned out to be the worst times to go see any tourist attractions in Beijing! First, the pollution was really bad where you needed to wear a mask and the skies were hazy, which I assume was due to the massive movement of city dwellers leaving Beijing and rural residents coming into it. Also, those that do not live in the city and foreigners that may be traveling during these times too are all trying to see the events and take advantage of their time off to see ...

If you are looking for some changes this year in your beauty routine, I have a few suggestions and tips I have received while traveling around the world this year. My top 4 tips that are now my favorite go-tos that I have learned along the way from friends from various cultures are:   1. Rose Water (or Fresh Herbal Teas) I first fell in love with rose tea while I was in China and just about every person I met, they were drinking some type of flower tea! I remember one of my Chinese friend's made a cup one day and it smelled so good. At the grocery stores, they were easily available in Beijing and that was when I started to experiment with rose water and noticed the great benefits it can do for your skin! Maybe I got a little too carried away and was not only drinking rose water but bathing with it too. It reduces acne when using as an ingredient in a facial cleanser or as a face toner. Softens, refreshes, and relieves dry skin after bathing with it. An aromathe...