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True Love is the Greatest Adventure

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PART IV It is crazy but exciting to think that after all of the ups and downs we have been through, we would be at this point in our lives. Finally, we're getting married! Well I guess you pretty much assumed correct of the end result since the last story! We have worked really hard to get us to get back to how things were like in Panama and relationships are no walk in a park. 😆  Much of the beginning of 2018 was like going on as many " 50 First Dates"  as we could.  Although many have said that we would never make it this far; Javier was crazy to come half way across the world; and even our countries denying us visas to be together, this journey that our love has taken us on has been one of the greatest adventures that I would relive over and over again. Sometimes you wonder why do events happen in your life and the path you thought you would take actually ends up changing. In my opinion, that is what makes life a little more interesting. ...

Does Love Always Win?

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PART III I had shown up about 6 hours early to the airport because I was that excited and anxious to see him. I had slept a little on some couches at the airport and remember that his flight was delayed about two more hours because of the weather! I was even more nervous when then, I received a phone call from immigration in South Korea. "Hello?" "Hello. This is immigration at Incheon Airport in Seoul. Do you know Ja-bier Alexis Cruz Caba-lero?" "Yes! Where is he?..." "He is here and ........." I was so nervous, I could not pay attention to what she was saying. I was thinking in my head, he does not know that much English! They probably stopped him! What if they are sending him back? We were so close! 😭😭😭😭 ".... does he have a return ticket?" "Uhh.. YES! YES! I have it." "Okay.... (She says something else but I can't recall because of nerves.) -He is on his way." I still remember the ...

Love Wins.

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PART II While the signs were leading us to accept defeat, Javier encouraged us to not give up.  I am so grateful for Javier. I came up with a new idea and we agreed that I would try once again to get a teaching English job in Asia and send for Javier after. This time, we learned from our previous errors and decided to focus on South Korea due to a higher salary, lower cost of living, and a better chance for visas in comparison to the other options that had failed. Plus, my step-dad wanted me out NOW and South Korean employers were offering me free housing too. It was still risky but was worth a shot to try.  What did we have to lose? I felt more motivated and focused because we created a new goal that seemed not impossible, however, it was not going to be easy either. Javier was still in Panama and I was back at my parents house working part-time jobs. To add, returning back to the USA and searching for a job was not easy because many people expected me (and...

Vegan Cupcake Bites

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While my some friends and family say they are not into vegan dishes, this recipe is one of their all time favorites. I made this for a tea party with family and friends and lets just say, when I finally had a chance to make my way to the table grab a cupcake, they were practically gone! Plus, the coconut and vanilla together make these flavorful and a well-rounded bite. Hoping you guys will enjoy these as much as we did! vegan cupcake Bites  Prep time 15 mins Cook time 15 minutes Total time 35 mins A sweet vegan dessert that is small enough to pop in your mouth and great for parties with family and friends.   Author:  Megan Rudnik Cuisine:  Vegan Serves: 24 mini cupcakes Ingredients 1 and 3/4 cup of flour 1 cup of coconut sugar* (gives cupcakes a brown color) 1 tsp baking soda 1 cup of coconut milk* 1/2 tsp salt  2 tsp vanilla 1/3 cup grape seed oil* 1 Tbsp vinegar   ...

Love Wins?

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Part I After my Peace Corps service in Panama ended, we wanted to continue our relationship. Also, we agreed that we wanted more time to work through any other relationship "bumps" before we actually married. Both of us take marriage seriously and do not want to take this decision lightly and end up in divorce. Therefore, we tried for a USA tourist visa to see if moving to my country was best for us. I wanted to live in a more modern setting and needed a break from the  campo  lifestyle in Panama. In fact, some of his friends in Panama had mentioned that they did not like living in the USA so we wanted to see if Javier would like it and be open to start a new life there before anything else. Plus, it was a cheaper option to start since I did not have a great paying job yet and some of my family was not very supportive of us. We did not want end up like most of the  90 Day Fiancé  couples on  TLC, which was to do the K-1 visa that required thousan...

5 Ways to Maintain a Long Distance Relationship

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I never expected that I would fall for someone who lived far away from me! While I still wanted to pursue some of my dreams and career interests, I did not want to end our awesome relationship due to bad timing in life or thinking that it was not meant to be. Plus, some friends who were in similar situations had told me that even though the distance was hard, it will help you and your partner to COMMUNICATE A WHOLE LOT BETTER. Over time, I have learned this to be true since the time away has not only helped us to understand ourselves more, but to build a strong, trusting relationship. Some ways that I keep my long distance relationship going are: 1. SKYPE DATES Scheduling a date when you all will have a skype date will give you both something to look forward to! Plus, scheduling a time the two of you can devote to each other is important to keep the bond strong. Then, you will have no interruptions for deep conversations, sharing secrets, and some pillow talk which may even le...

Should You Oil Pull?

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I noticed that my mouth would be really dry after using the regular mouthwash which of course is not good! If your mouth gets too dry, it causes cavities and bad dental health. I wanted to find some alternative that was better and of course more natural to improve my dental hygiene routine. So...... I found that oil pulling could be a better way to replace my typical mouthwash regime. WHAT IS OIL PULLING? I wanted to use coconut oil but I believe you can use any oil of your choice and swish about a tablespoon or two in your mouth, from 10 to 20 minutes. For me, I wanted a better way to prevent bad breath, gingivitis, and plaque rather than traditional alcohol based mouthwashes. On the other hand, a few other sites, like Wellness Mama  and WEBMD , mentioned that another benefit of oil pulling was that it may rid of the whole body of toxins too! HOW TO DO IT: This was an experiment I wanted to try so a few things that I did were: 1. Waited about 1 hour after eating ...