Hi! My name is MJ.

I’m a world traveler, big sister, and college student. My main goal in life is to explore the entire world. That definitely seems a bit overwhelming, but the hardest part of any goal is starting. I’ve been everywhere from Mexico to England to Slovakia and more. My favorite parts of traveling are getting to know the people, trying new foods, and taking pictures of local plants, animals and landscapes.

As a college student, I’m not only looking for a degree but I’m looking to gain new perspectives and experiences. And as an older sister to three young girls, I want to be a bold and adventurous role model. I strive to encourage them to be themselves, to take up space, and to be curious humans. I love learning and I always try to pass my love of gaining knowledge to my three mini-me’s.

My blog showcases my travels, passions, and things I’ve learned along the way as I become the best version of myself. Feel free to look around!

In midtown Manhattan on March 8, 2015 there was a women’s march for International Women’s Day. It was a fun and empowering movement for women of all ages. Later that year in November, my father bought a game that we took turns playing. As an 11 year old girl, I loved that game. It was fun and made me feel so happy playing it. What I didn’t know is that the reason I loved this game so much was because of its main character.

A photograph I took at the 2015 march for women’s rights.

Rise of the Tomb Raider has been a popular game since its release in 2015. It’s a third person adventure game that revolves around users playing as Lara Croft, a strong female protagonist. She’s on a quest to use her dead father’s research in order to discover a lost city with the promise of immortality.

For anyone who has played third-person games such as Rise of the Tomb Raider, they know that 99% of the main characters are male protagonists. The first Tomb Raider game of this series came out in 1996. This was during the start of something known as the “third wave of feminism”. From the 1990s up until the mid-2010s, feminism was on the rise. Women of all ages began to voice their opinions on matters such as the wage gaps between men and women, reproductive rights, and more.

The release of this game in 2015 was seen as a win for many women, as it features Lara Croft as a strong, independent and resilient woman. Through the course of the game, she gets shot at, trapped under stone, burned, shanked, and more. However, she still makes it to the end of the game to finish her father’s work.

I believe the argument made in this game, though not directly stated, is that women are just as capable as men, if not more. Though the things Lara Croft goes through in the game are unrealistic and made up, the meaning behind her journey holds true. Rise of the Tomb Raider never makes Lara, as a woman, seem weaker than any of the male characters in the game. They focus more on her abilities and her fearlessness. Even when she hit dead ends during gameplay, her character thought outside of the box and pulled through. 

A picture of my original copy of Rise of the Tomb Raider that my dad bought me at age 11.

Overall, I believe Lara Croft in Rise of the Tomb Raider is an amazing representation of a strong female protagonist and a great role model for women. There are a total of 19 Tomb Raider games that have been released as of today, and each of them have been super engaging for all of its players.

Sadly, Lara Croft has slowly been viewed as a sex symbol in recent years. In the male-dominated field of video game design, female characters have the possibility to be presented as a symbol of female empowerment or objectified beyond belief. Hopefully, Lara’s legacy continues on a positive path, as she’s one of the few female video game protagonists who stand for women’s capability and strength.

How to use traditional and digital writing styles to work together and increase business with clientele.

“Traditional” advertisements can be seen in newspapers, on billboards, and even on the radio. However, in recent years advertisements have become more digital. Social media posts, short ads between YouTube videos, and even sponsorships have become increasingly popular within the last 10-15 years. 

Realtor Barbora Jerabek utilizes both traditional and digital writing styles to reach various audiences. Her monthly card is sent to homes all across Hampton Roads. These cards are seen by those in various stages of life. Barbora’s goal is to help couples and families alike find homes best suited for their needs.

Above: A photograph of Realtor Barbora Jerabek’s Christmas card for the month of December.

When looking to reach older couples headed into retirement, her cards are most efficient. Many older folks are not active on social media and prefer paper copies of most things. Barbora caters to this audience by showcasing homes of interest to this audience. Houses near beaches and smaller, one-story homes are better suited for these individuals as they are looking to rest and their bodies are aging.

Above: A photo of Realtor Barbora Jerabek’s Instagram account, showcasing her services and areas of expertise.

@friendsinrealty on Instagram

When looking to reach younger couples or families, Barbora’s social media posts are more efficient. Young families are typically looking for homes they can grow into. Multi-room houses with plenty of kitchen and backyard space are what a majority of these couples are looking for to accommodate their children. She showcases these options on her social media, as well as showing young people ways to improve their credit and decrease their debt.

Both of these forms of advertisements are intending to reach a widespread group of people. They each display key elements that are of interest to the groups they intend to reach, and show the knowledge of Mrs. Jerabek as a realtor. However, these differ slightly when it comes to how the content is displayed.

On social media, Barbora shares more personal information about herself and her story, whereas in cards less of her personal information is shown. Her reasoning behind this is that cards may reach both people young and old, and those young people who seek out her social media accounts such as Instagram are looking to get to know her better. By sharing personal details and her story, she gains a bit of trust and shows her personality more with clients.

Overall, Realtor Barbora Jerabek utilizes her advertisements, both digital and traditional, to reach specific audiences in order to increase her clientele. She’s helped two lovely families close on homes this month, and can’t wait to help others find the houses of their dreams!

My senior year of high school I took a trip to Mexico for spring break. I went snorkeling with seven-foot stingrays and some enormous sea turtles, and even swam with hundreds of fish in a sinkhole 9 meters deep inside of a cave full of bats. It was after this trip that I became obsessed with the marine life that our earth’s oceans have to offer.

In the midst of my obsession, I wanted nothing more than to be close with those animals again. It wasn’t realistic to go back to Mexico, so I picked my second-best option, the Virginia Aquarium. I lived only 20 minutes away, so on my birthday my boyfriend drove me there and we got a year-long membership. Every chance I got I was going to visit the animals, so here’s my opinion on the Virginia Aquarium. 

When it comes to pricing, the tickets for a day pass are a bit expensive, but the memberships for 2 people or for a family are definitely worth it! There are so many exhibits to visit that people of all ages will enjoy.

For young children, there are interactive stations at most of the animal exhibits and games that are not only fun, but also educational. The staff are absolutely wonderful and are happy to answer all of your childrens’ (or even your) questions. They are extremely knowledgeable about the animals they care for. The aquarium caters to all age groups and interests (including those who love snakes, komodo dragons, poison dart frogs, crocodiles, and more!).

In my opinion, the top 3 exhibits for people of all ages at the Virginia Aquarium are:

• The Jellyfish Room
• The Sea Turtle Tank
• The Red Sea Tunnel

The Sea Turtle Tank is second, with the most friendly sea turtles I’ve met at any aquarium. These guys are big! They love to come up to the glass and interact with younger kids and will even hold still for photographs. Watching them swim around their tank is always a joy.

Finally, the top exhibit at the Virginia Aquarium is the Red Sea Tunnel. This tunnel is breathtaking for both young and old visitors. A walk through this exhibit includes a 180° view of various creatures native to the Red Sea gliding around you. With dozens of fish and a handful of sharks and stingrays, this exhibit is a worthwhile long-lasting memory for any family, couple, or individual!

Overall, the Virginia Aquarium is the perfect fun trip for Virginia residents and tourists alike. My only complaint would have been that they need more exhibits, but they recently announced they are building an addition with more animals to love (which will be opening very soon)!

This experience comes nowhere near to experiencing these animals in the wild as I did in years past, however they do have a lot to offer in terms of safe activities and interactions for younger children. I see this aquarium not as a place to visit on vacation, but a place to take children to spark their interests and curiosity of the world around them.

Traveling to Sicily was one of the worst trips of my entire life. It may have been a nightmare, but the beautiful views made up for it in the end…sort of. 

This past July, my younger sister and I began our trip in Virginia Beach, driving 45 minutes to the Norfolk airport. From there we flew to JFK, which is known as the worst airport in America when it comes to delays. The plane ride wasn’t too bad, aside from the British guy who sat next to us and kept demanding the flight attendant bring him a beer. Our next plane departed from JFK and we flew 10 hours to Prague, Czechia. I sat between a man and his teenage son, who kept falling asleep on my tray table. 

My sister took this photo when her BeReal notification went off on the plane. The British guy asked to be in it and she let him.

After arriving in Prague, we gathered our suitcases and took an Uber to a train station. It took two train rides totaling about 10 hours to get to a small town called Spišská Nová Ves in Slovakia. Typically that trip would have taken 8 hours, but in the middle of the night the train broke down and we were stuck on the tracks until a repair crew arrived to fix the train. We spent a couple nights in Slovakia with some family who were going to be traveling the rest of the way with my sister and I.

After our break from the long days of traveling, we got on a train and traveled two hours to Košice, and a plane there took us to Catania, located in Sicily, Italy. Finally, we took the strangest taxi ride to the edge of the neighborhood we were staying in. This man was swerving, puffing on a cigarette, and talking loudly to himself while making absolutely no sense.

My parents, three sisters and I arrived at the AirBnB in the middle of the night, only to find that the place my Uncle had booked for us had only two bedrooms, one tiny bathroom, no air conditioning, and had an ant infestation. The amount of effort it had taken to get here left me in tears when I saw the state of the house we were staying in for the next seven days. As my family settled in as best they could, I laid on a tiny bed wondering if I was even going to make it back home.

The next morning, my parents told us we were taking a hike to go to the beach. This sounds fun for most people, but for someone as pale as I am and who hates the feeling of sand on her skin, this sounded like a death sentence. I would have rather done anything else, but I decided to suck it up and go for my family’s sake.

It felt like a million degrees outside that day. The water was cool and refreshing which was a relief.

What I saw on that hike were some of the most gorgeous views I had ever seen. Overall, I don’t regret going on that trip but I definitely will not be making that trip again in the near future.

This is one of my favorite pictures from the trip. The water looked amazing and I loved looking at the town in the distance.