Some of my friends are South American women, and they are the most interesting people that I’ve ever met in my life.
This woman from South America highly values freedom.
Q: What’s your ideal job?
A (Sofia, a 34-year-old South American lady): My ideal job is to be a freelance writer. I always wanted to write professionally when I was young, so now I’m working hard to improve my writing skills and techniques so that I can make my dream come true one day.
I think in order to be an outstanding writer, I must cultivate my creativity and expand my outlook. I’d like to focus on creative writing such as poems. Also, I’m interested in writing blog articles which are very popular on the Internet.
Because I have an inquiring mind, I have read a wealth of books regarding self-help, personal development, literature, and so on. Therefore, I would say I’m a knowledgeable and well-read person who has the potential to write remarkable pieces. I’m quite capable and efficient when it comes to computing skills, and I type really fast. Consequently, I’m sure I have the right skills to be an excellent writer in the 21st century.
Being a freelance writer means having freedom in life, which is something that I have always wanted. Because of modern technology, I can easily work from home and build my home-based freelance writing business. My plan is to set up an account at Upwork.com which helps me to find clients who are looking for longer articles, and then set up an account at Fiverr.com which has more clients looking for shorter articles. With these two platforms, I’ll be able to work at home with so much flexibility every day.
Being a freelance writer also means being a self-employed entrepreneur. I don’t like to be told what to do and I’d like to plan my own schedule, so I reckon running my own business is the best way to live my life on my terms. I am working hard in order to fulfil my potential because I’ve already found my calling.
This beautiful girl from South America is an avid reader.
Q: What’s your favorite book?
A (Valerie, a 21-year-old South American girl): My favorite book is The Happiness Trap written by Dr Russ Harris. This book is about how to improve our mental health which is a frequent topic of discussion in this day and age. Whenever I feel stressed out, I always turn to this book for help.
The main idea of this book is mindfulness. That means an individual should live in the moment right now and be an observer. When we are able to observe what’s going on, we are less likely to be mentally chaotic. That’s how we alleviate our pain and stress.
Another very enlightening message in this book is values. There is a values test in the book. After doing the test, I realized that my Top 3 values are knowledge, experience and connection. So, the author’s suggestion is I should be mindful on a daily basis, especially when difficult situations arise, and then take actions according to my values. For instance, if I feel nervous while preparing for an exam, I can take a deep breath and simply observe how I feel rather than struggle with my feelings. Then I look at my values: knowledge, experience and connection. Based on my values, I can learn something new, experience something exciting or talk to someone I care about. This kind of activities make me and my friends who are also South American girls truly happy.
Dr Russ Harris is a physician and therapist in Australia, although he was born in the United Kingdom. He is a leading expert on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy which is a very important concept in modern psychology.
In fact, I find Acceptance and Commitment Therapy very similar to Buddhism, because they share similar wisdom and practice such as being okay with things that are out of our control and meditation exercise.
Now if you ask me how I am able to cope with issues that I can’t change in my life, my answer is, “The trick is not minding.” Because I’m mindful and I’m observing what’s going on in my life, I feel less attached to my problems and that’s why not minding the pain is the key.
This South American beauty loves travel.
Q: Can you talk about a trip you took recently?
A (Isabella, a 37-year-old woman from South America): Recently I went to Florida, the United States. So far it was the best trip I’ve ever had in my life.
As the flight was international long haul, I purchased business class fare. Virgin Australia is the best airline in the Southern Hemisphere, so I had a bed on the plane. In fact, there was a desk, a TV and a bed – and that was my seat! I didn’t enjoy watching TV because I’m not a fan of any TV shows on the plane, but I certainly enjoyed reading books in bed.
The food served by Virgin Australia was scrumptious and the wine was seriously perfect as well. When I was flying from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale, the flight was upgraded to first class, so it was even more refreshing with better service.
Fort Lauderdale is a city in Florida, and it’s famous for its beautiful beach, sunshine and parties. I was partying very hard with a few celebrities there, so I really had a blast. I went to a beach party, a tropical cocktail party, a pool party and an Old Hollywood party. My trip was very well-planned; hence, I really had a good time.
Overall the experience was invigorating because I was so excited!
There are so many tourist attractions in Florida and the scenery was spectacular and breathtaking. I also met many new people and they have become my new friends.
The beach in Florida is the best I’ve ever seen in my life. I really enjoyed the tranquil and serene ocean early in the morning with a breeze sweeping across the ocean waves – it was so peaceful and soothing.
In general, I think the trip was rewarding because I rejuvenated myself in the process.
Instead of going to a fancy restaurant, this South American lady prefers a picnic in the park.
Q: Can you talk about your experience regarding having a picnic?
A (Valentina, a 30-year-old woman from South America): Last weekend my friends and I had a picnic in a park near my place. It was a breezy, shiny Saturday morning, so we decided to have brunch in the park.
My friend Caroline brought fish and chips; Tiffany brought a salad; I brought a chocolate cake. The food was scrumptious and balanced.
The weather was very nice and warm, so we were eating and chatting for a few hours. The grass in the park was neatly-mowed, and some other people were also there. Interestingly, two boys were also having a meal in the park near us, and I realized that they were my neighbors. So, we invited them to join us. As we forgot to bring any drinks, they offered to share their drinks with us. Then we had some lemonade and coke together. 
Tiffany is very health-conscious, so she decided to drink water instead and went to a shop near the park to buy a bottle of spring water. Maybe I should learn from her, because I really like sweet food and I reckon eating more wholesome food is probably better for me.
Nowadays most people prefer talking online, so they chat on Facebook. But my friends and I like catching up with each other more – maybe we are a bit old-fashioned, but we just like face-to-face communication which is still very important nowadays.
Compared with eating in a fancy restaurant, I like having a picnic in the park more, as it reminds me of my childhood. Also, it’s so much cheaper. When I was young, I used to go out with my classmates and had a lot of fun outside the house. We were playing in the nature. So, I believe I should still spend more time outside my home and enjoy more fresh air and sunshine with my friends who are also South American girls.
Quote: “South American women are great – they have so many interesting hobbies and interests that make me envy them!”
