A person’s experiences, background, and passions, all contribute to their journey in life. For my guest Maria Alejandra Lopez, she was ready to make the most of it. Being bilingual, she has used that ability, along with her love of learning, to create her business, Bee Bilingual Designs. She shares how being the artist of your own life can paint the most beautiful picture for yourself and others. 

Throughout our conversation, it became evident that there were two main themes Maria revealed. The first was learning to “melt together” your skills, passions, and experiences, and the second was the idea of mentorship. With those two themes in mind, Maria gives insight and shares her wisdom and experiences that will inspire you to be the artist of your own life.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode39

Watch our free on-demand workshop to learn more about flexible work opportunities beyond the classroom: https://www.educatorforever.com/workshop

Take our free quiz to discover your next career step: https://www.educatorforever.com/quiz

Follow us on Instagram @educatorforever.

Lily

Maria Alejandra Lopez has been an educator for over five years in New York City, where she taught history at an international school that caters to incoming immigrants from all over the world. Prior to this, she worked as a financial contract translator for Goldman Sachs, where she gained tons of experience translating in a corporate setting. Maria graduated from Rutgers University with a BA in history and cultural anthropology, and she holds a master's of arts and social studies in secondary education from Lehman College CUNY.

Lily

As a former NYC Teaching Fellow Maria's career as an educator has tailored and driven her to start her own business in curriculum writing, designing and translation of pedagogical materials. She is the founder of Bee Bilingual Designs, where she creates designs and translates materials for organizations, schools, foundations, businesses, and more. And most recently, Maria became a Fulbright scholar, and will be transitioning her career to Latin America for the upcoming school year.

Lily

Hi, Maria, so glad to have you on the podcast.

Maria

Hi, thank you for inviting me. I'm super excited to be here.

Lily

Yay. Well if you can start us off by telling us about your journey as an educator.

Maria

Maria

Maria

And today or yesterday marked the end of that journey. So it has been five years fast forward to now. But my whole career has been in New York City as an educator at an international school teaching history. And it's been quite a journey. It's been awesome.

Lily

Wonderful. And I know along that journey, you kind of started thinking about doing some work outside of the classroom. Can you tell us kind of how you started thinking about that or what you started doing?

Maria

Yeah, so I mentioned I was a translator before getting into education. I translated financial documents at Goldman Sachs for just a year and a half. But prior to that, I've been a tutor, like I was a summer camp, sort of counselors, I've done things in education, just not official. And maybe I want to say, into my second year, I love the classroom.

Maria

But from the beginning, I knew that it was something I did not see myself doing full time for a long time. I love education, I love history. And then I had the skill of translating documents. So it's always been in the back of my head, like how do I get my experience? How do I get my skill set, I have my interests like all in one?

Maria

So second year, sort of thinking of ways to, to combine everything, and then the pandemic hit. So everything was kind of stalled for like a year. But it gave me so much like a lot of tools and a lot of like time to kind of just go around and like journal write a lot, blog, which we'll get to in like in a moment.

Maria

And then I found you I found Lily Jones. I don't know how like, I think I was linked on LinkedIn, or I was on Google. But I started Googling, like, how to transition out of the classroom, like how to make this like, you know, feasible. Is it feasible, like all these questions that you have when I mean, it was my first like real real job too I was well, like 25-24. So it's all these questions, a lot of Googling, a lot of writing, but it was there.

Maria

I want to say second year, it was when I started kind of questioning a lot of things not to leave me to leave the physical classroom, yes. But to expand my career in education, which I think is super needed, especially now and especially after the pandemic that we know there's so many ways to be creative and to have flexibility on both ends for the students for the parents and for the educators.

Maria

Like we we move like around a lot, so I think it's necessary. Yeah, but yeah, so landing your page was also like enlightening, like, oh, people think like me, like I'm not the only crazy person thinking that I think it's possible to like, just shift and so early on.

Lily

Yeah, I think that's awesome. I did the same Google searches like many years ago, I've just been like, what can I do? I want in education. But I, at that point, you know, had just had my daughter and was like, I want to stay home with my baby, I need to make at least my teaching income. But what can I do?

Lily

It's like, yeah, normalizing that we all have different circumstances or things we want to do. And also that we deserve to have different career pathways, like you can create whatever career pathway in education works for you. And I think we don't often see different possibilities. So it feels so limiting.

Maria

For sure. And the structures, I guess, like the educational structures, we're in, like the Department of Education in New York, there's like a one way like everyone kind of we all go this one way. And so it feels limited. Like it feels it doesn't feel like you are being I guess stimulated intellectually. And that's also a part of the of the journey. Like I want to learn. I'm a teacher, but I also need and I want to learn.

Lily

Totally. I felt like that too. Like, it gets to be kind of, like Groundhog's Day. I mean, I've taught for seven years, and it just got perpetually like, wait, I feel like I've done this before. Exactly. Like, some parts were comforting, but it was like, alright, this gets a little easier each time. Yeah, first got kind of boring. Like, wait, no. Okay, take out my first week of school stuff. Like do it again, make the copies yeah, I totally understand that.

Maria

Completely. And I think it goes beyond I know, there's a national or even like, go like a global rhetoric or conversation about like salary, salary salaries, which I would agree, but I don't think that's my number one reason why I left the classroom.

Maria

I think my number one would be the stimulation, like intellectually, there's no stimulation, and then you feel stuck. Like you're bored. And I am with you completely. I felt bored. Like, the last like, couple of years. I'm like, What do I do? I don't know how else to expand.

Lily

Yeah. And it's like, that's not good for kids, either, right? Like to see their teachers feel bored. I mean, I felt like that when I got to my last couple years of teaching of like, I am not really in this anymore. Like, and I felt like my students deserved more, too. I think it's like bigger structural issues of just like, not supporting teachers, and not allowing teachers to really pursue their loves of learning and have the power and agency to do so.

Lily

But I think it's, it is a good model for kids to see you, you know, go off and pursue your interests, or think about how things come together. And then going back to your business that you started. I love how you thought about like, Hey, I've done this translation work before. I've also been teaching like, How can I melt these together? And I think from the outside, it seems like, oh, yeah, they're totally connected. But I know on the inside, sometimes it can be hard to kind of figure out the connections.

Lily

I felt like that, too. When I had been doing curriculum development and also running Educator Forever, then I was like, how are they connected? Which now seems silly, because they're very connected. But for a while, I was just like, I don't know how to, like, make the bridge between these two things that I've been doing. So can you talk to us a little bit just about the process of starting your business and what you offer there?

Maria

Yeah. So I found you in a Google search, which was great, because I attended one of the free webinars that you have, you hold them like frequently. And I remember I was in New Jersey. And yet, like, I attended one of them, I took notes.

Maria

Maria

And I guess the logistics, I mean, what it takes to actually sit down and like step by step like this is what you do first, this is what you do second. And then of course, take like bringing in my blog, which I've had for years maybe when I first did my Euro trip I was still in college or maybe fresh off college, and I started like a very like rustic simple blog on weekly and I like it's fun.

Maria

So again, like combining like the strict translation skill, and then the bloggin which I love and then education so that's when in your courses I started just like making note of a follow up I remember one of the activities or the second activity was like making it was like a mind map almost all these things that you like and that you're good at. And yeah, it started from there started exactly what like a year and a half now.

Maria

And I transitioned my blog into a better looking website. That's a little bit more user friendly. And that's what I do now. So there's the main service that I provide is educational translation. So whatever curriculum lesson plans, worksheets, pamphlets, whatever it is that people or schools, organizations, organizations may need, I do the translation.

Maria

And actually just finished a small book translation was like, maybe 60 pages. yeah, it was, it was such a great experience going back and forth with a client, I don't have experience with having my own clients. I have done one before, for Columbia University was a brief like pamphlet for little kids, it was from English to Spanish. And that was the only experience.

Maria

So going through that this past winter was pretty cool, because it was a long project. I mean, it was like 60 something pages. And it was for students of color down south. And he he's a consultant that he goes around, kind of showing these, these communities and the whole, I guess, just bigger Board of Education is around different southern states, on how to provide students of color and different different forms.

Maria

It's awesome. And I learned so much. And that was my official first client with my business. So. So it was, it was awesome, thank you. So the main thing is translation, it's obviously only educational purposes. And then if a client needs any kind of which this client is actually we are going to get in touch again in July, to create content or create like lesson plans for like a workbook he wants to create for that book that he wrote.

Maria

It's pretty cool. And that that will be I guess, the writing part of my business, which is not just translating, but if a client needs something in both English and Spanish, I can I can write it for sure. Like whatever standard, whatever objective, whatever it is that they want. It's it can be done. So yeah, that's coming up in July sometime.

Lily

That's awesome. That sounds like a really great project. And I love how you get to keep building on it, too. And I'm curious with translation that kind of what tools help you translate? Or how do you go about translation projects?

Maria

I do. It's, it's just very, I just depends on the tone that first because we had this conversation with my client. So it depends on the tone that I want to set. The first thing that I always ask is, what kind of Latin American community are you already targeting, because it's just everyone has a different lingo and the Caribbean, even within the Caribbean, Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic and Cuba have completely different ways of referring to one single thing.

Maria

So that was one of the things we spoke about. And I worked with a lot of Caribbean, but Dominican and Puerto Rican students, or I did in New York for all these years. And there's always a standard way of like translating some things that could be communicated or written.

Maria

The main thing I use two like very simple sites, I use Linguee.com, which is I use that a Goldman Sachs and it's very, it takes context into account. Because there's, I mean, you can't translate literal because it becomes like sometimes like a joke, like, just doing the literal pieces. So linguee.com, which is like little by just when I want to do phrases are like very short words.

Maria

And then Google, for me is great. Like, I know, there's like controversy, because Google translates, I guess, like, very literal, but that's when I use Linguee.com to kind of just like, mediate that process. So I know that there's things that sound funny. So I just take like those words, and I just plug them in the other website.

Maria

And then to connect the pedagogical or the educational lingo into it, that's, that's just me, that's the human me. That's why it's necessary to have like a human do certain things. But those two things are like my best, like tools that I that I use. So and as I go on, there's going to be definitely more things that I'll be incorporating, but it's working for now. And it's great.

Maria

Like I love like simple things too. And I think they do more sometimes they very complex like software's there's like a whole bunch of software's to like translate, but it's used more for law or like financial documents, which I didn't use when I worked out in financial district. But for this I think it's great. Like it's an it gives me flexibility to Yeah, just sometimes things change like political climates change, lingo changes, speech changes.

Lily

Yeah, so interesting. It reminds me of kind of, like general discussions about AI that have been going on lately, you know, like using AI It seems similar that like, it's a great tool to get you started, but they're always I think has to be like human oversight and tweaking and personalizing or for you, yeah, having your specific knowledge of all the academic vocabulary and how to talk about things. Y

Lily

ou can't really replicate all of that. So but using tools or using AI can be a great starting point and like take out some of the work so you can focus on your best work.

Maria

Definitely, definitely AI. I confess that I haven't used any of the stuff that are like the new stuff floating around. But I'll probably I mean, there's time to delve into it. So it's it can offer so much for sure.

Lily

Yeah, definitely. And I know that recently, you became a Fulbright Scholar, which is amazing. Congratulations.

Maria

Thank you. Thank you so much.

Lily

Yeah, it's so exciting. Can you tell us more about that process and what you'll be doing?

Maria

Yeah, yeah. So I guess in tandem with my business, which I want to grow as we go, like, I mean, I mentioned what I did last with my project. The last blog was last semester in the spring semester. So along with that, October last year, so at the fall of last year, I began my fifth year at the New York City public schools. And I knew this was my last year, yesterday was my last day I officially resigned.

Maria

And even before October, like around this time, maybe June, July, August, I wanted to apply to Fulbright, like, it's always been in the back of my head since I was at Rutgers, where I did my undergrad. I had professors who had Fulbright, like assistants, they do like assistantships, which is sort of what I'm going to do, but I'll get into that in a second.

Maria

And I just, I mean, it just looked so far. Like I'm like, oh my god, this is like, like for very smart people. Like I don't know if I do is, but it's you sounds like it was intriguing. And it was super like, I also ducted by the whole idea. Like it's amazing. And sounds great.

Maria

So fast forward to last summer, I started just researching and I went to the website, and I started looking at different like options for educators. And they have there's like three different tracks for Fulbright's, you do research, you study if you want to do your masters abroad, or whatever you want to do. And then third, which is what I'm doing is the teaching English assistantship eta.

Maria

And that's how it started. So I chose my track, I went back and forth and like, should I do some research. But then again, I don't have the necessary tools to be a researcher. And I had all the experience, I have the experience, I have the interests, everything just like lined up to be an English teaching assistant.

Maria

And yeah, but like it started, I looked at the started looking at eligibility criteria, the countries that you could go to so there's like, I blew up the map. And I'm like, okay, the world is basically available for Fulbrighters. Like, where do I want to go? Yeah, it's beautiful.

Maria

So as you started looking at, like different countries that I've been to that I'm interested in, like Spain, like Mexico, like Thailand, really interesting cultures. But with Fulbright, something very interesting about it is that you can't be like an expert yet in that country, right? But also you can be null, like, you can just go in there and not know anything about the country.

Maria

So there's like this, like, in between this where you have the sufficient interest and like experience in this country, whether it's through internships or continuous travels with some kind of academic experience attached to it, but not enough for you again, to choose to be an expert something because what is the point of grants like Fulbright's gonna be like, alright, this person just knows it all. Why would I want to rent them?

Maria

So going around, so Mexico again, I love it. Like, there's so many things I'm interested about. But it just wasn't like, I couldn't pick the niche. And that's something we spoke about in your class a lot. Like, okay, you teach English like, cool, what do you have to offer? So same thing, I think it was like very similar to the process. And now that I'm saying it, it makes so much sense. I think the thing about this before Yeah, interesting.

Maria

But creating my business was like, the process of like, I started with this like, idea. And I remember towards the end of the course, I'm like, Oh, I didn't know I wanted this and I'm good at it. Same thing with Fulbright, I went around different countries, but it just wasn't enough. And I knew I wasn't going to get accepted. And I did have mentorship. By the way, this is important to mention it.

Maria

My master's when I was teaching as I was teaching here in New York, I went to CUNY Lehman College, and I reached back reached out to the alumni sort of office and they have like a scholarship office that when you graduate if you want to apply to these like awards or grants they help you out which is amazing. And I think everyone should take advantage of their tuition at some point it pays off.

Maria

So I call them and we had a we set up an appointment sometime like in August and we went over like this whole Yeah, just everything like the criteria eligibility. So they told me like okay, you like these countries but you haven't done any like internships, you haven't done any like mentorship programs like you just travel there because you like it. Okay, cool.

Maria

One country which is where I'm from Colombia, it seemed like it matched with the will the interest because I'm Colombian and also American. So it's that bridge, which I use that word a lot to kind of describe my, into my, the why I want to apply to the program like the bridge between the US and Colombia, which I am like I grew up going there back and forth, never fully Colombian or American, just in between.

Maria

So that's sort of the also like, the reason why I applied and yeah, so we started delving into Yeah, like, how can I, what can I offer to Colombia? What can I offer back to the to the US when I come back from the grants? And it just match perfectly, we started writing the statement of purpose. We started writing, I mean, there's a whole bunch of like things you have to kind of like a social project that I want to delve in and everything's related to education.

Maria

A lot of people do different things based on their like interests. But the assistantship I got is for college. So I'll be teaching, I'll be assistant because it's an assistantship, I'll be assisting a English or professor that teaches English, or what they do is they infuse like, let's say, I don't know, Intro to Business, and they do like little capsule are like a little lesson on English, business, English, or whatever it is. Yeah. So I'll be I'll be assisting that, like, I'll be assisting anything in that department of languages that they may need.

Lily

That's amazing. And so connects to your business too right like, academic language and doing the translation focused on education. That's amazing.

Maria

Definitely. It's super cool. I'm going to be learning so much. I'll be expanding my network for my business, which is something that I think it's super important, personally, it's important. And then for the program for Fulbright, the whole inbetweeners or the whole like, bicultural identity that I have been that I am rather like. So that's just that's who I am. That's what I can offer.

Maria

But yeah, officially, I mean, the whole process started in October with again, the mentorship and I think that was crucial to reach out to Lehman. And CUNY was super helpful. Like they're so knowledgeable, because they're not, you know, there's like specific language specific, like words to use terms. It's this diplomatic sort of field of higher education that Fulbright falls into. I mean, they're experts in that, and I learned so much in the process.

Maria

So it took quite maybe like about a couple months, two months, I want to say I started in September, or late August, and then October 17. We submitted everything and I'm like, okay. It's submitted. And I heard back until May. So if anyone is interested, it's a long time. Hard. Yeah. Like, it's something that it's not for everyone. But it's super worth it. I mean, like Fulbright is just great to have.

Lily

Yeah, so amazing. Yeah. It's so amazing. I love this focus on mentorship, too, because I feel like often we have ideas that seem really big, right? And that's great. And it can feel really overwhelming of just how do I go about this? And how do I get from here to there. And I love how you thought about, like, Hey, I have contacts who have done this or know the process, and they could maybe help me.

Lily

And so knowing that like, the best place to look for mentorship is people who've done the thing that you want to do, and who can really guide you through that process, no matter what it is that people want to do, you know, find somebody who's done it, and see if they'll provide mentorship or coaching, you know, or support along the way.

Maria

Definitely, like, it's always and now that I'm telling the story, sort of like the last five years into this, in this space, it makes me realize what you just said like, it's, there's a group of people, like it's not just like, like the me interview, like there's any you're included, you're a big part of it, you know, like my family.

Maria

And then these like people who are just, they know, like they've been through the process, and I want to become that person. Like, I think we all need to circle back and just talk and help each other and just offer that's what we can offer. And it's not tangible, but it's I think it has more value.

Lily

It's so meaningful. And I think you're right, like, yeah, I feel the same way that there's so many people who have mentored me and supported me and continue to and then I helped it, you know, do that as well. And both sides are so fulfilling, you know, and I think what seeing the value, I mean, we're teachers, right?

Lily

Like, the value of how much that support can mean you know, in getting us to where we want to go, you really can provide such great support. And so I think there really is like this gift that keeps giving and something that like you're being a teacher or you know, providing that support for other people and using your skills in that way.

Maria

Definitely that's always gonna be there like whatever I do in life is always going to be like okay, this is cool. Like how can I use this to like, help and and learn like yesterday saying goodbye to my students. I think I've learned more from you. Yeah, I mean, they, I know, they learn contents and stuff. But it's like I just walked out of that building, I'm like, I'm never going to be the same, like, I grew so much.

Maria

And they teach you so much on a daily basis. So keeping that sort of mentality fresh and that open mindedness, it's part of like, what I want to keep doing with my business, and also with my academic and life, like whatever comes along the way after Fulbright.

Lily

Absolutely, yeah. And I'm curious. I mean, yes, absolutely. I agree too like, I definitely learned more from my students, they were five years old. But like, rightly, I learned so much from them. And like, even though I haven't been in the classroom for 12 years, or something, I think about them all the time, you know, and I think about the things that I learned or the experiences that I had with them.

Lily

And the other things that I've done too you know, I think this like reflective quality is so helpful, and just thinking about what we've learned. And I'm curious thinking about, like your journey beyond the classroom, both starting your business and getting the Fulbright kind of what you've learned about yourself along the way.

Maria

Oh, yeah. Like, I mean, yesterday, that was my last day as an educator, well, as a teacher, not an educator. There's so much I, it's so hard. But I think though, I mean, we talked about this, but open mindedness and how much every person and every situation and experience can teach you on a daily basis.

Maria

There's like a little I remember in college, I read, I'm also an anthropology major. So I do look a little bit more beyond like the usual daily life experience. Like I'm like, why does that happen? Like culture? And like, all this intersect? Yeah.

Maria

But yeah, like, there was one of the apologists that spoke a lot about the signs, like how life everyday gets you like little signs, like little lessons, many things don't necessarily happen for nothing. Like there's always a lesson, there's always some kind of something to teach you.

Maria

And, and I think that's one of the main things that I've like my tenure as a teacher in New York, it's like, every single person has something, or you add that to your persona, right? So absolutely. I think that's the main one. And then I mean, there's so much flexibility, which is the reason why I'm also getting out of education, that there's no like flexibility when it comes to time when it comes to teaching, being creative.

Lily

I know thinking, like we're not even teaching away of being flexible.

Maria

Yeah, completely. So you're being taught the opposite of being like a robot's almost like this is how it should supposed to be like, you know, you get observed and you're supposed to say these things, and you can't get out of this on your wall or whatever. Yeah, so So I have learned that I am not that person that I enjoy. I mean, you show to kind of look out for different standards, and there's ways of doing things. Because I mean, we need to have some kind of order, per se.

Maria

But what makes every individual special, and I think we learned that with our students is that we're all different, like everyone's different, and we cannot operate thinking that everyone is the same. And I don't want to keep I don't want to prolong that idea of sameness, because I think that's it leads to a lot of issues, social issues, political issues.

Maria

I mean, we have, there's a lot of beautiful things in life. But there's also a lot of issues that we need to fix. And a big part of that is putting the spotlight on the unique uniqueness of everyone independent of any racial factors, gender factors, like looking beyond that. There's so much everyone's so beautiful, and everyone has something great to offer.

Lily

Absolutely. I know. I mean, honestly, that was one of the things that frustrated me the most about teaching, and teaching little kids in particular is I felt they came in as such, like, amazing individuals. And I tried to keep it that way in the classroom. But so many forces were like fighting against that, right?

Lily

We've been thinking about with my own daughter when she's not gonna go to middle school, but when she started kindergarten, and I was like, I just don't want to have her little spirit squashed like, I'm intrigued all the time, like covered in dirt, like examining bugs, you know, and thinking about her being at a table with like a giant textbook and working on all these workbooks seemed so disheartening.

Lily

And luckily, we found a school where it wasn't that situation, that worked out great, but just thinking about, like, so many other kids are, you know, my experience being a classroom teacher, so many things fight against that, like, individual beauty and fostering that for the pursuit of the samenesss you know, like you're saying.

Maria

Right. And we don't want that, like, I don't think I want to, I mean, I also did not go to school and prepare myself and go through a whole process, which we all know I mean, female students is hard being a grad students also and then being an educator, like all that process, it's also I want to be grateful for the process and by being grateful is also doing something about it.

Maria

Like I don't agree with it, and I'm gonna step aside and do something different via my business and via Fulbright. I do want to enhance that and keep learning, which is always the main objective in life.

Lily

Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, my last question is thinking about people who maybe are in the same spot you were in a couple years ago. Yeah, maybe not sure if they want to stay in the classroom, having some big ideas of things they might want to try. Do you have any advice for them?

Maria

I mean, a big part of it is talking to people, like you said, like we have spoken about, like, it's an ongoing sort of theme. Like, we're not alone. There's a big community, there's like people who go through the same things. And I feel like and I say this, as I felt the other way, completely, like a year ago, it's like, now I'm by myself, like this sucks. Why is this happening?

Maria

But there is people and reaching out to people who are interested or have been through the process, or maybe none of the above, but just talk it out. Like, as I'm having this interview too, like, I'm realizing there's so many things that make sense. It's like, oh, now makes sense that, you know, Fulbright happened.

Maria

And then I reached out to you like a year and a half when I took the course to grow my business, and everything just falls into place. But also with the mentorship with the work that has to be put.

Maria

I think the first step is also like, talking to yourself, and just like, Okay, I truly don't want this like we all have that feeling. I don't know how to describe it. Because just the morning, so like the commute, so I'm like so many commutes. I'm like, I don't want to, like I truly don't want to work today. I don't feel it. Like I'm not not invested in this.

Maria

And the feeling of excitement doesn't feel like this for sure. Like, I don't know how it feels the other way. But this is not right. Yeah. So following that, like gut feeling like it's, it might take time, I think the third year when we came back from the pandemic, and like it was hybrid across the country. I'm like, Alright, maybe it's COVID. Maybe like, you know, things are not, let's give it another shot.

Maria

Year four came, it's like, not yet like I just don't, you know, so. And time goes on, like, time doesn't wait for you. And five years past, and I'm grateful for the decision have stayed because I think I wasn't ready to take the jump yet. But I knew it was gonna happen. Like, it's also setting dates. Like, I'm not going beyond five years.

Maria

I need to keep following or fostering this feeling of being uncomfortable. And it's okay to be out of place. And I think that's what you actually learn the most. Absolutely. But not not making it too long. Because it becomes a burden.

Lily

No, I totally agree. I mean, I think it's like honoring that feeling. Definitely. I love that word. Yeah. Intuition, or like, yeah, this feeling of your body of like, not quite right. You know, and I think we can talk ourselves out of those things that like you truly at your core know, you know, it'd be like, but I should like, there's a lot of fun I should or I'm around other teachers or my pension or like all things right.

Lily

So then your head about it when it's like your body actually knows. And so I think just, it doesn't have to be tomorrow, like you're saying, like, it can be five years, it can be in 10 years, like just allow yourself to explore it. And don't like squash that feeling. Definitely talk about it, explore it, you know, and you'll find if it's something you really want to pursue or not.

Maria

Yeah, for sure. Writing helped a lot just journaling. And, and yeah, just having like those, like milestones. So it's like little goals to keep you going. Because if it wasn't for like, those tiny goals that I set throughout, like the last maybe like three years, I want to say it would have been hard to make the change.

Maria

Because we everyone needs a salary or you need to pay the bills, you need to like make, I don't know, you have kids or you have loans, whatever it is like we all have responsibilities. And we all get that. But it's I don't think that should be the main thing to focus on. Like there's a bigger, there's a bigger reality that when you do what you love, and what you have fostered, the economic and financial aspect also grows with it. So keeping those goals.

Lily

Yeah, absolutely. And there are other ways, you know, I think it's just sometimes I've asked myself in those situations that I've been over the course of my life, when I feel stuck, like what's another way, and there's pretty much always another way.

Lily

You know, if you're like, hey, I want to make this amount of money, like might not be things you enjoy more, but there are many other ways that you could make that amount of money, right? So it's always trying to see like a different way. And sometimes if you allow yourself to just like brainstorm all the crazy solutions, you can find another path, but we get very limited by thinking about like the one path that we thought that we would be on or that we see other people on.

Maria

Definitely, I think it's also because it's a paved path. And it's it's easy, it's easy on one end to just work right it's easy to clock in and out. And not that the job itself doesn't have its challenges it does it mean I was a teacher for five years I know. But then reinventing yourself and like creating and being like an artist almost of your future your life.

Maria

It is something and it's anxiety written and it's too much like it's, I mean, it's scary too and I'm saying this as I pack my life in boxes to South America, so it's I know it's scary. I'm scared right now. And what behind this whole thing is just so much excitement and I'm so happy, happy actually did this.

Lily

Yeah. And it's so admirable. I mean, I just want to celebrate that it's like doing things that are scary, that feel aligned to like that gut feeling of what you want to do is something to celebrate. And I think that, you know, it's never gonna not feel scary, like, it's always gonna feel scary to do something new.

Lily

But it's so awesome and exciting. And I love how you said, like being the artist of your life. That's so beautiful. Like, yeah, we should all be able to be the artists of our lives in all sorts of ways. So yeah, just thinking about like, what that means to you.

Maria

I mean, going back to the uniqueness of everyone, everyone has a different definition to that. So whatever it is just work on that. And, and we all have to continuously it's a continuous sort of question.

Maria

Delving into continuously I'm sure in five years, we can have the same interview and a complete different set of things may come up, which is why everything it's great to change and to allow yourself to make those changes.

Lily

Absolutely. Well, thank you so much Maria, for joining us. I'm so excited about your upcoming adventures. Please do keep us tuned. Will you be writing about it on your blog?

Maria

Yes, yes. It'll be great to have readers read the blog, and then explore a little bit more. There's some other things to explore on the website. But yeah, stay tuned for that. I'm very excited.

Lily

Awesome. I will put a link to your website so people can follow along contact you if they want to learn more about your business.

Maria

Or Instagram like I'll be happy to like create or star or continue the community of educators as outside of the classroom.

Lily

Awesome. And can you tell people where to find you on Instagram?

Speaker 2

Yeah, so I could do both my personal is @mar_aleja. Then my business is @beebilingualdesigns. And yeah, I'm on both very active so I'm excited to meet people as always.

Lily

Yay. Well. Thank you again, Maria.

Maria

Thank you so much.