Question?! Answer: Ask Tuffy Luv.

Dear Tuffy Luv,

I’m graduating with a degree in nursing. Where should I move?

Ready to start life

Dear Ready to start life,

Wow. Well, that depends. I found this nifty little site: fabulousnurse.com. According to fabulousnurse.com, the best city for a nurse is Austin, TX, followed by San Antonio, TX and Salt Lake City, UT. Seems to based on a number of factors, including basic number of job openings and salary. I also found nursinglink.monster.com, which claims based on cash per hour, California and Hawaii are the top two. Um, I think I’m going with that one.

You’re obviously looking for an adventure, since you’re willing to relocate any flooping place based on your question. So open up your options by eliminating some, yes? First you need to think about what you’re going to do with that nursing degree. Do you want to work in a hospital? Or do you want to be a psychiatric nurse? Or a nurse educator? Or a school nurse? You can search that way and find really interesting jobs in other cities that you would never have found if you just searched “nurse.”

You could also be a travel nurse or disaster nurse and help by traveling to the people who need you most. Aunt Tuffy will worry about you, because it’s dangerous and scary, but I’m sure it’s also incredibly exciting and rewarding. On the other hand, you also have to think about other things. Like?

(1) Your family. Do you want to be close to them? Far from them? Make sure you know and consider it!!

(2) Starting your own family. Do you want to do that eventually? Think about the general time-line you’d like to set and pick your location based on how steady or not steady you might want to be.

(3) Do you like cities? Rural areas? Suburbs?

Girl, you need to visit some places. Take a roadtrip and figure out what the floop you like in a place. And then find a job and move there.

Hearts & Skulls,

Tuffy Luv

[Lead image via Supri Suharjoto / Shutterstock]

There are times that the pressures of school and work just get to be too much and I find myself itching to just get out of town. However, my schedule and my budget don’t really allow me to do that as often as I’d like.

I’ve found that an easy way to satisfy the travel bug is to explore new places in my city! I love visiting new restaurants, museums, nature preserves and other local tourist attractions I might not normally visit since I live there. And one great resource to help me find cool places to explore is Trazzler.

Think of Trazzler as a sort of traveler’s guide, except for your hometown. Trazzler‘s “experts” review all sorts of attractions, nature preserves, historical sites, bars, art galleries, beaches and more, and their micro-reviews detail exactly what makes each place unique and awesome. Of course, since Trazzler features guides for a range of cities, it can come in useful when you’re actually planning a real vacation as well. Trazzler also has an awesome iPhone app, so you can explore your town (or the world) from just about anywhere.

Another great thing about Trazzler is that you can contribute to make the site better! Every week, Trazzler hosts contests for its visitors to submit reviews and photos, and the winners get prizes, cash, and/or writing/photography contracts with the site. How cool is that?

Just from my first five minutes exploring Trazzler, I already had a list of places I wanted to check out over the weekend. It’ll definitely be my resource for coming up with new restaurants to try, day trips, and places to take out-of-town visitors!

Planning on getting away for spring break?

While I love to travel, the one thing that I don’t love about it is planning the flights. Trying to find the perfect flight on the date and times you want, without too many layovers, at the lowest price possible amidst the sea of flight options out there is enough to drive a person crazy.

But with Hipmunk, booking flights is now a whole lot less stressful.

Hipmunk is an airfare search engine that, like other similar sites, lets you search multiple airlines to find the right flight for you. However, it stands apart from the competition with its clear, easy-to-understand interface. For example, while Kayak also searches multiple airlines, it still generates multiple results pages. With Hipmunk, you’ll get only the best results on one page.

Hipmunk displays fares in colored rows on a timetable (with a different color for each airline), which makes it easy to find the flights you’re looking for with just a glance. By default, results are listed by which cause the least “agony” (a combination of price, travel duration and number of stops), but you can also display results individually by these categories, as well as departure and arrival times.

Other ways Hipmunk sets itself apart from other similar sites are by understanding the way people actually prefer to travel, such as including preference for nonstop flights by default and automatically hiding results in which there are better options (for example, not showing a longer flight that costs the same as another shorter flight on the same airline).

Next time I have to plan a trip, I’ll be sure to cause myself less agony by checking Hipmunk first!

After becoming a flight attendant, I’ve learned a little bit of something about spontaneous adventure.  In one week, I spent half a day in Jamaica (bought Roasted Ground coffee and coconut rum candies), I explored nearly every edge of New York City (found a killer pizza parlor, took mock pictures at Tiffany’s and ate cookies from Bouchon Bakery) and I sunbathed next to a clear pool in Florida while sending Twit-Pics of the palm tree-clad view.

I’ve learned a lot about myself through all of this exploring. I’ve learned that I love not knowing what I’m going to be doing next week. I’ve learned that I love taking photos of new things at different angles and color schemes. I’ve learned that I love hotel beds and being alone for at least an hour a day. I’ve learned that I will ask for help if I need it. Or directions.

That being said, adventure brews learning opportunities. Duh, pretty standard and obvious statement of the decade right? Wrong.  I bet you’re thinking; “Well, you travel for your JOB. It’s easy to explore and learn more about yourself!”

But it’s easy for everyone to learn through casual experimentation. I am willing to believe it’s the best way to understand who you are and what you want in life.  Exploring can go as far as trying out a new restaurant or walking a different sidewalk down the street to work. Exploring is going a little bit out of your comfort zone to discover something new. And in turn, you will learn more about yourself. What a win-win! Explore new food groups, new bands, new bars, new friends. New adventures are right at your finger tips — it just takes that extra boost to get there (or will require putting shoes on or taking a shower beforehand).

Trying new things creates brand new stories for you to tell. Spontaneous adventures (even if you just spending a Sunday baking when you never have before) build your character and give you depth. I think of it like stretching out a plastic bag. The more experience you shove in, the longer it stretches and the more experiences you can fit inside. Obviously this bag would never break.

I’m the biggest homebody in the human race. If it was up to me, I would sit at home all day and drink hot lemon water and write in my diary. But after getting out more, seeing the world a different way and documenting every moment…I feel refreshed. Every time I try something new, I feel like a re-charged battery. And there’s nothin’ better than that.

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How to travel the world

The Huffington Post recently published a list of 10 places every child must visit. On the list: The Smithsonian, Yellowstone and Ellis Island. I remember when I was a kid and my parents somehow found it in their souls to take to all of those places.  We were a big traveling family and my parents wanted me to see (and learn about) everything. Unfortunately, instead of taking in the beauty of the Grand Canyon, I sat in the dirt and cleaned up my Tamogotchi’s poop.

In a nutshell: I didn’t let it all sink in, learn something or enjoy it.
And I’m sure I wasn’t the only one.

However, now that we’re all grown up in college, we are presented with the perfect opportunity (and maturity) to do some exploring and really experience some cool things.  Some of these things we couldn’t appreciate entirely when we were little munchkins not old enough to play beer pong at a real, living, breathing frat party.  And some of these things we won’t be able to appreciate to the same extent when we’re out of college.

So while our minds are human sponges and we’ve got loads of time, it’s time to explore the top ten places every college student must see.

[Click on ANY image to view the gallery!]

Even though it’s been a full week since I returned from my adventures in Europe, I’m still on a high from my trip. (Although that might have more to do with the sheer volume of coffee I’ve been consuming to combat the jetlag….) It seemed like the chic little Parisian hotel we stayed at was in the center of everything I wanted to see and do. There were tons of shops, little brasseries with beyond delicious food, and impressive monuments nearby.

With so much to do, whenever I came back to the hotel, I was exhausted. So I’d plop in bed and watch BBC or CNBC, the only two English channels the hotel offered. On one particularly exhausting day, I kicked up my feet and watched a show about entrepreneurs who made their dreams come true on which Sara Blakely, the inventor of Spanx, was featured.

The entire thing was fascinating. The woman started with an idea for shapewear and ended up creating a multimillion dollar business, changing the lives of women around the world, and getting tight with Oprah in the process. (Editor’s Note: And that little hole that allows for quicker bathroom trips….BRILLIANT!)

I’m in awe of Sara, and she’s proof that if you believe in a great idea and really push for it (in the beginning, she walked around on the street, quizzing random women about their underwear insecurities and getting the word out!), great things can happen. So, of course, that got me thinking…

Would You Rather get a grant for $100,000 to help start the business of your choosing OR have $50,000 to use to travel the world for as long as it lasted you?

Things to Consider: Being your own boss, changing the world, seeing the world…for free.

Think about it. Think about it some more. Vote. Then tell everyone why below.

The part I’m least excited about (besides having to turn off my CrackBerry until the flight attendants tell me I can turn it back on) is leaving David behind. Alas, he doesn’t get to accompany me on my awesome trip (it’s for business) and all week I’ve been getting ready to leave him all on his own for 5 whole days.

As he’ been so lovingly, gently reminding me all week, he is in fact a full grown man capable of taking care of himself. He did it for 20 years before he met me, and according to him he’s still got the hang of that. While I do realize that he’ll be fine while I’m gone, after living with him and taking care of our home (and his dirty laundry…) I can’t help but think (OK, hope) he’ll feel just a teeny bit lost whilst I’m gone.

After all, this will help him come to the realization that I’m totally indispensable, which has been my master plan all along. But, I don’t want to leave him high and dry, so I did fully stock our freezer full of a weekend’s worth of man-food (aka microwaveable and artery clogging). And I am leaving him a “HoneyDew” list, both because I freaking love the name of it and because it’s got all kinds of unpleasant things I’d rather not deal with on it. Hopefully, I’ll come home to a clean home with new air conditioner filters, a newly installed printer and no more laundry to do.

In all actuality though, David will be totally fine without me (and probably won’t get much on that list done). I’m seeing a lot of ESPN, absence of pants, farting, Bud Light and PS3 Bro extravaganzas in his future. So while he’s bummed he can’t go on an awesome trip, I’m pretty sure he’s looking forward to turning our house into a giant man cave for 5 days.

But seriously, when did I get so protective of him? I’m not his mother, and last semester I had to fly to a different conference or leadership convention every other weekend. I guess living with him has made me a little bit crazy, but it definitely feels weird to worry (just a smidge) about leaving him on his own for such a short amount of time. Whaddya think? Am I insane for being anxious about leaving him? Or do you know what I’m talking about?

I did it! I graduated. Although the moment of hearing my name, walking across the stage, receiving my diploma, and turning my tassel went by incredibly fast, the road to Commencement has been an unforgettable eye-opening four-year journey.

It’s been made up of classes I’ve loved (like Arab-American literature) and those I’ve hated (Computers 100, I’m talking to you and your Microsoft Word projects). There were those endless papers analyzing literary theorists, ethical dilemmas, Shakespeare’s couplets, and acts of radical feminism. I worked on and cried over hundreds of math problems and graphs, all while reading books that would forever change me and the ways I think about the world around me. I wrote and edited poem after poem for numerous workshop classes, while expanding my poetry vocabulary from e.e. cummings and Emily Dickinson’s collections to the voices of Lorine Niedecker and Naomi Shihab Nye. All these academic experiences led me to learn things I would have never known if I strayed off on a different path.

Outside of school, I interned – a lot. There were the internships I learned a lot at, and the ones that failed to utilize their internship programs to the full extent. There were the people in the business world I met that I admire and respected, and then there were the ones that made me promise myself “I will never end up like that.” I traveled, whether it was from the Upper East Side to SoHo in New York City or from London to Paris for a weekend. Honestly, I even spent most of my time in college traveling to and from other colleges around me (this was part of my college’s campus culture – especially at such a small all women’s college), which convinced me that a two hour car ride is nothing but a quick ride down the road.

Ok, I know what you’re thinking … why the hell is this girl telling us all this stuff? Why should I care about what she’s done?

Well, my point is that when I arrived on campus for the first time in August 2006, I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know where I would go or who I would become, and I was scared. However, through my trepidation, I kept thinking about Dr. Seuss and his whole, “Oh the Places You’ll Go!” mantra. I couldn’t wait to see what would come my way, and I couldn’t wait to dive in head-first with the adventure that was about to start.

I don’t see why my post-grad life or anyone else’s should be anything less than excitement filled and hopeful, even if jobs aren’t available or graduate school dreams have changed. Just because the safety of undergrad isn’t there anymore doesn’t mean I can’t look forward to the things I’ll do, the places I’ll travel, and the people I’ll meet – everything that will become a part of my life towards achieving my future goals.

So, with graduation out of the way and a goodbye to a university that I felt incredibly ambivalent about, it’s time to start a new journey. Even though my family won’t be dropping me off at a dorm room for the next upcoming adventure in my life, I still have plenty to look forward to – and I can’t wait to see where my ship will sail next.

Let’s face it: we all make stupid decisions. Like choosing a fifth over a review session, or bringing that guy home…who stole our iPod in the morning. That’s part of college life… and a big part of what makes it so memorable. But there are some choices that have longer lasting repercussions; things we do now that will haunt us later.

So here are the 11 things from your 20’s you will most definitely regret when you’re 40.

11. Risque Internet Photos: What’s the point of having technology if you can’t use it to send a naughty pre-shower photo to your BF? Nothing will turn him on quite like a naked photo popping up in his inbox while he’s brushing up on his Stats knowledge. You trust him, so what’s the worst that could happen? How about a break up? Or the “forward” button? No matter what you think, those photos are going to come back and bite you in the (naked-with-a-spot-of-cellulite) ass. Just show him the real thing and let him turn to his imagination (or internet porn) for a mid-class pick me up.

10. Trendy Tats: You totally love butterflies/stars/unicorns now, but I can bet money that you won’t want them plastered on the top of your foot or your lower back forever. No one wants to see a mom with a rose tattoo on her left shoulder, so think before you ink.

9. Choosing guys over your girls: You get caught up in your relationship sometimes and blow off the girls. Fine, we get it. But when sometimes turns into “What the hell ever happened to Mary?” there is a problem. Especially when Mr. Douche Bag finally breaks up with you and you come crawling back to the girls with a tub of Edy’s and a box of tissues and they aren’t there to wipe the snot from your cheek. Do you really want to spend the rest of your days holed up in a dirty apartment watching your man play Rock Band and chug Natty Light? Learn the balance, honey.

8. Getting married too young: I’ve seen it too many times – people graduate, freak out and hold onto whatever they can of their youth. And they get married.  And become super lame married people. It may be pure bliss now (and lots and lots of kitchen-ware), but just think about all the awesome stuff you will miss by being tied down in your twenties, all that freedom: to travel when you want, to take a job wherever you want, to sleep with whomever you want, to party as late as you want, to discover yourself, to sleep with whomever you want…. Plus, do you really want pictures of your friends doing keg stands in your wedding album? I thought not.

7. Smoking: Mmmm tobacco. It feels so good when it hits (and consequently blackens) your lungs. Especially after you’ve had a few Rum and Diets. And you look so cool doing it. But you know what doesn’t feel good? Chemo. And you know what doesn’t look cool? Your wrinkley face or your kids stealing the pack from your tobacco stained purse and trying it for the first time. When they are 6. This sh*t will kill you, so stop it. Right now! Seriously, put down that Marlboro Light, sister.

6. Not traveling enough: Trust me on this one – you will never have the time, money or freedom to travel like you do now.  Pretty soon you’ll be working late nights and counting down the minutes until the that will be chock full of grocery runs and Bed, Bath and Beyond trips. Try finding time in that busy schedule to jet-set to Europe and “find yourself.” Pack your bags and see the world now, before you’re too old to experiment with drugs in Amsterdam and enjoy a ping pong show in Bangkok.  Pick up a travel book and start planning!

5. Bad Credit: You can’t live without that Coach bag right now. You just have to have that DVF dress for the date party. Everyone else has an iPhone and you want one too. You’ll just charge it and worry about it later, right? Wrong, bitches. Ruining your credit now on stupid stuff (yes, I am telling you that bag is a stupid investment) will totally eff things up for you in the future. Things like getting a house, a car, a boyfriend (bad credit is a total turn-off) and sometimes even a job. Spend wisely, ladies. That bag is going to be out of style in .25 seconds anyway.

4. Not finishing school: Do we really even need to mention this one? Could you think of anything you’d regret more when you are 40 and working the checkout lane at your neighborhood Wal-mart? That is, assuming, you can even get that job in this economy.

3. Pre-vacation tanning: You tell yourself that you just want to get a base tan before Spring Break in Cabo. Sure, you will look fiiiine in that white shift dress for the 6 days after you return, but that wrinkley, skin cancer-ed mess is not going to look so hot when you’re 40 and you look like a Sharpei.

2. Stilettos: Part of becoming a woman is rockin’ the hottest pair of the highest heels. They make your legs look sick (that’s a good thing), make the men beg, and your jeans are too long to wear with anything lower. Why wouldn’t you wear them? I’ve got one hyphenated word for you: hammer-toes. You want to spend the later part of your life looking at that in a sandal?  Make your Feet Happy with these ultra comfy and cute socks..

(Editor’s note: I was going to put a picture of a gross foot here, but you Google “gross feet in sandals” and tell me how it makes you feel.)

1. “It feels better without condoms” sex: You’ll probably regret this one right off the bat as you spend your senior year chasing a kid around the dorms, but you’ll seriously regret it later when you look back at your life and realize how much you missed out on because you were busy changing diapers and bouncing a kid on your knee. Oh, and no one likes a woman with a bumpy vagina. I’m just sayin’; those genital warts will never go away.