I need a change.
I feel like life has been living for me, but I haven't really been living my life.
Does that even make sense? It's like this, I get up every single day and do things in order of importance that I have to do for that particular day and then that is it. I think it's mainly because I know my days of "academic prison" are short and numbered and it won't be long before I'm in the real world, making my own decisions about what I want to do with my life. No more of this set schedule of courses I'm supposed to have completed by certain dates, deadlines for papers and projects, test dates. None of it. I will have complete freedom of what I do with my life and all the decisions I make.
Sounds wonderful doesn't it. Nope, not exactly for me!
I'm scared to death. Hence the reason I've been blogging oh so much about this dreaded "doomsday" they call convocation.
I had coffee with a good friend last week. We're pretty close but I've honestly never opened up to him and shared any of these feelings I've had because basically the last time we hung out like that (almost two and a half years ago from now), I had a major crush on him :P But we've become good friends and all that foolish nervousness is long gone from my head. I did manage to open up to him about how I was feeling about my current situation in life, where I wanted to go, and some of the struggles I was facing currently. He's a bit older than me, so I did take his advice to heart and really think about what he was trying to get through to me. He said, "_______, it's your life. You have one opportunity to do what you want and that is it. Do you really want to live your life around pleasing the needs of others if you are not happy yourself?" He is so right because that's exactly what I've been doing. Just cruising along, going along with what everyone else expected me to do, what everyone else was doing. Not really thinking about the consequences, really. I mean, don't get me wrong. I consider myself to be a relatively intelligent person who makes relatively intelligent decisions. But I could be living my life completely different. I could be 110% happier.
I find myself living this way at home with my mom, with my boyfriend, with some of my nursing friends. I know it's no one's fault but my own. But I just need to learn to stand up for myself sometimes. I know it will make me a whole lot more confident. And confidence is what gets you far in life. You can only make change happen if you truly believe you have the power to do it.
There are so many things I want to do in life. To name a few:
1. Learn the piano
2. Improve my French
3. Attempt to learn another language (Russian and/or Spanish)
4. Visit the Holy Lands
5. Do a Eurotrip
6. Eventually get my Master's in something (I was thinking of Speech and Language Pathology)
7. Get married
8. Have / adopt kids
9. Go on a missions trip
10. Go to bible college (NOT to become a pastor, but to expand on my own biblical knowledge)
11. Work as a street outreach mental health nurse at some point(Hello, Vancouver!)
That's all I can think of right now.
I find number 11 really pulling at my heart strings right about now. I will explain later. Right now, I'm going to bed and preparing for my first day of driving school. One thing crossed off my bucket list!
Wish me luck! =)
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Vintage Finds
I, a cultured shopped was convinced it would be hard finding fashionable, vintage-inspired items that were original, yet inexpensive in this tiny city I call home. We have two main malls and two other major shopping centres for buying clothes. I find that while the prices of clothes here aren't bad, you'll find about a million other people walking around in the same outfit. There are only two other options. One is downtown shopping. Downtown has a bunch of quaint and adorable, locally-owner boutiques with very trendy, unique and striking clothing items. That being said, shopping for clothes downtown can be verryy pricey. The other option is to shop online, which I've fallen into the horrible habit of doing lately. It really hurts my bank account, though, in the long run, since even while the cost of the individual item may be cheap, it costs an arm and a leg to ship it here.
So, I have resorted to another type of shopping. Thrift store shopping! Dare I say it, but I've honestly found some AMAZING deals on items in there. Things that look like I could have easily bought off of ModCloth or Ruche but 90% less cheaper. The following items were bought recently from a Thrift store. I am so proud of myself for lucking into some GREAT deals!:
A beautiful autumn leaf printed scarf
A lovely pink and purple floral scarf, perfect for the last of these summer days
A black and red floral strapless dress. Perfect for the transition from summer to fall!
With a belt I already owned:
I am also all about finding trends in vintage shops that are all-the-rage in brand new stores, only a fraction of the cost of a brand name item. For example, this black chiffon blouse. I've seen a multiple of girl with the exact same one almost from American Apparel. I LOVE AA, but it is sooo uber expensive. I was really going for this look:
But I found this. An oversized black chiffon blouse with lace detailing around the buttons:
Today's outfit:
I find working with high school kids all day a challenge because you want to look professional and stay comfortable, yet, you always want to add a touch of your own personal style without feeling boring.
Today I paired the pink and purple floral scarf with a purple off-the-shoulder tee, jeans, a braided belt, vintage gold earrings, and my favorite pair of red Toms.
Lovin' these gold vintage earrings I also got for dirt cheap!
Braided belt to tie it all together!
Full outfit. Don't judge the ugly dorm room I've been sleeping in! I swear it's clean!
Love the clothes, I do!
Have a great day :)
So, I have resorted to another type of shopping. Thrift store shopping! Dare I say it, but I've honestly found some AMAZING deals on items in there. Things that look like I could have easily bought off of ModCloth or Ruche but 90% less cheaper. The following items were bought recently from a Thrift store. I am so proud of myself for lucking into some GREAT deals!:
A beautiful autumn leaf printed scarf
A lovely pink and purple floral scarf, perfect for the last of these summer days
A black and red floral strapless dress. Perfect for the transition from summer to fall!
With a belt I already owned:
I am also all about finding trends in vintage shops that are all-the-rage in brand new stores, only a fraction of the cost of a brand name item. For example, this black chiffon blouse. I've seen a multiple of girl with the exact same one almost from American Apparel. I LOVE AA, but it is sooo uber expensive. I was really going for this look:
But I found this. An oversized black chiffon blouse with lace detailing around the buttons:
Today's outfit:
I find working with high school kids all day a challenge because you want to look professional and stay comfortable, yet, you always want to add a touch of your own personal style without feeling boring.
Today I paired the pink and purple floral scarf with a purple off-the-shoulder tee, jeans, a braided belt, vintage gold earrings, and my favorite pair of red Toms.
Lovin' these gold vintage earrings I also got for dirt cheap!
Braided belt to tie it all together!
Full outfit. Don't judge the ugly dorm room I've been sleeping in! I swear it's clean!
Love the clothes, I do!
Have a great day :)
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Catch up.
I've been pretty slack on the blogging lately. Mainly because I'm flat out working during the week and on the weekends, I'm the social butterfly extraordinaire.
This summer has been FLYING so fast. I was just yesterday, it seemed, that I started my preceptorship. Now, I'm just finishing my second week at work. Yes, work. I am ACTUALLY getting paid real money. None of this working for free business I was doing with preceptorship.
The program I am working with for the summer is called "Med Quest". Basically it's a one week-long summer camp (we do it for 6 weeks, 6 different groups of kids), where high school students come from all over the province to stay in residence at our university and learn about the exciting and wonderful careers of medicine and health care. They are selected to go based on GPA, extra curricular/volunteer involvement, leadership and interpersonal skills. The kids are awesome to work with, since most are the cream of the crop from their high schools. During the sessions in the day, we bring them to different parts of the hospital and university to teach them about medical-related careers. Some of which include: medicine, nursing, pharmacy, chemistry, biology, biochemistry, physiotherapy, kinesiology, occupational therapy and more. I do most of the teaching on the nursing faculty at our university. I also teach clinical skills labs (I show them how to take blood pressure readings, how to do physical assessments, etc...) and also I teach an anatomy and physiology lab with real human body parts (from dead bodies, of course!). It's an AWESOME summer job!
In the evenings, we do fun activities with the kids. We take them somewhere fun for supper to eat and do a activities such as bowling, swimming or a hiking tour afterwards. The kids have a time and we basically get paid to have fun!
These past few weekends have been crazy. Last weekend, my friend Emily had a girls' night. We had cocktails and desserts and then went out to sing karaoke. Super fun time! I wish I had pictures, but my camera went all funky on me that night.
Might I mention that while I've started work I am poor, poor, poor. All my money is going towards my trip to Vancouver (1 month and a half to go!), bills and necessities (ie. toiletries, snacks for lunches, etc..). My friends and I have been very creative with trying to come up with fun ideas for us to do.
For example, tonight, my best friend Natasha came back from her month-long Eurotrip. She was obviously broke as a joke and so Emily had the bright idea to do a cook-up at her cabin and play board games. We cooked up canned beans and Kraft Dinner (that's Canadian for "instant macaroni and cheese"). Not the healthiest, but definitely the heartiest! There is something about Kraft Dinner that is so comforting, despite the 5 zillion grams of fat and sodium.
Matt comes home Friday at midnight after being gone for five weeks to go learn French in Quebec. I am really missing him :(
AND (drum roll please), I am doing the most necessary, most essential thing in the world tomorrow. Something I've been putting off to do since I was 16. Register for driving school. Yup. I'm 23 years old and STILL can't drive. Well, that's sort of a lie. I CAN drive, just not independently. I have my Learner's Permit, but that's it. No license. But I will be getting it by the end of this summer, baby!
So, that's my life and my explanation as to why I've been a spook. Not to worry, you will have another non-polyvore journal soon!
Until then
Good evening :)
This summer has been FLYING so fast. I was just yesterday, it seemed, that I started my preceptorship. Now, I'm just finishing my second week at work. Yes, work. I am ACTUALLY getting paid real money. None of this working for free business I was doing with preceptorship.
The program I am working with for the summer is called "Med Quest". Basically it's a one week-long summer camp (we do it for 6 weeks, 6 different groups of kids), where high school students come from all over the province to stay in residence at our university and learn about the exciting and wonderful careers of medicine and health care. They are selected to go based on GPA, extra curricular/volunteer involvement, leadership and interpersonal skills. The kids are awesome to work with, since most are the cream of the crop from their high schools. During the sessions in the day, we bring them to different parts of the hospital and university to teach them about medical-related careers. Some of which include: medicine, nursing, pharmacy, chemistry, biology, biochemistry, physiotherapy, kinesiology, occupational therapy and more. I do most of the teaching on the nursing faculty at our university. I also teach clinical skills labs (I show them how to take blood pressure readings, how to do physical assessments, etc...) and also I teach an anatomy and physiology lab with real human body parts (from dead bodies, of course!). It's an AWESOME summer job!
In the evenings, we do fun activities with the kids. We take them somewhere fun for supper to eat and do a activities such as bowling, swimming or a hiking tour afterwards. The kids have a time and we basically get paid to have fun!
These past few weekends have been crazy. Last weekend, my friend Emily had a girls' night. We had cocktails and desserts and then went out to sing karaoke. Super fun time! I wish I had pictures, but my camera went all funky on me that night.
Might I mention that while I've started work I am poor, poor, poor. All my money is going towards my trip to Vancouver (1 month and a half to go!), bills and necessities (ie. toiletries, snacks for lunches, etc..). My friends and I have been very creative with trying to come up with fun ideas for us to do.
For example, tonight, my best friend Natasha came back from her month-long Eurotrip. She was obviously broke as a joke and so Emily had the bright idea to do a cook-up at her cabin and play board games. We cooked up canned beans and Kraft Dinner (that's Canadian for "instant macaroni and cheese"). Not the healthiest, but definitely the heartiest! There is something about Kraft Dinner that is so comforting, despite the 5 zillion grams of fat and sodium.
Matt comes home Friday at midnight after being gone for five weeks to go learn French in Quebec. I am really missing him :(
AND (drum roll please), I am doing the most necessary, most essential thing in the world tomorrow. Something I've been putting off to do since I was 16. Register for driving school. Yup. I'm 23 years old and STILL can't drive. Well, that's sort of a lie. I CAN drive, just not independently. I have my Learner's Permit, but that's it. No license. But I will be getting it by the end of this summer, baby!
So, that's my life and my explanation as to why I've been a spook. Not to worry, you will have another non-polyvore journal soon!
Until then
Good evening :)
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
Happy birthday Mama!
Yesterday was my mom's 53rd birthday. Yes, she does look young for a 53 year-old, but as she always says, "you only look as old as you feel!" I arranged for a special day for just us and her close friends.
The day started off with a surprise birthday brunch
Me, Mom and her two good friends, Maxine and Bonnie
Then, after brunch, we were off to the SPA for a nice massage!
Haha!
Then, we went back home for some yummy supper and cake
Herb-roasted sweet potato wedgies, steak, and Greek salad!
My speciality cake baking skills: Red velvet cake with coconut cream icing :)
Recipe
Cake:
1 box of vanilla cake mix
1 box of chocolate Jello pudding
1 1/4 cups of milk
1/3 cup of oil
3 egg white
LOTS of red food coloring
Mix together and bake for 40 mins on 350 degrees.
Now the frosting:
2 cups of icing sugar
1/3 cup of margarine
3-4 tablespoons of milk
1/2 container of vanilla frosting
2 teaspoons of coconut flavoring
2/3 cup of shredded unsweetened coconut
Blend together icing sugar, margarine and little bit of milk until creamy. Add 1/2 container of store-bought vanilla frosting. Blend yet again. Add coconut flavoring and shredded coconut. Frost cake and enjoy!
Finished product!
Happy birthday, Momma Mel!
It was a lovely day :)
The day started off with a surprise birthday brunch
Me, Mom and her two good friends, Maxine and Bonnie
Then, after brunch, we were off to the SPA for a nice massage!
Haha!
Then, we went back home for some yummy supper and cake
Herb-roasted sweet potato wedgies, steak, and Greek salad!
My speciality cake baking skills: Red velvet cake with coconut cream icing :)
Recipe
Cake:
1 box of vanilla cake mix
1 box of chocolate Jello pudding
1 1/4 cups of milk
1/3 cup of oil
3 egg white
LOTS of red food coloring
Mix together and bake for 40 mins on 350 degrees.
Now the frosting:
2 cups of icing sugar
1/3 cup of margarine
3-4 tablespoons of milk
1/2 container of vanilla frosting
2 teaspoons of coconut flavoring
2/3 cup of shredded unsweetened coconut
Blend together icing sugar, margarine and little bit of milk until creamy. Add 1/2 container of store-bought vanilla frosting. Blend yet again. Add coconut flavoring and shredded coconut. Frost cake and enjoy!
Finished product!
Happy birthday, Momma Mel!
It was a lovely day :)
Sunday, July 3, 2011
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