Having too much fun to write?

Well, take a look at my last blog post and then fast forward 8 MONTHS! Geebus....

Here I am in Australia, having the time of my life! I thought I would be more dedicated to writing on this blog than I have been, but to be honest, I suck at committing to things. I have a lot of great ideas, I make lots of plans. But do they all come to fruition? NO! And that's ok :) I have come to accept that this is a part of who I am. Someone who dreams big and wants to do everything! Someone who has great ambition and a desire to experience everything the world has to offer. But I can't do everything that I have the idea to do. And while a blog isn't the hardest commitment in the world to keep, (hey, it's not like I have a child to take care of or a significant other to devote my time to. What is my excuse, anyway?) here I am , finally sitting down to write, after spending nearly 7 months in this beautiful country.

So! Where am I now? I am still currently working in Brisbane, serving amazing food and craft beer at a local bistro in New Farm. The weather has been glorious. It's technically "winter", but we've been having afternoons reaching to the mid-20's all week. I live in a beautiful Queenslander home in a suburb called Norman Park, which is situated just across the Brisbane river from where I work. Every day, I take a quaint little water taxi across the river and then walk through New Farm park, or hop on a City Cycle bike to the restaurant. I've made some awesome friends here; a few Aussies, some Canadians, one Scot, and many others from all over the world, We usually spend Sunday evenings out on the town, drinking at Sixes and Sevens on James Street and then dancing the night away at La Ruche bar.

I have grown accustomed to many "Australian" things: savoury pies from Pie Face (even better at 3 in the morning after a night of dancing), incredible coffee, smashed avocado on toast for brekkie, saying "I reckon" and "easy as" and "tomAHto sauce" instead of ketchup. The list goes on. The best part about living in Brisbane is the laid-back nature of the city, the incredible weather, and the fact that I've been here long enough that I know the city and how to get around it. I love spending time in the West End, home to Somewhere to Stay, the first hostel that Amy and I stayed at in Brisbane. My friends and I often go to Archive Beer Boutique for some craft beer and a few games of pool (I've taught my Aussie friends how to play Crud, and they love it!). I have also made a habit of playing a few songs at the weekly open mic at the Boundary Hotel, and have made a few friends there. It's been a great place to perform, practice my guitar skills, and try out a few new songs that I've never played before.

And where is Amy, you ask? She has re-located to Sydney, to be with Sam, her Aussie, stand-up comic, fiction writer boyfriend. As far as I can tell, she is really happy there. I would be lying if I didn't think we were due for a bit of space from each other anyways. But, I also have to admit that I miss her, a lot. I like having my independence, but it was really nice to have a partner in crime here. I feel lonely sometimes, especially when I see pictures of my family on Facebook, doing fun things together. There was even a period a few months ago where I was so depressed and homesick that I was ready to get on a flight. But then I remembered where I am, what I'm doing, and the incredible adventure that I get to have. I am so fortunate to be a place in my life where I can do this trip, and really make the most of it. It has been an incredible experience so far, but I know that there is so much more in store for me.

So, my place is to hunker down, save some more money, and plan the next leg of my trip. I am going to book a tour to Fraser Island and the Whitsunday Islands for the beginning of November. Then, I'm planning to fly down to Melbourne and meet my best friend Sarah for two weeks of bopping around. In December, we're going to fly to Thailand!!! I am hoping to spend Christmas there with some family friends. After that, I think I will apply for my New Zealand work visa and head over there to save some more money to do more traveling! There is still so much in store and I couldn't be happier.

More to come later, and definitely in less than 8 months.

- Heather

Another Fresh New Start.

Well, it's been quite a while since I've written anything on this site. Like many other projects in my life, this blog sort of fell to the wayside when I realized that no one besides me was reading it anyway, and it was a lot of work to keep it regularly updated. But, I did enjoy the experience of sitting down to my computer and writing, well, anything. How I was feeling, what was going on in my life, and what I was looking forward to.

So, maybe no one will ever read my blog. And that's okay too. But I have made a shift as far as what I'm doing with my life, and it feels like as good a time as any to start chronicling my adventures and getting my thoughts out on some sort of digital paper. 

Here's where I'm at:

Since the last time I wrote on this site I have: 

- Completed my Music Diploma at Capilano University.

With my dear friend Jocelyn at our college graduation, April, 2012

- Taken an exciting 2-week trip to Japan to visit my parents.

At a sake brewery in Kobe, Japan

- Worked as the Music Director at Canadian Memorial United Church for 8 months.

Earth Day Service, singing "We Are One", by Dave Ballard

- Joined Jubilate! Chamber Choir here in Vancouver.

Jubilate! concert at Ryerson United Church, Vancouver

- and been promoted to Assistant Manager at Burgoo Bistro in North Vancouver.

Colors of Fall Wine Tasting, Four Seasons Hotel, Vancouver.

Life has been good. I did, however, have a bit of an existentialist moment/crisis when I applied to UVic and UBC's Music Programs for the SECOND time last Spring and still didn't get in. Argh. It was tough to be rejected yet again, especially when it felt like all of my friends from school were being accepted into programs across the country and getting on with their lives. For whatever reason, it just wasn't in the cards for me to go back to school at this point.

So. NOW what to do? I was in Victoria, at my audition for UVic in April and even while I was there, I felt like it wasn't quite right. Quite spontaneously, I started thinking, "Maybe I should just forget about school altogether and do something completely different..."

Cape Ranges National Park, Western Australia

And that's how my idea to travel to Australia was born. Why Australia, you ask? I didn't really know. I knew I had some family friends there and a good pal Rebecca from my ISOI days in Pakistan who I would love to visit. But I think I really just wanted to venture somewhere warm and exciting, where I could travel and meet people but also work and make money. Aussie land seemed like the perfect fit! And things came together even more when my amazing and beautiful friend Amy said to me one day, "Maybe I'll come WITH you!"

So, we have our tickets booked, our bags (not really at all) packed, and we're heading out on January 20th. 

As a side note, Amy and I have had quite an eventful year. We've both been single and have gradually forayed into the crazy world of internet dating. There have been some fun dates, and there have been some absolutely terrible dates. In fact, we've had some weird and entertaining experiences over the last year and thought it might be fun to share those stories with a wider audience.

Therefore, we are going to start a podcast! And I am going to continue this travel/dating blog as we make the transition to living Down Under.  We are going to tell stories of backpacking, drinking, dating, the single life, and only the kind of adventure that two young, crazy, Canadian girls can have. And we're going to share them all with whoever is willing to listen.

So, stayed tuned for those episodes, coming soon. In the meantime, you will hear more from me as we prepare for our trip, and everything that comes along with readying ourselves for our GREAT AUSSIE ADVENTURE!

Until next time.

- H

Aussie Football League Boat Cruise, Summer 2013

A visit to Japan.

Sunday, May 1st, 2011

Today is my second day in Japan. I am here with  my younger sister Kristine, visiting my parents who live in Kobe. Our two days here so far have been quite the adventure. I have been to Japan once before, when I was a high school student and playing trombone in my concert band. And although there are elements of the culture here that I do remember from that first trip almost 10 years ago, I feel like I am in a whole different world, and am seeing this amazing place through a new pair of eyes.

Our first day was a bit of a whirlwind. The flight was long and boring, and I didn't even get in a wink of sleep. We made our way through customs quite quickly and efficiently, and boarded the express train into Tokyo. Once we were at Gotanda station, we just had to follow the map to a hotel that looked only a few blocks away. Sounds easy, right? Well, not so much.... we ended up taking a wrong street and were looking around, bewildered, for about 15 minutes. I remembered that in all of my other travels, I always had someone there with me who was good at that kind of the thing.. the map-reading, the directions-following, the instinct-trusting... but I'm not really all that good at navigating my way around a foreign country... and neither is my sister Kristine, apparently. We were both very frustrated at this point and really just wanted to GET THERE already! Lucky for us, a very nice young Japanese man came up to us and offered to help. He called our hotel for us and then guided us, on foot, right to the front door. Amazing! I knew that Japanese people were friendly but, wow. We thanked him and made our way into our room.

On the plane, I had high hopes of spending our first, solo night in Tokyo, a FRIDAY night at that, in some amazing, lively, club or bar, drinking and dancing with the locals. I thought that we would have the energy and enthusiasm to venture out and take the city by storm. But, when we both laid down for a nap and woke up at 9:15 pm, we decided that we  simply could not leave our nice warm beds, and we snuggled up for a  long sleep. We woke sometime around 5 and then stayed up until breakfast of tea and toast at 7 am. My parents arrived at the hotel a few hours later and we spent the rest of the afternoon bopping around the city and taking in the sights. We went to the busy Shibuya district, whose train station accommodates over 3 million travelers every single day! Whoa. Then we headed over to the fancy Ginza district, which is basically like 5th Avenue in New York; lots of big skyscrapers and fancy designer shops, with huge t.v. screens and lights. The streets were closed down so we were able to stroll around and take everything in. I remember being at the Ginza area when I came here with my high school and it was a really cool area to explore. We made our way back to the hotel in the afternoon and had a snack at the hotel. I felt really sick all day yesterday, with an upset stomach, sore throat and headache, so I didn't feel up for much. But after missing out on going out the night before, I summoned up a second wind and we all went out to a local izakaya down the street. You can find izakayas in Vancouver, and basically the word means a pub or bar that also serves food. It is primarily a drinking spot, and they are always a good time! We had a couple of drinks there and some snacks and then went back to our hotel for the night.

Today, I was feeling a bit better, and a good thing too because we had a lot of fun planned! We went to the Harajuku district, for some amazing shopping, and even managed to see a couple of the famous dolled up, costumed, Harajuku girls! So cool :) The shops were absolutely amazing. This is truly the shopping and fashion centre of the world. It's totally overwhelming. We bopped around all afternoon and then made our way back to Kobe, to get settled into our parents' apartment. We bought some beers and snacks from the grocery store and then hung out for a bit before going to sleep. Kristine and I were completely exhausted, so we quite anxious to get to bed. Then, I realized that I had left my iPhone at the hotel in Tokyo. DOH! Seriously... who does that? Well, in my defense, I hadn't been  using my phone at all because it was on airplane mode and totally useless to me. I grabbed it out of my purse for ten minutes to listen to music, and then fell asleep instead because I was feeling so nauseous. I left it on the bed and Kristine and I headed down to the lobby to meet my parents. When we got back, the room had been cleaned and my iPhone had been moved, but I forgot where I had put it and assumed it was still in my purse..... NOPE! Stupid, Heather.... so stupid...

Anyways, that was my second day in Japan, and so far we've been having a blast! Today we spent the whole day in Kyoto, but I will update my blog about that later, as it's 10:30 and I am exhausted!!!  More to come later :)

- Heather

Where I Belong...

September 23rd, 2010

I've spent the last three weeks of my life in a hazy cloud of bliss. I wake up at 7 every morning, hop on the bus, and spend the hours of my day surrounded by music and people who love music. I walk through the halls and hear jazz trios rehearsing in one room and a bass guitarist practicing riffs in another. I spend my mornings learning about the history of Medieval plainchant melodies and my afternoons singing Williams' Mass in G Minor. I LOVE MY LIFE!

School is amazing (In case you didn't get that from the "hazy cloud of bliss" comment). It is definitely a lot of work, and I'm finding myself having the occasional moment of confusion and frustration (it is still school, after all), but for the most part, I am learning a lot and really enjoying myself! I got into the Capilano University Singers choir and have rehearsals three times a week! It's a great group and we're doing some really awesome, challenging material. My classes are SO interesting and I'm meeting some really cool people!

So, everything is going great! Mark's birthday is on Saturday so we're going to do something fun over weekend. I'm making dinner for him, Kristine, Nate and I tomorrow night and then we're probably going to go dancing on Saturday. I'm looking forward to the weekend and to pampering Mark a little bit. He works so hard and he deserves a few days to let loose. It should be fun!

I'm staying home from school today because I'm feeling really sick. I've had a sore throat and painful cough for a few days now. And, since I only have one class today, I thought it would be a good day to stay home and get some rest. I'm also going to get caught up on some homework and laundry.

Life is so good. It feels wonderful to feel like I'm finally where I belong.

- Heather

A fresh, new start.

Today is September 1st. The first day of the first month of the start of my music career.

Yay! :)

I can't even begin to describe how excited I am. I just cannot wait to get started! I almost feel like I've been waiting to do this for the last 8 years and now I'm just making up for lost time. I feel like I've finally arrived.

So, I work one more day this week and then Mark, Nate, Kristine and I are going camping for 4 days at Harrison Lake. I'm excited for one last weekend of crazy, drunken, debauchery before I buckle down and become a straight-A student. I had my audition for the Cap University Singers last Tuesday and it went very well. I'm really hoping I get in! It will be a lot of work if I do, but it will also be amazing for my career and a really awesome opportunity. I will also still be singing with the church choir at CMUC, so it's going to be a busy semester. Work is starting to really pick up, and I think that I'll be okay to just work two days a week, Saturday all day and Tuesday nights, with the occasional Sunday night shift. I've also started going to yoga regularly at a studio in Lynn Valley, and have been enjoying my classes there immensely. I'm planning on buying a pass so that I can go a few times a week once I'm in school.

So, there ya have it! Life is so good right now! School has almost begun, work is lucrative, the weather is gorgeous, my boyfriend loves me, I love me, and everything is coming up roses. Seriously, I don't think I've ever been so happy and excited in my entire life! Life is grand :)

I will find out about the choir on the 13th. Until then, I'm going to focus on having a TON of fun this Labour Day long weekend, and then buckle down for the start of the semester.

I'm hungry, time for dinner!

- Heather

Every day is a test.

I don't get yelled at often. I am not one for heated confrontations with strangers. In fact, I was raised very well by my parents, and was always taught to use my manners. I consider myself a very courteous person, and am quick to recognize when I have made a mistake or hurt someone, and always try to right my wrongs.

So, you can understand when I was a little shocked at my encounter with a woman in the grocery store today. I have just returned back from the farm market on Lonsdale and I need to write about this story, because it left me feeling slightly jarred and I need to get a few things off of my chest.

I was at the till, getting ready to pay for my fruits and veggies. I noticed that there was a collection of cute little basil plants on sale and I thought about how nice it would be to take one home (I had a new green pot that I thought would fit these herbs quite nicely). I went to reach over to get a plant, but there was a woman nearby them, looking over the chips nearby. I decided I would just pay for the plant and then pick one afterwards, so that I wouldn't disturb the woman. But the girl at the counter wanted a choice, and I could tell that this woman was probably also waiting to pay for her groceries, so I started to pick one out and the girl at the till came over to the plants to help me take one. I gently tried to reach and point one out for her to take over to the till, without disturbing the woman, but I guess she thought I was encroaching on her space. She turned around and said to me,"Why don't you say excuse me and pick out your damn plant already!"

I kind of chuckled, because I actually thought she was kidding. I mean, do people really pick fights like that in real life? Our conversation went on something like this:

Me: "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be rude. I apologize!"

Crazy Lady: "Oh right, you're sorry! All you Vancouver people, come in here, you're so rude!! Think you're so great...."

I apologized again, but she wasn't hearing me. So, I turned towards the counter girl while she finished ringing through my food. I was in utter shock and disbelief at the things this woman was saying.

Me: "Pffftt..."

Crazy Lady: "PFFFTT... PPFFTT....PFFFTTT...." (mimicking me)

At this point, I just ignored her and paid for my groceries, while the counter girl and I shared a "WTF?" look. As I was leaving, I turned to the woman, looked her in the eye and, with complete sincerity, said, "I hope you have a nice day". She retorted with contempt in her voice, "Well, I always DO!".

I left the grocery store feeling hurt and confused. I couldn't get over the things she was saying and I had to fight back a few tears. I mean, even though I knew I hadn't done anything wrong, I am an extremely sensitive person and things like this really affect me. I think, in some way, I could tell that this woman must be suffering somehow in her life, so much that she feels a need to act this way. Maybe I was taking on some of her pain, but whatever it was, I felt like shit.

I had to take a couple of deep breaths and remind myself that there was nothing else I could have done. By the time I made it back to my apartment building, I felt a bit better. I knew that she was obviously going through something that had nothing to do with me.  But then, I started to feel angry at myself. Not for the same reasons that this woman was angry with me, but because I started to feel a little like a doormat. I was trying so hard to be understanding and mature in our interaction that I totally failed to stand up for myself. This lady had attacked me, insulted me, and made assumptions about me without knowing anything about who I was. Maybe I should have called her on that. You can't go through life being cruel to people, and you can't get away with insulting people who you don't at all know. A part of me thinks I was too nice and maybe should have put this lady in her place.  But, I can't go back in time with my well-thought out remarks and give her my two cents. Just like George Costanza with his "jerk-store comeback", I was destined to life my life wondering what would have happened if I had stood up to my attacker.

So, now I'm feeling a little confused about the whole thing. Should I be proud of myself and my "WWJD?" attitude? Or should I be disappointed that I didn't stand up for my own integrity? Or, maybe the root of the problem is that I am secretly a little jealous of this woman, for the way that she bitched me out and called me on my shit. I guess that could be a part of it as well. Maybe I wish I had the guts that she had...

For now, I'm going to rest assured knowing that I tried to be the bigger person and I'm going to transcend the negative energy that she was trying to push on me. Seriously, every day is a test. Life throws these things at you, when you least expect them, and then the Universe sits back to see how you're going to react with you cross paths with crazy  people and crazy situations. Except, it's a lot easier to deal with when you have a clear indication of whether or not you passed.......

- Heather

Turn that frown sideways and throw it out the window!

I have a pretty wonderful life.

I consider myself quite lucky. I have a great family, awesome friends, an amazing boyfriend, and a fun job. I just got accepted into a competitive music program and am starting down the career path of my dreams.

Yet, there is still this nagging, pulling weight on my shoulders, that won't let me relax or enjoy the wonderful things around me. I teeter totter back and forth between brushing it off and struggling under its heavy load.

I wish there were no such thing as money, or credit cards, or even debt for that matter. I know that I'm young and that my debt situation will probably just get worse as I get older. But, I still can't help but feel a little depressed. Sometimes I feel like I'm a winner in everything else in my life, but this one issue contributes to some epic fail that overshadows everything good that I do. It seems like even if I'm good to others, treat people well, try really hard and, in general, try to be a decent human being, all of my efforts just get canceled out by this stupid, financial mess that I've gotten myself into. I feel like a failure.

And then, I wake up suddenly and slap myself across the face. "What are you doing? Shut up and suck it up already!" I mean, if this is the worst thing going on in my life right now, I've got it pretty good. There are people all over the world who are suffering...REALLY suffering, and worrying about bigger things than their credit card payments. Maybe I should just take my frown, turn it sideways and throw it, boomerang-style out the window. Seriously.... grow up.

My meeting with the financial advisor at TD this morning was a joke. I basically spent the better part of the hour listening to this guy give me budgeting tips and advice on my spending. "Yeah, dude...I've been there already...the budget's been drawn and I'm working on it..." I learned a little about cash secured lines of credit and ways to consolidate some debt, but I left our meeting just feeling depressed and like I was 18 again, a young chicken who knows little of the grown-up hen-world in front of her. "If you can just make your payments on time, if you can just put some money in a savings account..." If I knew how to do that, I wouldn't be here! That's where you're supposed to come in! BAH!

Okay, so where does this leave me? I feel tempted to hop on Craigslist and search for a second job. I feel tempted to sell a guitar or two for some cash (blasphemy!). Do people pay for witty banter? Charisma? If only I could get paid for writing this blog... hmmmm....

For now, I'll do what I do best and keep my head up above water. I knew that this positive attitude would come in handy sometime :)

- Heather

The Euphoria of Jogging

Yesterday I went for a jog for the first time in my life.

Well, that's not completely true. I tried it once, about 7 years ago. I don't really count that past attempt since it involved me running to the end of my street and then walking back to my house again, realizing that I just wasn't up for this kind of physical activity. Since that fateful day, I guess I just concluded that running wasn't my thing...

But that has all changed now. Running may be my thing! Mark and I went for a nice, relaxed jog/walk through the park by our house yesterday. It wasn't that difficult, but it wasn't totally easy either. We went at my slower pace, taking breaks from jogging by gently strolling through the beautiful North Vancouver wilderness. We chatted, shared stories from the day, and I still managed to work up a bit of a sweat. And, having Mark there encouraged me to jog a bit more than I would have if I had been alone. It was wonderful.

We came home, me sweating a bit of a glow and Mark totally unfazed. I did dishes while Mark cooked up a gorgeous seared lemon garlic halibut dinner with roasted potatoes and greens with avocado, pecans, and goat cheese. Delicious! After dinner, I did laundry and Mark napped on the couch until bedtime. It was a delightful evening...I could definitely get used to this sort of lifestyle!

So, here's the plan: Mark and I are going out jogging again today, after we both get home from work. And I'm actually excited about it! Tonight, I'm meeting up with John to discuss my debt. I think I may invite him over to the house and cook for him, though, rather than go out to Raglan's...I just don't have the money for that right now... We'll see what he thinks about that...

Money, money, money...I am in deep need of it. I missed my last credit card payment, and I need to pay my phone bill. *SIgh* but it's okay.... it will all be okay. I just need to relax, take care of myself, work hard, and save my money! I can do this!

More to come tomorrow.

- Heather

Early risin'.

It's 10:31 am and I've already woken up, crawled out of bed, made myself breakfast, showered, dressed, styled my hair and watched an hour of television....whew! Big day so far!

I have decided to get into the habit of getting up earlier in the morning. Once I'm in school, I will have to be up and ready to go by 8 in the morning, so it's probably a good idea to get into the habit now. Plus, I think I'm starting to grow out of that "sleep in 'til noon" phase of my life, and I've discovered that I actually really enjoy my mornings. I like the sun filtering in through my blinds, making myself a healthy breakfast, and actually making use of my day. It feels really good and I'm going to start doing it more often.

Here are my focuses (foci?) for the week:

1) SAVE MONEY! Stupid federal government took money out of my account to pay off my student loans and I was short on my rent. Luckily, my boyfriend is awesome and has agreed to help me out a little bit with money. But, I have some huge expense to deal with in the next week, so the theme for this week is money saving strategies!

I have always had trouble saving money, mostly because I have always been a server and just got used to always having cash on hand. It's a blessing AND a curse, since I now have a horrible tendency to spend money that I don't really have to spend.... uughh! Bless my parents, they are wonderful people, but they never really taught us how to save, spend, and budget our money. I'm trying to figure all these things out for myself, but it's definitely a struggle. And I know that I'm not alone.

So, let's see how I can do this week! My goal is to not spend ANY money (besides necessities, like food and bus fare) and save $200 in tips by the end of next week. I think I can do it!

I will touch base on my money situation in a few days. Tonight, I have choir practice and then karaoke with my brother, his wife, my sister, and a few friends. This weekend will be very busy! We have bridesmaid dress shopping for Sarah's wedding tomorrow and then a BBQ at my place in the evening. Zosia's 1st birthday party is on Saturday, so I need to buy her a gift. And then on Sunday, I am singing a solo in church, so most of my family is coming out to hear me sing :) I might even try to drag Mark out to church too... he could use a little evolutionary Christian spirituality...haha

- Heather

A lot can change in a year.

Wow...

Can you believe that I totally forgot about this blog? It's just another testament to my lack of focus and the way that I've managed to wander through life for the last year. A lot has changed since I first wrote my list of goals last May. I've gone through a bit of an overhaul in terms of where my life is headed and how I feel. I feel....less lost, more driven, and a lot happier.

Since last year, I have checked a few more things off of my list.

1) I found ANOTHER cool new job, here in North Vancouver.

2) I joined a choir! A fantastic church choir where I am able to sing solos and improve my skills.

3) I haven't bought a yoga pass, but I have found a yoga studio close to home, and once I can save some money, I plan to start attending classes once a week.

4) Let's see...how many songs have I written since that blog? Probably close to 5! I'd have to look into it...

5) I did perform in an open mic, about a month ago. I played at a coffee shop on Lonsdale and performed one of my own songs, for the first time. It felt great :)

6) I still don't have my full license, just my learner's license. The plan is to practice driving once Mark fixes up his car.

7) I have definitely minimized my wardrobe and given a lot away to charity, so I would say that I can safely check this one off the list.

8) I've planned for at least one tattoo, but I still can't afford it, or any others for that matter.

9) I still bite my nails. Quitting this habit is very important to me, but I think it has a lot to do with stress. This is something separate that I plan to deal with... (Ayurvedic Adventures to come soon!)

10) I still want to do something really special for Mark. I want to take him on a vacation somewhere, but that all requires money, which I really have none of right now. So, I may have to think of something that I can do for him that is cheap, or free!

So, here's my update. I decided about 6 months ago that I wanted to pursue a career in music. It's what I've always wanted, and I know now that I want to make it a part of my future. So, I applied to a University music program here in North Vancouver, had my audition a few weeks ago, and I was accepted on the spot! I start classes in September and couldn't be happier!

I have a new job at a restaurant here in North Vancouver. The people are great and it's a really fun place to work. It's close to home, and the tips are great, so I'm very happy.

Mark has put a TON of work into renovating our apartment over the last two months. The place looks great, but we still have a lot to do. My brother and his wife arrive today to stay with us for a few days. Speaking of which, I have some cleaning to do before I go to work at 5! I should go...

More bloggin' action to come later!

- Heather

Day One of the Journey

This is my first official blog. I've had a couple of other websites in the past, mostly unfinished ramblings from when I was in high school. I had a Xanga website, but mostly just because all of my other friends were doing the same. Now, I think I've reached a point of maturity in my life where I can fully commit to a blog and not create another piece of half-assed literature that will float endlessly in cyberspace, untouched and updated.

So, here's where I'm at. Let's take stock. I have been studying at a small-ish college here in Vancouver for the last 2 years, pursuing a diploma in environmental studies. I love my field, I have an intense passion for the environment. But, I reached a point this semester where I just couldn't be there anymore. I think a lot of people get to that stage where school is just not doing it for them and, like those people, I needed to get away. This semester, I dropped my first class, chemistry, the only course I have not completed in over 4 years of post-secondary education. I thought it would be excruciating to do, but it was one of the most freeing experiences of my life. It was at that moment that I really understood just how much control I have over my life, even though it doesn't always feel that way. It was a very tough semester, because my heart just wasn't in it. I love the environment, but I was sick of learning about it in a classroom. I needed to get out of there.

So, here I am. It's the start of summer and I am ready to make some changes. Making these decisions has not been easy. I had brunch last month with my three sisters, just as I was finishing up school. When we get together, it's always a loud, gossipy adventure where we all tell each other what's going on in our lives. Sarah's in her third year of med school and busy with rotations, Gill's having a baby with her husband in 2 months and they've bought a new house, and Kristine's loving her job at the clinic and living with her new boyfriend. Even my twin brother Jeff has his shit together; he's married and him and his wifejustboughtahousetogetherthattheyarenowrenovatingfsdxunxdrugxdrluxdrux dr blah blah blah!

It was a lot to take in. I looked at my life and thought, "what's going on with me?" I work at a job that I hate, serving people eggs and listening to them complain about their food. I am frustrated with school. I have thousands of dollars in student loan debt and absolutely nothing to show for it. I feel tired, depressed, and I have no idea what I'm doing with my life. 

On the upside, I have an amazing boyfriend who I live with. He's the best thing in my life right now, but being in a great relationship isn't what makes me ME. I realized that I wasn't happy with where my life was going. I saw the path that my siblings were on...you know the one! The "go to school, get a job, get married, buy a house, have a baby" path. I always thought that's where I was going to. But I suddenly realized that that's not me at all, that I don't have to follow that progression if i don't want to! It was an amazing epiphany. I cried, and I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I could do whatever I wanted to! Amazing...

So, here I am now. I quit my stupid corporate restaurant job (one of the things on my list to do....CHECK!) and got another restaurant job, but in a funky, independent Caribbean restaurant where I listen to reggae all day and get to wear whatever I want. I can display my piercings proudly and finally get that tattoo that I've wanted for years. I am fixing up our house in preparation for my parents' arrival in June. They live overseas and only come home in the summer. This year, they are staying with us and I can't wait! My parents are two of the coolest people I know....yet I still somehow feel terrified to tell them of my new life plan...

Now for the list. I made a list of tangible goals that I want to achieve in the next...I don't know yet. I haven't set a time limit, but I probably should. Here's what I have so far:

1) Find cool, new job (check)

2) Join a choir

3) Buy a yoga pass and actually go! 3 times a week

4) Write and polish off 5 new songs by the end of June

5) Perform in an open mic with the above mentioned new song by the end of June

6) Get my driver's license (I'm 23 for fuck's sake)

7) Minimize my wardrobe and donate it all to charity

8) Plan and save for my tattoos

9) Stop biting my nails (I'm 23 for fuck's sake)

10) Think of something special to do for Mark

I know the list will grow and hopefully it will also shrink while I check these off. I also want to take some lessons, like art classes and guitar lessons, but those will enter the list when I start making money at the cool, new job. Every day is an adventure now and I can't wait for it to start.