I honestly can't believe the summer has already come and gone. It was the first year that I haven't been at day camp and I thought it would mean a lot more free time; turns out I managed to pack my schedule like never before and the time flew by. My summer basically started in May and lasted a solid four months. Vancouver was beautiful this year and we had an amazing few months. I kicked off my holidays in LA and spent a few days visiting. It was incredible and for those few days I felt like I was in another world. It's always good to be able to disconnect from everything and just enjoy the people and places in the present. It's a good reminder of how important it is to appreciate the things we have and not get lost in all our responsibilities and plans. It was also a way for me to reaffirm my goals and feel as if they were attainable.
The rest of May, June and July were pretty much consumed by school, work and volunteering. Spent a lot of time at the beach working on our research project, which we learned a lot from. Also did the Ragnar Relay in July. It was such an incredible experience to be able to run the Northwest Passage with an amazing group of people. I definitely would not have been able to do it without their support - all the cheering, shot blocks and laughs made for a good time. I discovered how powerful the notion of mind over matter truly is. It's quite astounding how much you can achieve based solely on the determination to do so. Aside from the caffeine and sugar, there really wasn't anything that was keeping me going aside from the sheer will to complete each leg, but that was more than enough to do the job.
Wound down the last month of summer with a long weekend in Portland. We didn't have any plans set in stone, which was out of the norm for me in terms of travelling. I'm a bit OCD and I love order and organization with most everything that I do. It ended up being a really great weekend and I wouldn't have had it any other way. We stayed at an Airbnb place in the heart of downtown and really got to experience the city. I love just wandering and exploring so it was a plus that we could walk pretty much anywhere from our place.
My cousin had her wedding here in Vancouver at the end of August, so there was nearly a week full of family festivities. It's always nice to be able to spend time with my family from out of town. It doesn't matter how long it's been since we've last seen each other - we can always pick up right where we left off. We ended up spending a day just enjoying this beautiful city and we ran the seawall. It was such a beautiful and relaxed run, I definitely need to start making more of an effort to head down there. Time to start mixing it up and not just running the trails near home. The wedding itself was the most elegant affair I have ever attended. Everything was so gorgeous and although we hit a few road bumps here and there, it was perfect.
This summer has given me a lot of time to think about the people I surround myself with and what I want in the future. I'm about to embark on my final semester of university and although I cannot wait to have it finally be over and done with, a part of me is nervous about what's to come. For the first time ever, when the semester ends I won't have just another term at school to start planning for. What comes next is real life, which is both a terrifying and exhilarating thought. I can't wait to get started and to explore the world and all the opportunities it has to offer, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit scared. I'm thankful for the people that have stuck out my last few flighty years with me. It's narrowed my social circle significantly, but also lets me focus my energy on the people and things that matter the most.
It's weird because I love order and organization, but I seem to be most attracted to chaos. I detest being too comfortable. I love the butterflies in my stomach that I get every time I book a flight or make plans to do something new. I'm positive about the things that I want and I'm willing to do what I must to attain them and at the same time I feel perhaps I'm not justified or deserving of the things that I desire. The freedom that finishing this final semester is going to give me is still something I'm trying to wrap my head around - I love the uncomfortable and sometimes that means pushing boundaries and making plans that aren't always the most realistic. I can't wait to try them anyways. Alas, it's probably time I rest my head and get through the semester ahead before I start daydreaming about the people and places I'm ready to turn myself over to.
xx
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| Sunset from Venice Beach |
The rest of May, June and July were pretty much consumed by school, work and volunteering. Spent a lot of time at the beach working on our research project, which we learned a lot from. Also did the Ragnar Relay in July. It was such an incredible experience to be able to run the Northwest Passage with an amazing group of people. I definitely would not have been able to do it without their support - all the cheering, shot blocks and laughs made for a good time. I discovered how powerful the notion of mind over matter truly is. It's quite astounding how much you can achieve based solely on the determination to do so. Aside from the caffeine and sugar, there really wasn't anything that was keeping me going aside from the sheer will to complete each leg, but that was more than enough to do the job.
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| Our whole team at the finish line |
Wound down the last month of summer with a long weekend in Portland. We didn't have any plans set in stone, which was out of the norm for me in terms of travelling. I'm a bit OCD and I love order and organization with most everything that I do. It ended up being a really great weekend and I wouldn't have had it any other way. We stayed at an Airbnb place in the heart of downtown and really got to experience the city. I love just wandering and exploring so it was a plus that we could walk pretty much anywhere from our place.
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| The wedding reception |
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| Running the Seawall |
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| Cousin & I at the wedding |
This summer has given me a lot of time to think about the people I surround myself with and what I want in the future. I'm about to embark on my final semester of university and although I cannot wait to have it finally be over and done with, a part of me is nervous about what's to come. For the first time ever, when the semester ends I won't have just another term at school to start planning for. What comes next is real life, which is both a terrifying and exhilarating thought. I can't wait to get started and to explore the world and all the opportunities it has to offer, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit scared. I'm thankful for the people that have stuck out my last few flighty years with me. It's narrowed my social circle significantly, but also lets me focus my energy on the people and things that matter the most.
It's weird because I love order and organization, but I seem to be most attracted to chaos. I detest being too comfortable. I love the butterflies in my stomach that I get every time I book a flight or make plans to do something new. I'm positive about the things that I want and I'm willing to do what I must to attain them and at the same time I feel perhaps I'm not justified or deserving of the things that I desire. The freedom that finishing this final semester is going to give me is still something I'm trying to wrap my head around - I love the uncomfortable and sometimes that means pushing boundaries and making plans that aren't always the most realistic. I can't wait to try them anyways. Alas, it's probably time I rest my head and get through the semester ahead before I start daydreaming about the people and places I'm ready to turn myself over to.
xx
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