One more day...

As I sit in my room, walls stripped of the once life-giving photos and memories, i cannot help but admit that i am sad to leave. Even the simple act of packing up my few treasured belongings and clothes triggered a feeling of uncertainty in me. Not to say that I am uncertain about what I am doing next year because that is the one event that i know is God santified and perhaps even a miracle at this particular time in my life. I just never pictured my departure occuring this way. Whereas a few months ago i was eagerly counting down the days in anticipation, I have now realized that when I finally do come home I will be changed which is scary for me. I also will be searching for a place to live which adds to the feeling of uncertainty i have about leaving without any substantial home to come back to. The once small town comfort of being able to go to the grocery store and see ten people you know will be removed and alone i will conquer the foreign land of Costa Rica and discover life in what people call “the real world”. Regardless of all this i am excited for how my heart and views will grow and change. I will do my best to keep up regular posts so that everyone may know how it is going.

All At Sea

This past Monday night Jordan and I found ourselves in a state of overwhelming boredom. As we brainstormed what we could possibly do in a town that shuts down around 7:30pm on average we were struck with the brilliant idea, "Let's find a boat!". After a lucky phone call in which my brother hesitantly agreed to lend us his two person, blow-up "Explorer", we were off on the adventure of a lifetime. In an effort to try and transport the floatation device, we anchored it on the roof of my tiny red car with two cables coming through the passenger and driver's windows. It was a less than admirable/llegal means of carrying the lightweighted "Explorer" which my brother clearly voiced with his stare of concern/ disbelief as we drove away. Not to fear Bran-muffin (or in other words, my brother), 30km/hr did us and the "Explorer" just fine. We carried our new vessel all the way down the Fred Gingell stairs eager to start our voyage at sea. Though the water was slightly choppy, we launched with ease and began to aimlessly paddle around the ocean as the sun set on horizon. As we noted the reality that one simple prick and the "Explorer" would deflate like a bouncy castle struck by an over-eager donut eater, we became aware that our inflatable of fun was less reliable than we had previously daydreamed about. Fortunatly the little orange ocean conquerer pulled through and we remained dry. It was no "Pirates of the Caribbean" type of adventure but it was still a very welcomed alternative to the regular movie watching Tsawwassen nights.

coming to you live from my new laptop!

hello all,
I just got a new laptop and seeing as I am overflowing with excitement i thought that i would share this with everyone who reads this blog!

Update: Caribbean departure in 18 days!

All Over Now

Yesterday was grad and it was most definetly a bittersweet event. It was a day to remember. From the endless bombardment of photographers/ parents wanting to document every moment of the day on film, to the final hours spent dancing the night away with people I may never see again, the overall day was fantastic! To be honest I really did not think that I would enjoy grad as much as everyone appeared to in past years. The hours spent getting ready, picture after picture, dinner and then goodbyes did not seem like a night that would be fun to participate in. However, after sitting all morning while my friend Adrianna pinned my hair to perfection (making me truly “feel” the authenticity of the saying “beauty is pain”) and trying three times to attach false eyelashes, the moment I actually arrived at the grad I realized that this was a day I would never forget. The dry grad was also amazing. I had heard from years past that it was an event that kept your attention for about 2 hours and then you spent the night counting down the minutes till you could leave but it was actually incredibly fun. The rec centre was transformed with beach themed décor, a gambling section, mini-golf, a dance floor, volleyball and much more. I am still so amazed at how my body allowed me to be awake till 6am that morning without taking a moment of rest or sleep. That day I slept from 6am till 4:30pm, needless to say I was very tired.
It is so strange to me that it is actually all over now. There were days this year when I was literally counting the minutes till high school would be finished with but now I am left with a sort of empty feeling of “now what?”. Don’t get me wrong, of course I know what lies ahead and I am very certain that it is what God wants for my future (for now anyways), but it is sad to know that for the first time ever, we (the grads of 2009) are all left to go our separate ways and eventually find our place in the real world. I am both sadden and excited because nothing could be more refreshing than leaving the comforting “bubble” of Tsawwassen life, but I can’t help but think that once I leave this tiny sunshine-loving town it will be sad to leave its familiarity behind. I will always think of this place as home with its many memories and me being a very sentimental person, I will hardly forget the place that Tsawwassen and the people in it have in my heart.

Viva la Vida!

This past Sunday i attended the Coldplay concert. I would like to inform all of you that it was amazing! To make it even better one of my favorite bands ever, Snow Patrol, opened for Coldplay. The sweet Irish accent of Snow Patrol's lead singer Gary Lightbody plus the unforgettable antics of Coldplay made for a remarkably enjoyable evening.

Here are some pictures ... im sorry they are so bad.

We are very excited

Snow Patrol

My pitiful attempt to zoom in on Coldplay

It always brings me to the brink of tears, "Fix You" by Coldplay

Hola mis amigos!

Well folks, it is less than two months till my departure and I am feeling both excited and extremely nervous. Trekking off to the land of tarantulas, scorpions, crocodiles, monkeys, bountiful rain, beautiful surf, possible tornados and volcanic eruptions (just to name a few things), will be an adventure to say the least! It is incredible just how fast the time is passing. I have spent ample time looking up Costa Rica tourism videos on youtube revealing some very interesting Costa Rican creatures that I will be sharing a home with next year. I guess it is just all apart of the experience. I have also neglected to spend any time learning the language (Spanish) of which I will take classes in next year (oops!). The week before I leave I will be touring the Caribbean leaving from Miami and visiting Haiti, Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Mexico for 10 days which should be AMAZING! There is just something about the surf and sand that just gives me such joy.
In other news, my UBC deferral request has gone through and the final plans of attending the school in the fall of 2010 are underway. I am not so excited about this in comparison to my current adventures but it will be so great to be back home, seeing all the people I love after being away for so long. 57 days and counting!
Adios!

These are some photos that my aunt took on her trip to Costa Rica. These guys look pretty friendly if you ask me!

From me to you!

Dear Friends,

I do not exactly have anything pressing to blog about but I decided that perhaps it would be therapeutic for me to just write about everyday happenings. So today was Monday… nothing too special occurred. I went to school which was draining, had a serious conversation with someone about why people do not appreciate stalkers and then picked up the children from school (not my children, the ones I babysit daily). The youngest of the three boys decided to spend our entire trip home re-wording Christmas carols to lyrics which always involved my death or serious injury. I then proceeded to aid my infected ear which has become really painful. It all began on a rainy March morning when Tash, Brighid and I woke up without our brains and decided to bus downtown to a demonic piercing shop to get our tragus’ pierced. Do not get me wrong, although it might have been a rather rebellious decision, it grew on me and I like now. All was swell for the first few weeks but the last two days a tiny growth resembling a pimple began to make its home around the entrance wound. I am sorry this is so descriptive and gross. I am almost certain no one wants to know about this but I feel like it is less shocking if you read about it here and then see it versus it just popping up in your line of view.
Tootles!