Long Time No Blog

It's been a good few weeks since I've updated le blog. I've taken an unintentional blog break the past little while, mostly do to the lack of inspiration of things to post about. I'm trying to think of a recap to make about the things that I've been up to, but all the days are blurring together and I'm having a hard time remembering everything that has happened the past little while. Here's a few things that have been on my mind though:

1. Finishing university and moving

I'm so close to finishing my undergrad degree and its just starting to sink in that I have 4 more days of classes to complete before the end of an era. It's going to be weird not being in school because that's all I've known so far. I think the everyday stuff is going to be an adjustment, with not walking through campus, being a bus ride away from seeing friends and walking down the street-lamp lit street en route to the entertainment in the Market. 

I'm moving home and it's definitely going to be strange from living in a city for 4 1/2 years to the country. It's going to be so quiet outside. I'm so used to hearing sirens, having the street lamps giving a soft orange glow in my bedroom at night and being surrounded by tall buildings.

When I do move home, I have a few things that I want to focus on. As soon as I move home, I'm going to apply to H&M for a job. It would be so amazing working there, surrounded by amazing clothes and people with style. I also want to commit to a regular fitness regime. School has kind of been a pain-in-the-butt with that.

2. Changing up the hair

I always gets so fidgety with my hair and I'm craving for a change again. I absolutely adore my bangs, I'm so glad I decided to go back to them. I have a teensy bit of a grey patch growing in, it's not super visable, but its there. I kinda want to go dark with my hair! Nothing too dark, but something darker than what I have. I've thought about testing out a demi-permanent colour to see if I like it, but chickened out when I was in the store isle. I also really like the trend of clip-in feather extensions. Nothing too crazy on the colour, but maybe a white and brown patterned feather. 

3. This blog

I've also been thinking about this blog and what I want to do with it in the future. I think once school is done, I'm going to commit to posting on a regular basis and integrating more of my own content, especially with pictures. I also kind of want to turn this into a style blog! I think I'm starting to become more aware of my personal style, and with this blog helping along the way could help me discover and chip away at it more (although the thought of taking an outfit shot is kind of intimidating!).

Well, that's about it for now! I have class in the morning and tomorrow is going to be one of my last homework days as a student! I'm going to be writing some blog posts for my New Media class tomorrow, listening to music and putting on a coconut and shea butter mask that I got from Forever 21 for $1! 

Holding On

I've been kind of absent from the blog lately as I've been trying to get some school related issues out of the way and taken care of. For some reason, my school doesn't plan the courses they offer very well and doesn't accommodate very well to the mass number of students in my faculty, which has resulted in my trying to get into the right classes last minute to fill up the requirements for my program. 

Long story short, I wasn't able to get into a mandatory class I need to graduate, which means I'll have to stay an extra semester in the fall. I'm not happy about it, but I suppose it gives me time to think about my options more (while also digging me deeper into debt and making me slowly go insane). I'm trying to stay positive, because everything happens for a reason, right? Hopefully something great and amazing will come out of this.

In other news, the weather is insane. -28 degrees tonight! Here's a little something to warm you up.

1.1.11.

It's 2011! I hope this year will be filled with amazing things. The one thing I'm really looking forward to this year is graduating from university at the end of July/early August. That day cannot come soon enough! I'm soooo ready to be done university and to start something else. I have no idea what my plans are after that, but I'm definitely moving out of Ottawa. It's time to move on to bigger and better things. Speaking of bigger and better things, join me while I dream about moving and living abroad! One day, hopefully. <3

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weheartit

Happy Days Are Here Again

So this week has been a bit of a blur. I've been thinking a lot about my life and where I want myself to be. I've kind of had a change of heart just recently. I guess it all started with my Italian Cinema class. We were watching a really sad movie called Facing Windows. It was a really fantastic film, but it's one of those films where a woman is married with children and is up to her knees in regrets, not having followed her dreams or the things she loved. She's not in love with her husband and ends up having a short affair with her charming neighbour next door. The ending is pretty strange, but it really makes you think about how we're living right now and how we need to do things that make us happy, not settling for a satisfactory job or a satisfactory partner. 

Anyways, after giving it some careful thought, I decided that after school, I'm going to work abroad. I'm not sure where yet, but I need to do it. I'm so tired about hearing adventurous stories from other people about where they've traveled to, and the crazy things that have happened to them on the way. I'm going to a seminar this week about learning how to work abroad, so hopefully I'll get some more information about it. More posts to come, pinky swear.

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Cityscape

So, I'm a bit disappointed that the Netherlands lost in the World Cup finals. It was a tough game, and the Dutch played great. It would have been nice for them to win, but there's always next time! They're going to be fierce competition come the 2014 World Cup held in Brazil (I'll be 25 years old then, yikes!). Anyways, onto less depressing news!Here are a few photos that are inspiring me right now:

Photo: weheartit

Amsterdam in the wintertime. Doesn't it look so pretty? I can just imagine someone riding up to the rail and parking their bicycle before grabbing a mug of tea at a local cafe.

Photo: Flickr

How amazing is this photo? Skating on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa might be nice, but skating in Amsterdam has to be so much more amazing. For people who don't know me, fall and winter are my favourite seasons. It's something about the snow and how it can make even the most unsightly things beautiful.

This video is amazing. The first time I watched it, I was in awe. You never see this many people riding bicycles in Ottawa. I wish Canadian cities were more bicycle friendly. 

I would really love to visit the Netherlands one of these days, and not when I'm too old to travel. Ideally within the next few years. I don't think I would want to travel with someone though, I want want to do it alone. I don't know what it is, but I feel as though travelling with someone who doesn't appreciate the area as much as I do would distract me from taking in everything around me. Once I learn Dutch, I'll be set. I have a few language books lying around. One day!

I Am A Stand Up Artist

On Thursday I had the amazing opportunity to go to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto. I've been itching to go to the ROM this summer and I was pretty excited that I was able to go, even though it was super last minute. When I was in New York City in 2007, I had the opportunity to see the talented Dan Perjovski's Project 85 at the Museum of Modern Art and was wowed by his quirky comic-strip style political commentary. After heading to the exhibits on the 4th floor of the ROM, I discovered that there was another Dan Perjovski exhibit!

Below is a photo I took during Project 85 in New York City.

Even though my trip to Toronto was short, it solidified my future plans to eventually move there after I graduate from university. Ottawa is alright for the time being, but it isn't a city I can identify with (if that makes any sense?). Toronto has more of a sense of character, a vibrancy to it. Ottawa, to me, is kind of a blank canvas. I still have some time over the next year to really think about my options. 

Smile Like You Mean It

I'm home for reading week which means that I get a lot of extra time to relax and think. Even though my time at home means a lot of time relaxing, watching movies and hanging out with friends, I've had a lot of time to think about my life, the future and the types of things I want to accomplish during my lifetime. I guess that I'm in some sort of a transition period, I'm feeling very restless in my last year of university, and I'm trying to come to some sort of conclusion about what I can do now so that I'm completely happy in the long run.

I don't know what sparked these feelings, but I think it has something to do with the 2010 Winter Olympics currently being held in Vancouver, BC. I'm normally not a very sport oriented person, but I can barely peel my eyes off of the screen during any of the events, especially the speed skating events. It's so fascinating to watch these strong individuals pushing their bodies and physical capabilities as far as they can go, conquering their fears and reaching their goals...even if they don't win anything (and most of these athletes are my age or even younger!)! I can't fathom how amazing it would be to be in Vancouver right now! It would really be amazing to witness it at some point in my life.

Anyways, I think this is what sparked my restlessness. Here I am, 21 years old, about to graduate, and there are so many things I want to accomplish right now. I just feel like my life is at a standstill right now, with one more year of school, another 13 months to go until that chapter ends. I love it, but I'm so giddy for the things to come next, when my career starts and I can afford to live on my own salary and just do things that make me happy. I can't wait...I've always thrived off of positive energy and accomplishment. So, in leu of this new beginning, I put together a list of the things I want to accomplish at some point in my life. I guess you could call this my bucket list!

1. After school, move to Toronto.

2. Go skydiving.

3. Live in Europe?

4. Volunteer at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival)

5. Go backpacking through Europe (maybe even the winter olympics 2014!?!)

6. Learn to play the piano.

7. Run a 5k (and if I'm really ambitious, run a half or full marathon)

8. Improve my handwriting.

9. Be famous...at something!

I was kind of in a bad mood earlier, but writing this post made me happier!

Currently listening to: Smile Like You Mean it (The Killers cover)- David Gray