{source}
Come see my new blog, Awbviously Awmber! If you’re subscribed in a reader please don’t forget update your subscription so you don’t miss out on any of my posts.
Inspiration, Take Two.
It seems as though I’ve been hit with a bit of writer’s block. Maybe it’s the lack of unpacking my new house that’s put me in a lazy mood. Maybe it’s caused by me reading 3 books at once. Maybe it’s just that I’ve been more into taking pictures than writing about them. It seems that all I’m doing is looking for a bit of inspiration. And yet, maybe that’s all I need.
Things have been a little strange at home, and I’m not sure how to take it, really. My friend is becoming less of a companion, and I’ve somehow gotten dragged into a breakup that was supposed to be over a month and a half ago. There is still an upright couch in my kitchen, and my bed is starting to become a place where I’d rather not be. Maybe it’s because I have an addiction to movies and that’s the only place to sit comfortably. Too much time in one place gets you jittery.
It seems that my weekends are being spent in my house, cooped up because I can’t be bothered to do anything else. Sure I get out to buy groceries and mini-walks and it sounds like time well spent, but I feel unfulfilled.
Anyway, enough of my moping. I thought I would share a little more inspiration this week, in hopes of it curing this grumpiness.
April Inspiration
Posted in Photo Updates
Tagged inspiration, pretty boys, pretty shoes, spring flowers, swings, tea parties
Back To School
I was never particularly good at any specific subjects in school, but always seemed to enjoy the majority of the classes I took. After I graduated, I moved 3 hours from home and attended a college just outside of the city. Although I loved going, it was a major reality shock to me, and trying to juggle living costs with homework was not cutting it. So, after a semester I decided that I was going to take some time off to sort things out. Not shortly after I thought it was a brilliant idea to enroll in a Makeup Artistry diploma program where I ended up paying more than $14,000 on tuition and supplies in 10 months, and in the past 3 years have rarely used any skills learned.
Throughout the past couple of years, I have really started missing going to school and learning. I have looked up courses at schools nearby countless times, and even went through with even registering for a few of them. Although, as soon as I found a single thing to use as an excuse I took it. I didn’t end up going to any of the classes I was enrolled in, and it eventually slipped my mind.
But, with my recent love of photography, I started weighing out my pros and cons of starting classes this year. I started really concentrating on it, and found that all of the cons on my list were things that I had mysteriously created. Excuses like, “The classes end at 10pm, that’s so late!” or “I’m saving up for a trip to see my dearest friend, and this will be cutting into that” or “The last time I made an impromptu decision to go to school I was $10,000 in debt and still am.”
The pros on my list made me start feeling really, really good about it. I’d be able to actually properly learn how to use the $600 camera I just bought. I’d get a chance to be motivated to continue creating with assignments and feedback from a professional. I would get a chance to meet some great people, and get an introductory to the field. And, even though I’d be cutting into vacation money, at least this would give me a chance to be in tune with my inner creativity on a daily basis, rather than a yearly trip.
Then, with the help of a friend finding the class at the perfect time, I leapt and landed in one solid movement. I went into the school on Monday,registered and paid tuition for a Beginner DSLR class starting today!!! It’s a 10 week course (once a week) that will explore the basics on how to use my camera technically and creatively. Talk about perfect timing! I’m excited for what the course has in store for me, and am excited to share what I learn! I will be giving you guys an update as soon as I can, but for now, it’s off to class I go!
{Via Google}
Posted in 64
Why So Much Stuff?
Whenever you move you always realize exactly how much stuff you really have. The truck that we rented for the move was 17 feet long, and we managed to completely fill it. My friends were saying, ‘Wow you really have a lot of stuff.’ And although I know that they weren’t judging me for it, I started to feel a little ashamed. How did I get all of this stuff, and why do I have it?
After a week of living with only the necessities unpacked, I found that I actually enjoyed having less around. With 20 boxes and an upright couch in my kitchen, I’ve pretty much been spending all of my time in my room avoiding it all. I managed to unpack my clothes and the essentials and am enjoying the big window that fills the space with natural light.
It’s felt so liberating to be free from all of the things I’ve happened to collect over the years. Having all of my things packed up, and the house completely cluttered has given me a chance to explore the new area we live in, and get back into reading. I rediscovered my love for the Vancouver Public Library (side note: Do you have any book recommendations?). I’ve found that I’m taking my time coming home from work, and taking different routes to see which ones are the most enjoyable. I’ve gotten to try new restaurants like The Roundel Cafe and found where to buy groceries. Heck, this week I even mapped out the terrain for exquisite summer bike riding.
But with having no kitchen, things have started to become problematic. I’ve spent an obscene amount of money eating out for every single meal in the past 2 weeks, and feel gross from not eating right. So this weekend my roommate and I decided that it was time to start unpacking. And with my unpacking came my love of getting rid of things.
I started thinking about things that I have and what I don’t need, and there is a lot of it. I started with books. I’m the type of person that likes the look of a full bookshelf. I’ll buy a book rather than borrowing one, read it, then never pick it up again. The thing with that is, I don’t even have a bookshelf anymore (it was my previous roommate’s). So I managed to put aside the majority of 4 boxes of books aside to sell/donate back to our local used bookstores. I also managed to get rid of the stuff in my costume trunk, and I’m sure there will be more!
Have you been doing any Spring cleaning lately?
Posted in Every Day Whatever
Tagged moving, rediscovery, spring cleaning, The Roundel Cafe, VPL
With A Convoy of Movers, I Think I Can Finally Relax
I’m not sure if I’m the only one who experiences this, but I have severe anxiety with any sort of small change in my life. Thinking about brushing my teeth in a new bathroom, or having to figure out new light switches and where they are will make me so stressed out, that I’ll have to cool off in a corner for a while. I’m not sure why I do it, but I start micromanaging my life and focusing on the little things that I will have to alter on a day to day basis, rather than seeing things as a whole. I realize that this isn’t helping anybody, but my mind just sort of goes there on its own.
That being said, preparing for the move this past week, you can expect how I was handling it. Not good. Between phone calls, tears and anything that would aid my in my procrastination, I managed to get a few solid days of packing in. I spent a few hours cleaning, as did my roommates. Then, when it came time to actually move, it seemed that there was a convoy of friends that had come to our rescue. In total, we had 8 people, a 17 foot U-Haul truck, 6 turkey club sandwiches, 2 vegan wraps and a lot of willpower that got us through the day.
Although the move went smoothly, we did run into a slight complication during this process. The couch wouldn’t fit through the doorway of the living room, no matter how hard we tried! We even tried taking the door off of the frame, but the hallway makes putting it in the room a very difficult job. Currently, it’s standing sideways in our kitchen full of boxes, and we’re still trying to come up with ideas on how to make it work. Our next bet is borrowing a drill to get the legs off of it, and squeezing it in somehow (TWSS?). Or buying a stick of dynamite and lighting the damn thing on fire.
I must say, though, after living here a whole 2 and a half days, I can say that it’s not as bad as I expected it to be. My transition is hopefully going to be a small one. I’ve got the setup of our Arts and Crafts room to look forward to, and I’ve been distracting myself with my new goodies.
Oh, did I not mention that I bought myself a present for all of these efforts? That’s right, I did. I saved for 3 months, and was finally able to purchase my brand new Pentax K-x! It arrived yesterday, and I think it’s official. I’ve fallen in love. I’m definitely a novice at this stuff, but expect to see lots of Flickr updates!
What were you up to while I was away? I missed you!
Posted in Every Day Whatever
Moving is taking over my life.
Oh my goodness! My internet connection has been majorly slow lately, and getting organized for moving has taken over my life. Between painting, cleaning, packing and sleeping, and planning my birthday (Friday! Woo!), the little energy I have left goes into watching movies. I’m excited for life to slow down after this weekend so I can just settle again. And catch up with blogs. Promise.
Procrastination at it’s best
It’s official! I’m moving next Sunday! It’s weird how March is always one of the hardest months for me, yet it still always catches me off guard. This month I’ve dealt with a break in, the first major fight I’ve ever had with my best friend, my boss’ boss’ boss confronting me and possible landlord conflicts. After all of the troubles March has brought me, I’m looking forward to moving on, and moving out into a new place.
Some specs: 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, garden level, back yard, and big windows in the bedrooms. It’s really close to the area we live in now, but it’s a little quieter. So I’m hoping that will give me more motivation to ride my bike everywhere when I’m bored. And there will only be two of us in the new place, so we’ve decided to make the 3rd bedroom the arts and crafts room! I can’t wait! What I’m not excited about is the fact that I have to paint my current room before the new tenants get here. Why don’t these people like bright green, you ask? I don’t know. I think they’re absolutely crazy. Maybe they’re not human. I think that’s it.
Is it just me, or is it hard for everyone to pack their stuff? I am seriously having a hard time to find the motivation to get started on things the last couple of days, and am using every little excuse not to. ‘Oh! There’s something new in my Reader! I’m hungry! I want to go for a bike ride. I want to look at pictures of tattoos for 2 hours.’ These are not good ways to pack! Yet, it’s incredibly addicting and gets my mind off of stressing about all of the things I have to do. But today I brought my friend over to keep me on track, and it worked quite well. I’d say that I’m about 1/3rd of the way finished, which is great
What was your last moving experience like? How did you stay focused?
If I Could Be A…
The past week really was one stress after the other, and I’m so glad for everyone’s support. I have worked things out for the most part, but will wait till everything is confirmed to share. In other news, I recently found this meme on Shannon’s beautiful little blog, and absolutely fell in love with it. It’s nice to connect with yourself, and think about things that you wouldn’t normally every so often.
If I could be a month, I’d be September.
If I could be a day of the week, I’d be Saturday.
If I could be a time of day, I’d be 10 am.
If I could be a planet, I’d be pluto (I know this isn’t a planet anymore, but just give me this one).
If I could be a sea animal, I’d be an orca.
If I could be a direction, I’d be up.
If I could be a piece of furniture, I’d be a vintage chesterfield.
If I could be a liquid, I’d be apple juice.
If I could be a gemstone, I’d be jade.
If I could be a tree, I’d be a birch.
If I could be a tool, I’d be a needlenose plyers.
If I could be a flower, I’d be a sunflower .
If I could be a kind of weather, I’d be a thunderstorm.
If I could be a musical instrument, I’d be a tambourine.
If I could be a color, I’d be seafoam green.
If I could be an emotion, I’d be hopeful.
If I could be a fruit, I’d be a nectarine.
If I could be a sound, I’d be a contagious laugh.
If I could be an element, I’d be air.
If I could be a car, I’d be a ’57 Chevrolet BelAir.
If I could be a taste, I’d be cheesy and delicious.
If I could be an object, I’d be an old suitcase.
If I could be a pair of shoes, I’d be a pretty pair of moccassins.
{All images from We Heart It or Google Images}
What would you be?
Posted in Every Day Whatever, Photo Updates
Protected: Keep Your Head Above Water
Enter your password to view comments.
Posted in Every Day Whatever
Olympic Pride
With the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, our city has been crawling with crazed fans from all over the world. Let me say, being a Vancouverite in the midst of the madness has been a little stressful, but exciting to say the least! There were plenty of free events downtown and in the surrounding cities that were really accessible and a lot of fun! During the first week my friends and I went out 4 out of 5 weeknights and got home well after 11:30pm every time. Although I almost killed myself of exhaustion in the process, I’m glad that I was really putting in the effort to participate.
I remember the first show we went to and hearing Grand Derangément, a band from Nova Scotia. They actually stopped in the middle of their set so that we could watch the first Canadian Gold medalist receive his prize. I remember waiting more than 2 hours to see Alexisonfire play for free, only to find that during the first line of the first song they played, the barricade broke and they had to cancel because of safety issues. I remember walking down Granville Street at 10pm on a weeknight and running into a full on street hockey game with a swarm of spectators surrounding. I remember getting a text message at 7am on the morning of the free Deadmau5 show informing me that there was already a line, then missing the show because the venue was at capacity at 3pm (6 hours before the show). I remember countless sing-a-longs to our national anthem with people I didn’t know. I remember sitting by the big screens with Moorea, watching the hockey game, cheering for my country like it was for life or death. There are so many moments from those 2 weeks that I will remember for a long time to come.
It was completely surreal watching some of the sports on TV and realizing that they’re all happening within 2 hours from here, or that all of those crowds really were real! Watching TV and seeing wide, swooping shots of the city that I’ve lived in for the last 4 years has been completely refreshing. For once I can really step outside of myself and really see the city’s beauty from a different perspective. I can cheer for my city, and my country because I’m in the middle of it.
Canadians aren’t really known for showing their patriotism off to the world, but you’d be surprised how much pride we have.
Posted in Every Day Whatever
My Life: Stolen, Piece By Piece
I found it weird this morning when I got a phone call from my landlord not even an hour into my shift at work. I made the quick decision to answer, and it followed with “Amber, I have some bad news.” Thinking of the worst possible scenarios, a thousand things ran through my head. Did I leave my hair straightener on? Was there a fire/flood? Did my rat die?… Then she said it, “Downstairs was broken into just now. I saw the guy, and chased him, but I don’t know what he took. I’m so sorry.” 2 days after giving my notice, we got broken into again.
They say that being broken into is one of the most violating feelings you can experience. Coming home to your belongings strewn across your floor and searching for possessions you knew you had is terrifying. But it’s not as terrifying as thinking about the person scoping out your house, or watching you as you leave for work. Seeing the bike tracks leading up to my window, the screen on the ground, and marks on the outside of my window where they peered in to see if there was anyone home. Was he watching me while I was sleeping? Then knowing that they went through your dresser drawers searching for anything worth selling, grazing your clothes with their hands.
Last year we were broken into not once, but twice within a month of us moving out of the suite we were living in. We lost everything. 4 computers, backpacks and a camera and a huge mess later, we were devastated. We learned that it was important to hide our laptops in a secure location every time we left the house, and to close the curtains every night. But it didn’t stop them this time. Both of my vintage Pentax cameras are gone, along with the Wii Gaming Console that I was gifted only a few months ago. They weren’t worth a lot of money, but those cameras were so sentimentally valuable to me. Although not a lot was taken, it still hurts that we were victimized yet again.
Being through 3 break ins in a year has made me a stronger person, and it’s clear that I need to get away from basement apartments in East Vancouver. But with the average cost of housing in Vancouver and my average wages, I doubt that it will be feasible. I guess just keeping my chin up and searching for apartments, hoping for the best.
I’m also hoping that this doesn’t happen again:
Cheer Up, Buttercup
The common misconception about Vancouver is that the weather conditions are always so mild. This is mostly true; Vancouverites are lucky in that they get to enjoy warm winters, and mild summers. But what most people don’t know is that this comes with major consequences. Because we are on the coast, there seems to be constant rain during the fall and winter months, and by the time February hits it seems like this whole city is such a sad and dreary place.
I was recently found this article that was so inspiring for me. It’s about things that put light back into your heart when you’re feeling down, and I was surprised to find that there were a lot of things on that list that put a smile on my face. I know that it’s not just me that has a hard time getting through the late winter months, I thought that I might share some of the things that I connected with.
So here we have it. I’ve compiled a list of 10things that will cheer me up no matter what:
1. Have a snugglefest with a friend or partner. If you don’t have one, a pillow almost makes up for it.
2. Experience a sunset. Just get out and enjoy it! Here in Vancouver there are quite a few beaches and parks that you can go to where you can sit an enjoy some peace and quiet.
3. Plan a vacation, even if you’re not going anywhere. Map out routes you would take, places you’d like to stay and people and things you’d like to see. It may not get you far, but at least it will get you out of your head for a while.
4. Get dressed up, and go out somewhere. Even if it’s just to get groceries or do little errands. Being outside and looking good is just as therapeutic as anything.
5. Escape! Go anywhere that isn’t where you live, even if it’s to the local park. If you have a car, drive outside of the city and explore a new place. Take transit to the end of the line! Do anything to experience something new.
6. Eat ice cream and watch trashy television. And I mean trashy. I mean Teen Mom on MTV trashy. It’s amusing, and makes you realize that you really don’t have it too bad sometimes.
7. Have a dinner party at your house. Invite a friend or two, and have a low key night where you can just spend time together. It could be formal, or it could be themed! If you don’t have the energy to make all of the food, you could make it a potluck!
8. Put on your favourite guilty pleasure music at a high volume and sing along as loudly as you can. For me, my guilty pleasure music is Jay-Z. Whenever I’m feeling upset, I turn on Blueprint 1, 2 or 3 full blast and show the whole world that I exist (and that Jay-Z does).
9. Find a project in a craft book or online and tackle it for the rest of the day.
10. Watch any of the following YouTube videos over and over again:
-Puppy Can’t Get Up
-A Word With Chester~Blanket Fort
-Blood
What cheers you up on a cloudy day?
Posted in Every Day Whatever
Tagged cheer up, grey weather, happy, pick me ups, Vancouver
Giveaway Winner Time!
This week has been one big roller coaster after another. I promise I will be on more of a writing schedule soon! Up and coming stories include my best friend moving in with me and my roommate in our 2 bedroom apartment, trying to find affordable living in Vancouver, and Canadian spirit in Vancouver during the Olympics. But for now, I’d like to introduce you to my blog giveaway winner!
And the winner is… (drumroll)…
Elly from: The Life of Elly
Photo from Elly’s Flickr Page
Thanks for everyone who participated!
100th Post: Getting to Know You Giveaway!
Well everybody, the time has come that I present you with my 100th post! After more than a year of blogging, I must say that I am thoroughly impressed that I’ve made it this far. I’m not one to keep writing habits up for longer than a couple months normally, but my readers are just oh so brilliant and most of you have turned into real friends! I’m so glad to have met all of you, and if I haven’t, please introduce yourself! I’d love to meet you!
In honour of my 100th post, I’m going to be hosting a Getting to Know You Giveaway, open until February 23rd. I have come up with a selection of goodies from my one of my favourite little stores and a few other things that I think you will like.
Lovely things that you will receive:
1. Tin with beautiful fabric and button print
2. Set of pretty origami paper
3. Mini cross stitch patterned envelopes and note cards
4. Hand made felt flower pin made by yours truly (me)!
If you’d like to enter the contest, simply enter a comment below with your name, email address and a bit about yourself that I don’t already know. I’m accepting entries worldwide so don’t be shy! Contest closes at 8pm on Tuesday, February 23rd and the winner will be announced on Wednseday.
New Name!
Hey Everybody!
I’ve been thinking… France, FTW is old news and everybody knows it. So I’ve changed my little blog’s name! Awbviously Awmber is here! If you’re a follower, update them blogrolls!
And stay tuned for Wednesday’s post! It’s my 100th post and I have a surprise in store for you!
Happy Monday,
Awmb
Posted in Every Day Whatever
It’s not guaranteed that you’ll have a safe landing.
Over the past two weeks I have gone through an emotional roller coaster. I learned a lot about some of my friends that I was completely in the dark about, and learned a lot about myself in the process. With the recent visit of my friend Steve, I was reminded of how much my life has changed in the last two years, and how it has affected me and the people I surround myself with. A lot of it is related to positive personal growth, but I was surprised to find all of the negative under the surface.
I feel that I have lost touch with the internal happiness I used to carry around with me everywhere I go. I used to be the inspired by the slightest things. I’d wake up every morning wide eyed and excited for what was to come. But over the past two years, I feel that I’ve become disconnected. I’ve stopped paying attention to anything but my daily tasks and to do’s, and haven’t put any thought into what I’m doing or what makes me happy. I’ve started judging people and placing their negative qualities before the positive ones. I’ve become lazy and more stubborn, and have closed myself off to a lot of people. I’ve stopped putting in an effort to make friends, and have lost a few along the way.
I’ve wrapped myself in this invisible security blanket and have not wanted to get rid of it. I have a fear of leaving the area of the city that I live in, and am afraid of change. Moving last year was one of the hardest decisions that I had to make, and it took me a long time to build up the courage to make it. Even though I was living in a basement suite that wasn’t in any condition that was enjoyable, I was stuck. After moving to my new house (10 blocks away), I felt completely overwhelmed by the change in my daily activities, and found it hard not to be depressed. Although it was still in the area, the small daily changes caused me a lot of unexpected anxiety. It took me a long time to get used to where I’m living now, but somehow I’m still avoiding change everywhere I go. Change is good! Why have I been hiding?
Lastly, I’ve realized that I’m not passionate about a particular thing anymore. I used to be into makeup artistry and went to school for it, but I’ve barely used what I’ve learned. I don’t have any interest in pursuing anything with it and have a ton of debt as a result. But when I was in school I loved it. I used to look for inspiration in everything, and now I feel that I put no effort into it. I work day to day, run around the city doing things to cross of my to do list, come home, watch movies and hang out. I don’t have anything that I can pour myself into.
Verdict of all of this rambling: I don’t want to be afraid anymore. I want to become more like the person I was and start living! And I don’t mean going out to bars every weekend, I mean truly getting out there. Making an effort to put a spring in my step when challenges arise, and welcoming them. I’m going to learn to enjoy what we have around us. I’m going to start focusing on photography and hope to take a course this year. I’ve been telling myself so much that I miss school, so I think that this will be a good start. And I’m going to move, and be open to finding somewhere in a new area.
I’m learning to accept change, and feel that this year will be full of it.
I thought this only happened in movies.
For some of you that have been following for most of my blogging career, you’ve probably heard of the heartache I had to endure when one of my closest friends had to move away. Steve lived with me for a little shorter than a year, and became one of the closest friends I’ve ever had. Abruptly, in May 2008, he was sent back to Boston where he was originally from and it left me shattered and feeling completely disconnected. I was forced to deal with my partner in crime being (unofficially) deported, having to deal with all of his belongings and having to find someone to fill his spot in our small basement suite.
Over the last two years we have managed to maintain as much of a relationship as our lives have let us. We were using email, skype and phone as much as we could, but it just wasn’t the same. We tried to keep our friendship from dwindling, but with both of our schedules (and the fact that one party isn’t so great on the phone) it was almost impossible to keep up. But I have always been the type of person that doesn’t give up on long distance friendships, and balance it as much as I could.
Recently I’ve been trying to get a hold of him without success. He’s been too busy with work, and wasn’t responding to the emails I had been sending him. I started to get so anxious about his schedule, that I was having dreams about him avoiding me. I’d send him an email right after a nightmare hoping for some sort of reassurance, but I wouldn’t hear anything back.
Then, on Saturday afternoon I got an email from him saying that he would be free that night, and would be online to chat with me at 7pm. Despite me having plans, I decided that I was going to prioritize him because I knew how busy he was, and I didn’t want to waste any opportunity. Then, around 630pm I got a phone call from him:
S: Amber! I just wanted to call you because I got you the best present ever and I’m at a 24 hour FedEx place right now. I want to send it to you right now before it ends up on my bedroom floor for a month and a half.
A: Squee! Really? I can’t wait! What is it? No, I don’t want to know. Yay!
S: What’s your address so I can send it right now?
A: (insert personal information here) Aww you’re way too sweet! I can’t wait to get it!
S: Okay, I’m just going to drop this off and then I’ll head home to chat with you. Are you around?
A: Of course. What else would I be doing other than waiting for you? Talk to you in a bit!
10 minutes go by, with me trying to pass time while reading a few blogs at my kitchen table. I’m anxiously waiting for Steve to sign in so we can talk when, out of the corner of my eye, I see a figure move past my windows, and the motion light goes off. I glance over to the window, and see the light shining on his face. For a second I didn’t even believe my eyes, and hesitated. It wasn’t until he knocked on the locked door to get in that my mind shifted back into reality. I let him in and immediately burst into hysterical tears of joy. I couldn’t believe that he showed up! He didn’t tell anyone from home that he was coming in fear of ruining the surprise, and didn’t tell anyone in Vancouver.
I immediately started asking him what he was doing here. Sobbing and trying to get words out while hugging him so tightly, I managed to get out my questions. “What? What are you doing here? How long are you here for? What? Where are you staying? I can’t believe you’re hereeee!” His answers were all I wanted to hear. He told me he’s here for 10 days, and that he wasn’t sure where he was staying (meaning, my house of course!). He told me that he had deliberately avoided responding to my emails for the past week because he wanted me to be even more surprised when he showed up.
For the past few days our visit has been filled with breakfasts at Bons, movie nights and slight drunken (mis)adventures. I am so grateful that I have such amazing friends, and am still in awe that he’s even here. I trust that our visit will remain to be exciting until he leaves on Monday.
Posted in Every Day Whatever
Photo Blog: The Best Of 4 Rolls
Hey guys! So I’m super excited because I have been taking lots and lots of photos lately, and I finally got 4 rolls of film developed! Here are my favourites! I must admit, the ones of me in them, I didn’t take. Props go to Taylor and Shayna for those ones!
If you like what you see, visit my newly upgraded Flickr page for more! Lemme know what you guys think of these!
Inspiration for a new destination
This weekend marked the best day I’ve had this year to date. The rain subsided on Saturday, and I was up and ready to start my day to enjoy it! In the morning I made my way to volunteer for a few hours at the Canadian Network for International Surgery. A friend of mine had recently passed on the message that they were in need of someone to come in to help with a sewing project, and I was excited to be able to help out! After sewing stomach pieces for 3 hours, I successfully helped them make their deadline, and had a few good laughs along the way.
As some of you know, I’ve been putting money towards ‘Awmber’s DSLR-of-Awesome Fund’ for the last month or so. But I’m afraid that if I get one, I won’t know how to use it. So I’ve been practicing with my film SLRs as much as possible. After volunteering, I meandered side streets with Taylor, taking photos of old buildings and pretty flowers (I know. It’s winter, and Vancouver has flowers right now). It has been raining for most of the past couple weeks, that there were so many happy campers roaming the city that day.
While walking, Taylor and I started daydreaming about soon living together, and talking about travel. Both of us have wanted to travel, but none really have. Then I mentioned that I wanted to move to a new city. It’s so interesting how so many of my friends are not from Vancouver. Actually, now that I think of it, most people I have met are transplants from different cities, all from a far distance. It has always seemed so exciting thinking that you would have a fresh start in a new city where ‘no one knows your name’, and you have to fly back to see your family for holidays. Getting to know a new city is like getting to you the person you might marry one day. There’s so much to learn! It seems like such a novelty to me, I guess. And I really want to experience it.
So amongst other things during our heart to heart, I decided that I need to get my act together. I need a serious plan as to where I see myself in 2 years, and I need attainable goals. I need to stop living so day to day and start thinking about my future. In the next 2 weeks, I will be making a Goal Board (I need an inspirational dreamy name for it rather than that, but can’t think of one) that will hang on my door so I can be visually reminded what I am working towards every day.
What I have to go on the board so far:
-Move to one of the following cities within the next 2 years time: Montreal, Toronto or Halifax
-Buy this camera, or another DSLR that I choose instead.
-Try to put $30 into my savings per week
I’m hoping that by seeing what I’m working towards on a daily basis, I will be thinking of them more, and will be more focused on them. Positive thinking helps, too!
How do you get motivated to start making/achieving goals?
