86.

I think I'm one of those people who gets homesick the closer it gets to actually going home. 

Summer plans are starting to be made, countdowns are on, and the excitement is building. 

But I have a feeling that the next 86 days are going to CRAWL by. 

Are we there yet?

PS - I'm okay! Between sentimental gestures from family and friends this weekend, to making plans for my time at home this summer, I'm just having one of those weekends. It's okay to miss home, sometimes...

...and breath. 

Homeward Bound.

 It's gonna be a long night ahead. 

But the reward at the end is so going to be worth it. 

Tonight, I'm making my way across the country to spend the holidays at home in the Maritimes. 

Family. 

Friends. 

Tradition. 

Love. 

That's what the holidays are all about. 

And I couldn't be more excited to be coming home. 

But, as my luck would have it, all of my flights have been delayed. Guess that's the price you pay for flying during the holidays, and during the winter. Oh, Mother Nature!

With much determination and patience, I'll be home for Christmas!

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.

Lines from the film Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close:

Oskar: "What do you miss about him?"

Mother: "I miss his voice telling me he loves me."

----------

Sitting in the theatre, I nod my head and whisper "yes." I know how this feels, and I still feel it now and then. 

An incredible and moving movie. I didn't cry as much as I thought I would. In fact, I only teared up once (during the quoted moment above). It was amazing and inspiring to be in Oskar's thought processes and in his journey to find something he thought his Dad had left behind for him. He is a remarkable boy with the most intricate mind. I could have sat and watched/listened to him for hours. I'm definitely more motivated now to go read the book.  

Oskar is a nine-year-old boy who lost his father in 9/11. After finding a key in a blue vase in his father's closet, Oskar spends his weekends searching for who the key belongs to and what it opens hoping he'll find something that his Dad intended for Oskar to find. 

Oskar meets many people and hears their stories, when at the same time, the audience is living Oskar's story with him. I felt connected to Oskar and when he experienced extreme emotional break downs I wanted to reach my hand out and comfort him. It was obvious at the end of the film how much he impacted every person he encountered. And to see the relationship between Oskar and his mother blossom was one of the most touching and beautiful things I've ever seen on film. It was so real and so calming that I felt I was in the room with them. 

A wonderful movie, and I highly recommend it to you all. 

If you've seen it, what did you think? Leave a comment! 

(Photo via IMDb)

The Little Things.

The last couple of days have been quite strenuous with lesson planning and organizing for my first experience teaching an entire unit. As such, I found myself quite self involved in my thoughts and my attitude and spirit were a little on the down low. Some may call it a funk. When I find myself in this state of mind, I have find a release and a new found joy for the small things that happen in life. Here are a few examples of some of the small things that happened this weekend that lifted my spirits:

• Disney movie and junk food night with my best friend, Sara. A great time to catch up, act foolish, and reminisce about our childhood days.

• Getting random text messages from my brother. For example, I got a text message from him after work today with a picture of a delicious looking omelette and the words "look who learned how to cook for himself!" with it. It made me smile and laugh and be thankful for the sibling relationship we have built over the last 4 years. 

• Spending a night at home. It was exactly what I needed. A hug goodnight from my mother, watching SNL with my dad, curling up into my bed with freshly cleaned sheets that smelled of summer, eating a delicious home cooked breakfast Sunday morning, getting greeted at the car door by my loveable dog Jake. Just thinking about it puts me at ease. (Thanks Mom and Dad!) 

• Blaring Michael Jackson and having alone time on the car ride back to the city. There's nothing quite like belting out "Smooth Criminal" at the top of your lungs while cruising down the highway. 

• Another delicious Sunday supper with my friends. Delicious oven roast chicken, mashed potatoes, a new found love for turnip, and cooked carrots! Yum-o. An impromptu dessert of crushed holiday cookies and vanilla ice cream was a delicious follow up. (Thanks for the idea Kate - we decided to call them 'Kate Monsters') 

So, thanks to my family and friends for the pick me up this weekend. I needed it :) 

Breath.

I may have picked a terrible time to start a blog.

Tomorrow begins my final week of classes before starting my internship as a teacher. So, the workload is overwhelming and sometimes it feels like something is going to be forgotten or something won't get done in time.

It's times like these where I need to remind myself that life keeps chugging along and everything always gets done.

My friendly reminder for the night:

Wish me luck.