Happy 27th Anniversary, Mom & Dad!

Today is my Mom and Dad's 27th Wedding Anniversary. Now, technically their anniversary has almost come to end here in China where I am living. But it is only just beginning in Canada. I've written on this blog before about how incredible and amazing my parents are. On their 25th anniversary, I wrote 25 things that I love about them that make them the best support system ever (if you need reminding, check it out here) and all of those amazing things still apply today. 

They still continue to support every single one of my decisions - even moving to the other side of the world. 

When something good happens at work or in my life, they are two of the first people I always tell. It's their support in so many ways that has let me experience these worldly things and accomplishments. They deserve to know their hard work has paid off. 

And everyday, I am thankful to have been gifted with two of the most amazing, hard working, kind hearted, supportive, loving, incredibly generous, and beautiful parents anyone could ever have. They provide for me in so many ways. They are an amazing example for me as to what a loving, supportive, honest, and committed relationship is. And for that, I want to say thank you!

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad. I love you, always and forever. 

Enjoy your day. And see you in 94 of them. 

xo

What Are You Thankful For?

Yes, I realize this is a day late. I'll just go ahead and point that out now and get it over with. So, today I taught my students about Canadian Thanksgiving. On Monday, I told them about how I got up early to Skype with my family back home while they enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner. Today, I taught them some new vocabulary surrounding the holiday and we talked a lot about what it means to be thankful. I told them that I am thankful for four things this year. This is what I said to them: 

"I am thankful for four things this year. I am thankful for my family back home in Canada because they always love me. I am thankful for my friends because they always make me laugh. I am thankful for the opportunity to come to China because I have always wanted to see another part of the world. And I am thankful for my amazing students because they make me love my job as a teacher!" They clapped and said that what I said made them very happy! I smiled.

Afterwords, I had them write in their journals answering the question "What are you thankful for?" You know what touched me most about their answers - that every single one of them, all 23 students in that class today, wrote that they were thankful for their parents and families!

"I am thankful for my parents...They gave me a chance to live in this world and I love them very much." - N

"I am thankful for my family because they give me warm and love." - A 

"I am thankful for that I can go to BCCSC, because it makes me confident and happy." - T

"I am thankful to be living in this magnificent world because there are many great things in the world that are waiting for me to discover." - J

"I am thankful for Melissa because she inspires* my passion for English (and I love games!)" - K

I love my job! 

*A little background story: In my fourth year at STU I purchased my T-Ring and had the word "inspire" engraved on the inside of it. I wear this ring every day. As a teacher, I hope that I can inspire even just one student to strive to do better, to follow their dreams, and to be the best them they can possible be. There is one teacher in my public school days that did just that for me. Mrs. Kelley - thank you!

Guys, I Graduated!

And with that, it's over. Wow. So surreal. 

On Wednesday, I graduated with my Education degree at St. Thomas University. It's hard to believe that 5 years has flown by with the blink of an eye. I guess it's true, time truly does fly when you are having a good time. 

St. Thomas University is a beautiful campus! The landscaping and architecture shine in the summer time. So as tradition has it, graduation is normally held outside weather permitting. Unfortunately, my graduation last spring for my Arts degree was held inside because of rain. Still a beautiful ceremony, but having an outdoor graduation is part of STU's charm. With fingers crossed and prayers had, the weather was gorgeous on Wednesday and we got to have our ceremony outside Wednesday evening. The scenery and atmosphere couldn't have been more perfect. 

With family and friends watching, I crossed the stage in front of George Martin Hall with smile in tow and accepted my hard-earned diploma from Dawn Russell. She congratulated me and wished me well, and I left the stage with butterflies in my stomach. Not the kind of butterflies you get when your sad or feel loss, but the kind of butterflies you get before you get on a roller coaster with four loops and you hang with your feet dangling. Butterflies of excitement! 

Thank you to my family and friends for constantly supporting me, encouraging me, loving me, and reminding me that everything gets done. There were difficult times, happy times, and times were I just wanted to give up. Memories were created, best friends were made, and I thanked the stars everyday for granting me this life changing experience.

Goodbye student life, hello adulthood.

And So It Ends.

Yesterday was my last day of classes at St. Thomas University…ever. Where has the time gone?

Let me paint a picture for you. 5 years ago in September I was 18 about to embark on my university years. Prom and graduation had come and gone, and time and time again I was being asked by friendly face after friendly face: "What are you doing in the fall?" You see, ever since the days of travelling to Fredericton and passing the steeple atop George Martin Hall on our way to the Aitken Centre had I dreamt of coming to STU. I remember when I took my tour in the summer before coming to STU and saying to my mother "This is definitely where I want to go to school!" What I quickly learned when left alone in Holy Cross House is that maybe university life wasn't for me. I was soooo homesick. 

I'm a small town girl, from a place where everyone knows your name (or at least your family name). And in what seemed like a matter of minutes, I was ripped from my comfort zone and forced into this new world of different personalities, backgrounds, and beliefs. I remember the first thing I did after Mom and Dad said bye to me - I went onto my computer and searched the dates of Thanksgiving weekend so I could start the countdown to when I could come home without an excuse. 

Now, hopefully as your reading this you are beginning to realize that this story doesn't end in tears and feeling bad for myself. After the (extended) Christmas holiday (due to the faculty strike) in my first year, and upon returning to residence at STU, I pulled myself out of my "self-pity coma" and put myself out there and made some friends. And here begins the best experience of my life. 

The people I've befriended in my five years at STU and shared my numerous university memories with are some of the most inspiring, unique, and beautiful people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.

From Holy Cross House traditions

To parties at 860

And the many classy winter formals

From nights at the Pub (whether it be Snooty or the Cellar)

To birthdays in Sussex

 Pubcrawl, after pubcrawl

And buckets too!

From 2nd dirt side

To four memorable Welcome Weeks

And winning a cheer off, too!

 Graduation #1 

To the first day of a new program

 And meeting some fantastic new friends along the way

This one small blog post hardly does any justice to the emotions and memories I hold inside. I can only scratch the surface and try to relay to you how much this university means to me. STU and the people I associate with it took this insecure, quiet, reserved girl and turned her into an independent, strong, and lighthearted woman. 

Five years have come and gone with the blink of an eye. Through the laughter, tears, heartache, and love, I am in disbelief that another chapter of my life has come to a close. But with that, opens a new and exciting one. 

To my family and friends, thank you for making this university experience the most life changing and rewarding experience of my life. As cliche as it sounds, I honestly wouldn't be who I am today without the impact you've had on my life. 

Love, 

Melissa 

Update.

I had to remind myself again this weekend that I started this blog for me, as a means for journaling and recording down the moments in my life that I don't want to forget. If you're reading this, you being dedicated to reading my blog and taking an interest in the goings on in my life is just the cherry on top that puts a smile on my face day to day. Like I said to my mom this weekend, "It's good to feel loved." 

On April 29th, almost 2 months ago, I moved in to my very own first apartment. It's a small bachelor apartment in an apartment complex that (if you cut down the trees in front of my window) looks over the St. John River. Prior to moving into this apartment, I lived in a university owned house with four other girls. I thoroughly enjoyed living with them, and we certainly had some good times. However, I felt that I was at a point in my life wherein I needed to see how well I could live on my own and discover what it felt like to really be independent. In addition, with ideas floating around in my head of moving away to another province possibly on my own, I wanted to see if I was capable of really being alone and if it would cause me to be lonely. I am a firm believer in there being a strong difference between being alone and being lonely. I am happy to report 2 months in that there has yet to be a day living in this glorious apartment wherein I have felt lonely. Considering that I am rarely ever home due to the fact that I am in school 6-10 hours a day Monday - Friday and work every weekend, it's nice to come home after a long day and go about at my pace not worrying about disrupting anyone else. Might I add that it's nice getting to decorate and set up your living place however you want. Here's some pictures of my new digs: 

Alberta plans are moving along nicely. Still no luck on the job front, but I see those prospects looking up when I finally arrive in Calgary. Pretty sure that my soon-to-be roommate and I have secured a place to live, which is comforting to know. Once school is finished and I've graduated, packing will begin and farewells will be in order. Speaking of which…

HOLD THE PHONE! This is my last week of school. Where did the time go? Remember back in August when my gut was dragging on the floor because I was so nervous about starting and the butterflies in my stomach were sickening - Literally - Was sick as a dog during the first week of school. And now, with only a week left of classes, two small assignments left to write, and four group presentations, the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter and brighter. Really, my reflection on the last five years of university needs its own blog post (or two, or three) but let me just say right now that the Melissa of five years ago is very different from the Melissa today. These changes for the better have much to do with the amazing people I have met and befriended over these years. You know who you are, and I'm sending you all hugs of thanks and love.

So, to the Melissa reading this down the road - you're doing just fine :) 

Happy Father's Day

After a full day of work, driving home, and spending a fabulous and relaxing evening with my family, it's time to take a minute and wish a special man a Happy Father's Day! To my rock, my source of joy and comic relief. Not a day goes by where I don't thank the stars for the father I am so blessed to have. Thank you for always supporting me in my endeavours and reminding me that a life without a smile isn't worth living. 

"Father's be good to your daughters. You are the god and the weight of her world." 

- John Mayer

2000

This weekend I hit 2000 views (today's count = 2010)! I want to just take a minute to thank all of my family, friends, and friends of friends for viewing my blog and taking an interest in the things I write about. 

With new prospects arising, I promise there'll be more frequent posts so that I can always remember the adventures that were part of my life. 

Speaking of adventures, anyone wanna do this with me sometime? 

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to my rock, my best friend, and my confidant. I'm so blessed to have such a beautiful mother, inside and out who supports me and encourages me to do my best and reach for the stars. Love you, Mom!

"I love my mother as the trees love water and sunshine - she helps me grow, prosper, and reach great heights."  ~ Terri Guillemets

Friday, Friday.

Wednesday was my last day at my internship. A bittersweet day. I was working at such an amazing school with some of the most amazing students. I loathed leaving them all. That's the bitter part. Now, I'm on my Christmas vacation. I'm spending the next week at my Grandmom's. My parents, brother, Grammy D, and my dog Jake are coming here on Saturday. And for the first time in a LONG time, my entire family will be together. That's the sweet part :)

This week has been a good week. I experienced a minor funk at the beginning, but thanks to Amanda, Alex, and some delicious wings the funk quickly disappeared. With Christmas only 2 days away, I'm finding myself thankful and humble for what I am blessed with in my life.

This week saw:

~ Christmas cards and cute gifts from my students.

~ Christmas movies like Elf and The Santa Clause

~ Taking in what the city had to offer for Christmas light displays. This house was top notch, a little overboard, but quite breath taking.

~ Finishing my Christmas shopping. Dear brother: You were the hardest to shop for this year. Next year, make a list :)

~ My last day at my internship. The students planned a surprise pizza party for noon hour. Though I had a inkling that there was a pizza party, I had no idea that there would be cake and a card signed by the students. I was pleasantly surprised and had to hold back tears. I honestly can't express in words how much I have enjoyed, learned, and loved these past 7 and a half weeks with the students. They have opened my eyes to the joys of teaching and I've learned just as much from them as I have from sitting in classes. I can't thank them enough and I'll miss them terribly!

~ Making Skype date plans with my best friend, Sara. She and I live in the same city, but because I'm home for Christmas vacation for the next 2 and half weeks, we thought it would be an awesome idea to Skype between now and the time I come back. A first for us :)

~ A messy road trip to my Grandmom's. Freezing rain and dark roads made for a long journey. But I am so happy to be here now!

Tomorrow Grandmom and I will be baking up a storm. Christmas Coffee Ring, Chocolate Roll, Marshmellow Squares and Ice Cream Squares. Pictures and blog post to come!

My blog posts for the next 2 weeks will be sparse. With Christmas this weekend, life will be busy and family filled. I'll be home for 4 short days, then the family and I are off to Florida for a weeks long vacation! Needless to say, I'm very excited!

If I don't get back on here before Sunday, Merry Christmas to each and every one of you!
Thanks for reading :)

Imagine via weheartit

Thank you.

This week, I hit 500 views! This is just a quick post to say thank you! I know 500 views isn't a lot, and some people are hitting thousands of views. However, for someone who had no desire to write a blog and was skeptical about her ability to keep it up, 500 views is a big step and a motivator to keep up the blogging. So here's to you and to many more blogs!

On another note, Grey's anatomy is getting really good lately! 2 weeks ago the final quote from Meredith couldn't have been more perfect to describe how my life has developed over the last year.

"It's a little bit horrifying just how quickly everything can fall to crap. Sometimes, it takes a huge loss to remind you of what you care about the most. Sometimes, you find yourself becoming stronger as a result; wiser, better equipt to deal with the next big disaster that comes along. Sometimes, but, not always"


I remember watching the episode and listening to her say this and nodding continually through the entire thing. It's exactly how I feel after experiencing an immense loss in my life. As much as it was a sad and emotionally enduring time in my life, but I also grew up and became more thankful for what I have in my life. I try and treasure the small things, and take every opportunity I can to experience new things, and old things that I love the most. I try not to let small things infuriate me and get me down, because life could be worse. 


So much reflecting on my part lately…thanks for always reading :)


(Image via weheartit)