Solo Pie Chart

I have been living solo for 5 months now and I have realized there are definite benefits to having your own space. Benefits that deserve their own pie chart!!!!

 

As you can see, "Hanging Out in PJs on Days Off" takes the cake (or is that the pie?).  I love watching Keeping up with the Kardashians in my pyjamas and having a fully stocked fridge of pickles, club soda, and perogies.  However, I do miss living with my beau at times, of course. But, having a little space and independence feels great.

I haven't made a pie chart in so many years, I was lucky I even remembered and was able to fanangle my way through Windows 7. Haha. 

If you live solo, what are your favourite things about it?

Quarter Life Intervention

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. Thinking about everything- life, love, school, work, travel, friendships, family. Literally thinking about EVERYTHING. Thinking about how these things affect me, how I interact within them, and how relevant they are to the big picture of my life.

The words "quarter life crisis" seem to echo in my brain these days, however, I do not want to label the type of change I seem to be going through. The change that is taking place within me is more of a shift from future oriented, work focused to a present-living, life focused. I felt like if I didn't make a change soon I will have missed out on a lot of life while focusing on school and making money. I don't want to look back and regret anything.

I've already begun my paradigm shift. I've been focusing on myself a lot more and doing things that make me happy- like snowshoeing for hours in -30C and planning to run a 5K race. It's a start! I'm also planning a solo trip- I just don't know where yet! I also quit a job that wasn't fulfilling me and no longer enjoyed. I did that because I felt like if I'm not enjoying myself or learning, then it is not adding anything to the quality of my life. It just clicked in my head and I decided to make the difficult decision that I was hemming and hawing over for months, and I am happy now.

I'm not sure where I picked up my instinct that work was so important to life. Obviously working = money and money = stuff and whatnot. However, the "stuff & whatnot" is exactly what I want to live without and have been for awhile now. I always seem to worry about money, it most likely comes from my poor upbringing- but as of right now travel is the only thing I long for.

I'm not sure if I have explained my feelings very well. But I can sum it up more along the lines of: life is more valuable than work.

Link Love

Just found this great post at the blog Yes and Yes.

I don't actually hate any of my 3 jobs, but sometimes I just dislike where I am at this point in my life. But this post definitely put a little smile on my face because I have recently been doing and done a few of the things the author mentions and I am slowly working toward something great! News to follow in the coming weeks!

Post Convocation Alphabet Project

This installment's subject is courtesy of Kim. A great friend to have coffee with a dish the dirt of our lives.

H is for Hope. Pretty self-explanatory. You hope you'll get good grades. Hope you pass that exam. That moves into hoping you graduate on time. Hope you can find a job you love. If it's me, hope you can find any job that somehow relates to your field. Then, hoping you made the right choice for your life. Hoping things will look up and hoping you didn't waste 5 years and thousands of dollars. We are all hoping we find our way in life and ultimately, I'm hoping I find my way to true happiness.

Have a great holiday season everyone!

Hope is in the air.  I can feel it.

Also, some interesting news coming in the coming weeks. Stay tuned. 

What I Learned Tonight

Some people will always finish last, no matter how hard they study or work. Some people will never get the breaks they are looking for. They just keep waiting and looking for that opportunity that never passes by, or it passes over them.

More on this subject at another time.

Post Convocation Alphabet Project

G is for Grand Ideas. The grand ideas that you have as a student- as you sit in class you think about how you will change the world with all the knowledge that you are accumulating. I thought about how I would be doing front line crisis work with women who were escaping abuse. Instead, I was just taking care of their children while other people did the work I longed for.

Overheard... at the Race Track

Enter two elderly couples with coffee cups. They sit at a table together.

Old Man 1: I hate this time of year

Old Man 2: I know.

Old Man 1: Holly jolly Christmas. You can shove it up your ass!

Old Lady 1: I hate Christmas carols.

Post Convocation Alphabet Project

F is for finals. It is that time of year again when students are writing their last papers and exams for their 3 credit classes. There are a few other letters that go along with finals; C for caffeine, L for late nights, and A for anxiety. Been there, done that, will probably do it again at some point. 


Good Luck My Studious Peers!  

What I Learned Today...

Today, I learned that laughter can solve almost anything- even suicide.

Today at 5:45am, I got a phone call from a 63 year old terminal cancer patient, who is also an addict. She was intoxicated and suicidal. However, laughter, a listening ear, and a new perspective was all she needed to "not feel like cutting [her] throat anymore." It may have gone against my Suicide Intervention training, but I got us both through it, and we were both thankful for that.

Post Convocation Alphabet Project

E is for the end of an era. Some people spend decades in school, they are called professional students. I was in school for just over 5 years. It was a big part of my life. When I finally graduated it felt weird to be done. It was even more weird when I didn't have to worry about saving money for next semester or choosing my courses. Now, I've almost forgot what all those things feel like.