New beginnings, new days, new roles... Miss Oke: coach & teacher (once more!)

Thursday, July 10^th

Today was my favourite day, so far. And no, that statement will never lose validity.

I have never felt more inspired or more excited about anything in my life. By what must be my 100^th fateful encounter (the universe has become my best friend), I met someone just last night who was recruiting facilitators to help run one of the most fantastic high school programs that exists. I agreed on the spot and spent today in pure anticipation, literally on the edge of my seat to be apart of implementing this movement, delivering this program, being at the front of a classroom again, actually making a difference.

I am the newest member of the Rugby League Against Violence and possibly the keenest instructor for the Equal Playing Field program, which facilitates Respectful Relationship Education through weekly 4-hour sessions combining physical education and classroom modules.

http://www.rugbyleagueagainstviolence.org/programs/equalplayingfield/

I won’t even try to put it into my own words,

The Equal Playing Field (EPF) Project is an eight-week course that aims to encourage both behaviour and attitude change around issues of gender inequality and violence.

Over the eight weeks, 12 and 13 year-old boys and girls take part in a mixed tag competition that weaves respectful relationship education with integrated training and game days. While approximately two thirds of teams compete in recreational matches and refine their on-field skills, the remaining teams undergo education from facilitators in more of an interactive classroom environment – known as “The Sheds.”

It is in these classes that Equal Playing Field differentiates itself from other sport-related youth education programs. Rugby league is not just used as a carrot in attracting participants, but a vehicle to help teach, discuss and understand these vital life lessons. Education on gender equality and respectful relationships can therefore be delivered in a way that is sensitive, appropriate, effective and, just as importantly, enjoyable.

What I will dictate myself is how remarkable the other program leaders are, namely Adam, the bossman, who has such genuine passion and personal motivation to make a difference for these kids. How welcoming everyone was, how eager to let me share & express ideas & opinions – how fantastic it felt to be in a classroom myself again! Learning and discussing and uncovering ideas!

During one activity (we walked through the whole 8-week program yesterday, actually partaking in each task the students will), we were to sit reflectively for 60 seconds, to become aware of our ‘self-talk’. So we sat, and the minute went on, and then we were all asked to share the things that went through our minds. Lots of people (myself included) expressed excitement and enthusiasm for the program, some opened up to being too stressed about school and work to focus properly, and then Adam stated, loud & clear, ‘I thought about how awesome it is to have Kelsey here. What a great find she is, perfect for this program!’ and that caught me off guard! And my whole chest filled with pride and gratitude and such clear realization that this kind of work is what I’ve absolutely always wanted to do in the field of education. And would you know it, the Wollongong Mercury arrives to take some photos for the article they are writing about EPF and who was chosen to be in that photo? Hehe 
Read Here :):) (don’t I feel like a local now!)

Not only do I get to be at the front of classrooms again, but I also get to be out on the field! I already have a feeling that being a coach is something that might completely hook me! We get to be casual and personable with the students, building rapport, influencing kindness (of course I introduced them all to Challenge Day). While we will be working in schools with lower socio-economic stats, it is the simple goal of bringing awareness to the way we treat each other; we shed light on what is right and what is warped, when it comes to human interaction and relations. We are teaching kids to be good, respectful people, to help them understand boundaries and trusting outlets for escape when relationships cross over into the ‘messy team’ characteristics. We focus on celebrating the students who conduct themselves in the most positive way.

I could go on, and on, and on… but I think I have made it clear how obsessed I already am with this concept. I think I hadn’t really let myself feel how strongly I missed being in front of a group of students, since my last experience with that was often unpleasant. I didn’t even realize I missed it, and suddenly I am rearranging the entire next 8 weeks of my life to ensure I can be the most I can be for this organization. How easily I made the decision to cut other planned travels short for fear of missing more than one of these sessions – and how remarkable it felt to be so instantly certain of that decision! To find something that I want to be apart of more than anything that has been lingering, fading for so long now. This is a brand new beginning for me; a clear, distinct, honest feeling inside of me that I am ready for things much more meaningful than holding out for ‘seeing how the cards fall’ – I have been dealt a new hand and I LOVE this hand and it doesn’t force me to be passive, it allows me to do what I do best: create my own happiness! Make decisions! Take action. Instead of waiting to see what happens, I am deciding to make things happen. I know this will be fulfilling, I know this is just one of many many things that will be much more worthy. This deserves my dedication, my time, my love, my efforts. It deserves those things, and I know it will actually be responsive, and appreciative, and reciprocal and rewarding.

It is going to be phenomenal, I can’t wait for July 22^nd!

Friday, July 11^th

My Mac’s first visit to the beach, and while I may never get this wind-blown sand out of my keyboard, it was totally worth it. I am sitting 20 feet from the raging 7am waves, the footprints in front of me are my own, my trip down to the water being the first imprints of this beautiful day. But even since sitting here for the past 15 minutes now, the population of this beach has tripled and now a dozen locals have emerged from their (or into their) morning routines, all out to catch these deep yellows and soft tangerine rays. It is a chilly 10 degrees, even colder with bare feet in the sand, and a wind that hasn’t let up in 3 days (canceling all of my paddle & surfboard lessons this week), but my goodness, it is breath taking.

You literally can’t help my sit here thinking… This happens every day!?

How is this beach not flooded! Hundreds of people! How am I not out here every single morning!? This view exists, this sight, this eyeful of luminosity, it happens every single day. The sun rises, we get a new start. A million new chances, opportunities, reasons to smile, to love, to forgive, to be generous and kind. This sun rises every morning and most of us wake up, pick up, continue on. But it is here to renew, to regenerate, to start over again, 24 whole hours. I choose not to merely continue on, even with my gorgeous day to day life here; I choose to feel each day brand new, to feel excited, to feel grateful, to feel curious and eager and inspired, as if this day is the first day! The first day of something spectacular.

Because that’s exactly what it is, isn’t it?

The whole beach smells like bacon and espresso, the north beach kiosk is full of busy morning workers, or uni students on holiday. It is remarkable how Australia doesn’t seem to want to grant me hangovers… Not one, to date, since moving here. Lol, even after Amy and I cooked wine for a handful of friends and stayed up until the early morning hours through 5 bottles of sweet red wine. I feel fantastic! It is going to be a wonderful Friday.  

This is my favourite life, so far

Tuesday, July 8^th

The last two days have been fantastic, today especially.

I have gotten into this fabulous little routine of waking up at 8 (even when no alarm is set, even if I’m in bed after midnight, my body wakes me up between 7:50-7:58 every single day), getting caught up on the social media I missed from back home while I slept (snapchats, emails, all things bestfriends & Baby Bo!), making a parfait, breakfast dessert of apples and pb while I continue my literary journey through Buddhism for Beginners or watch an ep of Greys (depending on how awake my brain is already). Around 10am you will always always find me out on my patio, just 8tracks-ing the newest country music that I am also missing desperately from back home!

Two hours later I’ll get out of the house. Yesterday I wandered down to the beach to Mango to get paid (a happy pay day! A handful of hundos for just a 15 hour work week!) and then I jogged around the North Shore Harbour … myyyy goodness. I can’t put these views into words. And that is why today’s jog, even though I absolutely hate running with it, I took my phone because I simply had to share that trail with my bests back home. A trail not at all made for running; just rocky terrain around the north Gong lighthouse & marina. Christ it is breathtaking with the late afternoon sun. And secluded! Unless there are real people on those sail boats.. in which case they get a nice little yoga & inversion show as I’ve come to realize I will stop & drop absolutely anywhere, on any surface (this trail isn’t even gravel, it’s covered in small, sharp stones, lol) and stand on my head. I use the bordering boulders for body weight exercises & aid for pushing my yoga poses even further (my dancer’s pose is getting closer & closer to a standing splits!).

Today at noon I left the house to meet Aaron at his van on North Beach. Lol, his van where his surf school office is based out of! (http://www.pinessurfingacademy.com.au/sup-lessons/) Yep!! I registered for surf school (monkey giggle emoji!!) And I could not be more excited – even before Aaron mentioned (as we got to know each other a little bit more) that they were looking to replace their paddleboard yoga instructor as she has just given her notice for pregnancy leave! It would just be an easy certification! Could you imagine? Haha, if I got that gig I could probably guarantee you right then and there I would never return home. But first things first: a paddleboard lesson, haha. Tomorrow 8am :):):)

Afterwards I ran to my same spot around the marina, snapped some pics before my phone died, deeply inhaled that view of those boats, and then jogged back down to north beach for more bending and stretching and balancing and standing on my head in the surf. Even a spontaneous little dip in the ocean (more of a massive wave that came crashing over my standing scorpion, haha but I embraced it).

If there is one thing you learn quickly it’s that you won’t survive in Australia if you are one of those people that can’t stand sand. But I mean like sand everywhere. I guess you could live in Sydney or another big city, but I didn’t realize how much I love sand everywhere! The more places I find it, the happier I am reminded about the reality of my beach life! Lol, that sounds silly I know. But I am not that person who gets stressed out when I drop my iPhone 5 in a dune because I was trying to timer shot a perfect pose, or when it gets in my earphones (and then into my ears lol), or when I can feel it settling down into my shorts, from the salty water that has rushed over me waist-deep. It is a permanent scalp scrub, from headstands; it is now embedded into the very fabrics of my running shoes and my sports bras; it is in the corners of my eyes from when the ocean wind tests my strength and balance while I’m upside down. There is nothing I love more than the scratchy feeling of the sand in my socks, in between my toes, as I’ve put my runners back on to sprint home. And I have this weird nagging feeling that that was the kind of thing that could have really irritate me at one point in my life, though I can’t for the life of me figure out why. Regardless, that feeling has me even more grateful for who I am now, for how I feel now, for what this world gave me today <3

And then it is home to shower, make green tea with fresh lemon, reflect, relax. I am in love with my fabulous little routine.

Evenings vary, whether I am called into work (like last night), or scheduled for work (like all weekend), or I’ll jog over to do a Bikram class after catching the sunset around 5 (like tonight), or I’ll go for dinner with a new friend (like tomorrow), or drinks with a group of friends (like Thursday!). 

:) It is allllll good, all so, so good. 

A brand new soul inhibiting this world,

Thursday, July 3^rd

I wrote this on my leftover pizza box on the train home from Sydney with just a pen and a dead cellphone,

“12:37midnight, after having missed two different trains I planned to take home while getting caught up in multiple rounds with someone who was a complete stranger to me only 8 hours ago! Such a spontaneous, delightful, easy, comfy evening with a boy (far too young for my consideration!) who actually listened to every word I said, and asked insightful questions, one leading straight into the next, showing genuine interest & carrying fantastic conversation. Mostly we chatted about the Australian education system! Which I loved; it was so interesting and useful and relevant. And while he was a few full years younger than me, he held this rare, boyish, innocent but curious confidence in him, even before our 4 pints (during aand after our RSA course), when he was striking up conversation 2 minutes after I sat down next to him, the last available seat in the classroom. It was endearing, it was sincere, my goodness it was refreshing. And he walked me to my train finally and we hugged goodbye – me and this complete virtual stranger! He landed a light kiss on my cheek, very European, hardly noticeable, natural, as if we’d just met to catch up as old friends. And it felt really nice; reassuring just as far as human contact goes – to meet someone so easy to get on with. Just completely out of the blue. I sketched my number into the 6-hour doodle that formed in the corner of my classroom notes and I’m certain I’ll see this young bloke again! What a fantastic twist to a dreadfully boring course that almost didn’t even happen for me. Ahh, Universe. You sly girl.”

Lol yes, I fit all of that (half drunk) on a pizza box.

Today turned out to be one of my favourites :) I spent the early afternoon in Sydney with a friend wandering Darling Harbour all the way down to the rocks, stopping for some top notch Italian in the midst. Afterwards I had my RSA course booked – Responsible Service of Alcohol certification (my smart serve). I had planned to do it online but NSW was one of the states that revoked that option just this past February (arg!). Sooo I booked my spot in the class and prepared myself for 6 long, brutal hours. Wouldn’t bad luck have it that when I arrived, my saved spot booking was not in their system!? All I could do was sit and wait until the class began and hope that one person in the fully booked class decided not to show. I was bummed about having to potentially make the 3-hour train trip (total) again ASAP to get this required license. And then! As my pizza box tale would tell, they managed to sneak me in. And the rest of the evening was just a wonderful demonstration of how this beautiful world works in such mysterious ways.  

Saturday, July 5^th 2014

5:21am (Aus time) - Friday July 4th, 3:21pm Canadian time...

I am siting up, in the delivery room, watching the bravest young woman I’ve ever know (which I have always, aways claimed!) bring my beautiful (even if he was blurry!) baby nephew into this world. “He’s got his grandpa’s distinct good looks! [...] You’ve done so good! I can’t wait for the next one!” Commentary from their doctor and my dad keeps my sister in [exhausted] smiles, even as they take Baby Bo straight to the nursing center to help him breath a little more desirably.

That has to be top 5 hardest moments any woman might potentially face, even if it’s for the best: not being able to see or hear or hold the little life you created as soon as you have put all the time and effort into bringing them here. It was very hard for everyone in the room. But she was so brave and so strong and my daddy flipped the camera around so that we were face to face (which is when I realized we were bawling together), while they took him & daddy Noley to the next floor. That is a moment I won’t soon forget, getting to be in that moment for my sister, even from nearly 9,000 miles away. Just to tell her she had done so well, and that he was so beautiful, and I reminded her how soon and for how many years she will get to hold him, in no time at all, and then my big beautiful sister and I just smiled at each other. And cried!

I can’t describe how HAPPY I feel, how I’ve been just buzzing with joy. It has been the most fantastic night of my life, becoming an aunt and being apart of it with my beautiful family; it means the world to me. The English teacher in me could hardly wait to post about!! 

{In the middle of my Australian night, I had the incredible honour & the heart-wrenching pleasure of being in the delivery room with my strongest, bravest, most beautiful big sister while her and my brother-in-law brought my baby nephew into this great big world. God bless technology & Grandpa Scott Oke for allowing me to still be right by her side, from 8,000 miles away. I couldn't be more proud or more excited for my newest little family member - the anticipation to meet you continues!! (Bo, I promise your collection of postcards, souvenirs & international doodles will be the coolest of all your friends!!) I love and miss you all so much! Happy birthday, Baby Bo!}

10:30pm

It was a busy week! I am happy to report that I am becoming more and more confident at work, two fully packed house nights helped me pick up heaps of things to anticipate etc. I am also happy that while they hired me just for 6 hours on Sundays, I was also called in to work Wednesday, Friday and Saturday this week! Which helps the fact that their not paying me nearly as much as they should [legally] be. I am enjoying it though! Even the 4 hour shifts feel like forever, and my feet always ache at the end of each night, but I am enjoying it! The people are so nice, and when everybody’s not running around like chickens with no heads, we get along so great. After we locked up this evening at 10 the kitchen staff served us apple pancakes and the owners passed around a few beers and glasses of wine – it was really a perfect end to a long, busy shift. And I so enjoy walking home after 10:30, barefoot, hands full of incredible leftovers, enough to feed me for a week, with the clearest brightest skies above (honestly, every single night). That 10:30pm glimpse across the street, standing up above the beach, watching the waves catch moonlight as the tide creeps up and up and up. Have I mentioned yet how in love I am with this town? With this Aussie life? I love it. I am so happy. I am so lucky, I am so grateful, I am so so happy here.

Sunday, July 6^th  

I forgot to write about completing my 30-day Bikram challenge! While I lost track just near the end, doubling up days and missing a few through Byron, I am certain whatever the final number actually was, it was entirely close enough to 30 to make me feel so proud, so accomplished. July brings me 25 minutes from my studio, where I used to be only 4. That & working more often then June (lol) has made this week really tough for making my usual classes. In fact, honestly, I have been once. But I’ve not let either be an excuse to cease activity! I don’t think at this point I even could if I tried. And the beach 6 minutes away is even more incentive to get outside each and every day. Today, for example, I left the beach (as I do most days) with a thin layer of sand coating my whole body; a second skin of sorts. I have become so creative with my beach workouts, but they always involve inversions, full wheels, and at least 10 of the 26 Bikram postures (all of my favourites!). Then any and everything bodyweight related. Needless to say, I come away from it easily looking like I could have just done a few summersault tuck & rolls around the surf, haha, sandman mouse. 

I did make my 4pm Yin class this evening which was fantastic - I was so proud of myself for being able to focus and meditate and relax more than I thought I would be able to with the activity from the weekend, and with a few recent tough spots in my long-distance life. But I had an awesome practice, and it just goes to prove how effective my detachment techniques have become. And so in the end, of course everything is going to be just fine. Better than fine. I will only ever come out better than I was before. And I have only myself to thank for that :) After I'd run to the studio in 7 minutes flat (not even two full iPod songs! I was impressed!), I enjoyed the slower walk home in my running gear, my yoga mat tucked under one arm, both hands full of fresh fruit & veggies from the Harvest Market next to my studio. I relaxed for a couple of hours, sliced & diced & prepped my meals for the week, and then my roommates had a bunch of people over. We sat around and had giant glasses of wine and shared beers and laughs and rounds of applause, lol, it was a wonderful evening. 

Ahhhh what a weekend :):):)

Happy Canada Day from Aus!! {+ our previous week to Byron Bay}

Tuesday, JULY 1^st!

Sitting out on my balcony with the warmest, most golden early 8am sun, with Dierks Bentley & my first Bilpin Original Cider, cheersing YOU, CANADA!! And I am so happy to just sit here, in my maple leaf bikini, drinking to the ‘winter’ sun from the other end of the planet here. These mornings are perfect. It’s honestly like my own little universe out here on this balcony, I could live here! Surrounded by greenery, palm trees, potted plants, those kinds of rooftops you only see in little tropical towns, the bluest, clearest sky overhead, this sun (I can’t stress enough), beating down on my skin <3

A perfect morning to go back and recap the last (craziest!) week of my world here.

Monday, June 23^rd & Tuesday June 24^th
Regular days of work 11-3 & packing up the house before Byron! We got on the road to retrieve our 4^th passenger around 3pm. We spent our first night in Gorokon (“Go Rock On!!”) with a lady from an art retreat and her wonderfully accommodating family. These ladies are introduced to us as, ‘the women who used their knitting needles to sort their weed & pack their Js’ haha – fantastic. The most incredible homemade dinner, so much food & dessert & sure enough, an after-dinner smokey treat. Bogan Hunters & spaghetti blood (lawwwwll), a great first night on the road!

Wednesday is a stop in Nambucca Heads for fish & chips, ice cream, wandering the long, magical kms of graffiti rock faces. Everything from school field trip art projects to political or religious propaganda to marriage proposals to RIP commemorations; it is such a special slow wander through complete strangers’ memories and professions and promises, hopes & dreams – it is something else.

Next stop: Coffs Harbor & The Big Banana! …which is not in fact as big as anticipated (or even positioned as imagined, lol) but nonetheless it is a sight worth seeing for this lover of all things banana-flavoured! We snapped the classic banana shots, creeped around the gift shop and then hopped back on the road. Even made it through a spontaneous roadside ride program with our smoky souvenirs on board! Googling recipes all the way to Byron.

Thursday, “Welcome to Byron Bay! Cheer up, slow down, chill out” 

The most perfect city sign for our incredible day of sunshine, surfers, head stands, back bends, sand wrestling, swimming, being serenated by local hippies on their ukuleles, surrounded by dozens and dozens of people soaking up this fantastic “winter” weather (as a Canadian native, that word in this country’s context will forever live in quotations).

There is something even more spectacular about inversions in the surf, seeing the world from upside down, feeling all of the blood rush to your heart and your head, nothing at all in your mind except the sound of the ocean rushing in from behind you, never knowing exactly when it will reach your palms, your brow, or how quickly it will swallow up your base formation. Nothing in this world makes me feel so alive.

We made it back to our private beach in Pottsville for last light, letting every shade of pastel blend together all of our smiles and squeals and sighs from a truly satisfying Byron experience. Before our early morning departure, our evening is spent in pajamas, sipping wine, emersed in good conversation about all things pop culture, favourite books, travel dreams – inspired by the showing of Eat Pray Love on TV. Another phenomenal host, more incredible food, and even sweeter souvenirs (which lie in wait in my freezer, lol). We fall asleep in giggles over fairies & snapchat captions.

Friday, June 27^th from Pottsville to Nimbin (lol), we make it to this technicoloured town right as shops are opening; 10am & already getting hustled to pick up. The whole city smells like Amsterdam and my heart is briefly flooded by that nagging familiar sensation of truly missing Europe, knowing I did not make the most of that adventure in particular. But we revel in these organic, unfortunately over-priced touristy shops. The colours and the fabrics and the sweet pastries; our trip home has definitely started on a high note! ;) Old school John Mayer sings us to Evans Head for the most gorgeous of lunch spots: an old restored church, white panel siding, coral pink doors, high ceilings, great food, catching some lunchtime rays.

The rest of the day is a blur of interchanging playlists, playing musical [car]chairs, stopping for quick peeks at surrounding secluded beaches, or for McFlurries. Krystiebabes should win some sort of award for driving so many consecutive hours without complaining even once! While putting up with the surrounding hyper, pent-up stir-crazy passengers! She’s the best. But it is so nice to make it home! Even if that daunting (/panicky) task of packing and cleaning and moving instantly settles over us. It’ll be a long, tiring weekend!

Saturday, July 28^th – my first shift manning the bar! I never knew I’d enjoy (so much) getting to wear tight black clothes, bright red lips, high boots, full makeup, and a perma smile for 5 hours of popping bottles, pouring wine, mixing cocktails, tamping late night espresso. I adored it and of course I’m kicking myself for not getting into bartending sooner! Utterly exhausted after a full day of moving and a full night of money-making! Sleepy smiles tonight :)

Sunday, July 29^th

Crouching here on my bedroom floor (my new bedroom floor), in child’s pose, breathing deep after my 28 minute run home from the Bikram studio (85% of which is incline), feeling so accomplished, so wonderfully exhausted, like I put in such an honest hard day’s work today. Up at 8am for my 6 hours at Mango (I served a 20-person table!), then straight to Bikram for Yin yoga + 1.5 hours of cleaning the studio ~ actually so enjoyable, haha. Me & Kip Moore vacuumed & mopped & air freshened and then used the bike, lifted weights, & took advantage of the empty studio for some Jillian Michaels-inspired cardio. The Aussie winter air felt great on my muscles and in my lungs the whole jog home. The first thing I did when I got home here, upon pure natural instinct (because it has been over 30 hours since the last time I was upside down) was headstand for 2 solid minutes. And now here I am, still on my bedroom floor, savoring this feeling of accomplishment.

Listening to my new roommates & other Christian Aussie buds making their way through season 1 of Orange is the New Black (lolllll, their reactions.)

10pm,

I think having just flipped my Tinder settings to ‘Show Me: Males and Females’ is something significant enough to write about (I’d say).

I’m curious, that’s easy enough to admit. I’m curious and I’m so keen on discovering all of my worldly curiosities these days. Plus, the obsession I have with mere human interaction (of absolutely all sorts) leads me to this ‘preference settings’ change. It’s been a wonderful hour flipping through this catalogue of beautiful young ladies! Everything from ‘Looking for a 3^rd…’ to ‘Don’t send me tit shots, I’m in this for the realdeal,’ lol. And suddenly I’m flipping, thinking, is she my type? … Am I into blondes? … She would be way too intense for a first go. … I don’t think I’d be as shy around her. … She’d probably let me admit it was my first time on a date with a girl … I’m not that keen on boys with aggressive tattoos, but what about on her? … And then, without even really realizing it, I swipe right on Alicia, and wouldn’t you know, “It’s A Match!”

Lol, and so I think the only thing that is sort of strange about all of this (while I’m sure you all have a dozen things to claim), is how regular it feels. I’m not any more shy or nervous or resistant or anxious engaging in this conversation at all. She’s gorgeous, and she’s well-traveled, and her entire bio is made up of emojis! (insert A-Ok emoji) So I keep flipping through and it keeps feeling more and more like something I might actually be way more interested in pursuing than I originally thought (and to be honest, since this is heaps more honest that I even intended the post to be lol, I had always imagined myself going through a phase. Is that offensive? To call it a phase? Is that ignorant? To assume it would just be a phase if I’d already been so sure of at least that? Lol, AM I A LESBIAN!? Hahah).

Anyway. That is all of my food for thought for now. Lol, happy Sunday, y’all!

Monday, June 30^th  ~ 1 month Aus-iversary!!

Hurray! I am so proud of myself for making it a whole month without a single panic, not a single tear or serious stress! No second-guessing, no what-ifs, nothing but gratitude and positivity. I can’t believe it’s been a whole month since my lungs last inhaled Canadian air! Since those ‘see you later’s, since that final life-shifting late night in my home bedroom. But I also can’t believe it’s only been one month! How!? I already feel so confident and so comfortable here, like I’ve come to call this place ‘home’ for many many more months than just one. I think the equal balance of those two juxtaposed claims is quite fitting for this here adventure. I spent today on my newest favourite place in the world: my new apartment’s balcony. Gorgeous, high above the palm trees, just big enough for a handful of potted plants, a couple of patio chairs, my yoga mat. I practiced my own early morning routine, which always ends with spending some quality time upside down.

I had lunch at my restaurant; pumpkin walnut salad with a mango lassie (July: my month of no fast-food! I trust that how solo I will be this month will ensure this). I venture to Woolys to restock my food supply, I organize & deliver my second lesson for my year 9 student, I make my way to the Harvest Market for fresh fruits & veggies & then finally make the long, late, uphill trek back home here. My evening was a wonderful slow unpack, 8tracks-ing all of the latest country music I’m missing out on from back home, hanging photographs, organizing my closet & my little artistic passion projects (with my new desk!! Finally!!! It’s beautiful!). I got to FaceTime both of my very bests today too! Such wonderful catch-ups with those gorgeous girls (who I miss just absolutely ridiculously). A fantastic start to another busy week!

Happy long weekend to all of those I love dearest back home. Some days, and during this weekend in particular, I do find myself still wishing I might wake up in the Bunkie at the cottage, or open my eyes sitting in a dock chair, with a cold Caesar or Somersby rocket next to my toes, a game of cribbage to my left, in between me & a smiley summer boy.  

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And now I shall shower & prep for an afternoon of patio hoping & an evening of bar crawling with my suto-Canadian bestie in celebration around town here! Happy Day, Canadians! Love & miss you so!! Xo