It's a Vlog!

Well, it's still pretty awkward but at least you can be there while I open my parcel (for four minutes)! Sorry about the weird "filmora" banner going through the video.. I'm not very technologically advanced 😞

Above The Clouds

The last time I wrote a post about what I’ve been up to was May 23rd, so I have three weeks to catch you up on! Last week, I hit my 4-month point at the tomato farm. It actually blows my mind that I’ve already been here for that long. You know what else blows my mind? That this past Friday, I finished day 84 of my 88 days. How have I been working for over four months and I still haven’t hit my

88 days?!?! In reality, I’m pretty sure I’ve already reached finished my days, but I want to be extra careful. The last thing I want to do is spent 400 dollars on a visa renewal only to have it rejected… The government website has so much grey area about what the rules are, so I want to be absolutely SURE that I have 88 days. Technically, it says that as long as you work full time in the same place for three months, you’ll have your 88 days. But then I’ve also read that you have to have a minimum of 35 hours each week in order for it to count. Since we’ve had quite a few holidays, as well as lower hours, we often don’t work 35 hours each week. I also read about a website called 88daystowork.com, where you can upload your payslips and they will calculate how many days you’ve completed based on your hours and your wage. As of last payslip, I’ve officially made my 88 days (as a matter of fact, I now have 97.66 days!). However, I’ve also read that in order for it to count as a day, you have to work a minimum of five hours that day. With some of the holidays that we worked, they had only let us stay for four hours since we were getting paid double time. Therefore, I’m ONLY counting all of the days that I’ve done five or more hours of work, which means technically, I have four days left. Let’s hope nothing goes wrong before Friday of this week! :) Also, June 20th will mark my five months in Australia. Everyone’s always like, “Oh, you’ve been here since January! Have you gone to the north? Have you seen Sydney? Perth? Uluru? Adelaide?” “Um.. no.” “Oh, well what HAVE you seen?” “Warragul. And a bit of Melbourne.” I am getting so excited to move into Melbourne so I can see more of the city, and hopefully I’ll get to do some out-of-city trips as well! It’s hitting me that I only have 4 or 5 weeks left in Warragul, so I want to make every day (and weekend!) count. I’m also eager to start looking for accommodation in Melbourne, but it seems like most places only post 1-2 weeks before the move-in date so it’s difficult to plan, which is making me kind of antsy. However, I KNOW everything will sort itself out, cause it always does!

So, what have I been up to the past three weeks? Quite a lot actually.. I’ve been keeping myself busy and I usually feel like I don’t have enough time in the day to get everything done! I’ve been staying away from watching tv and movies, and instead I’ve been

starting little projects until I get bored of one and move onto the next. So far, I’m working on putting together a photobook of all of my travels during my two years in London to get printed. I’m also putting together all of my blog posts so that I can get it printed into a hardcopy. I looked up prices and saw that it would be $23 to put together a “book” of 100 pages so I thought that would be great! However, upon putting all of my ten-years’ worth of blog posts in a document (with pictures), it has now reached just under 500 pages… So now, I guess those of you who have been keeping up with my blogs for the past few years can be quite impressed with how much you’ve read :P (and I appreciate it so much!). As well as that, I’ve been planning the details of my Asia trip - booking flights I might need, as well as accommodation during Christmas and New Year's, and trying to set up a loose plan to fit in as much as I can (as I realized that I didn’t leave enough time to fit in everything that I had wanted to!). In between that, I’m making as many cupcakes as possible (this past month was chocolate mocha, and spiced pumpkin cupcakes!), looking at different accommodation in Melbourne, and of course writing blog posts whenever I get a chance. I feel productive, and I no longer feel like my time is being wasted! For the two weekends after I posted my blog, I stayed in Warragul because I had spent so much money the weekend before when we rented the car and went to Healesville

Sanctuary. On the last day of June (Thursday), I went to some friends’ for dinner. We had a potluck, so we had cuisine from Japan, Hong Kong, and Korea. And then my food.. which was 1) Ritz crackers with smoked salmon topped with dijonnaise (my favourite sauce EVER), and 2) Ritz crackers with cream cheese topped with sweet chilli sauce. Okay, so not really Canadian but I couldn’t make a poutine. I’ve noticed that EVERY time I eat with my coworkers, everyone always waits until I grab my chopsticks and take my first piece of food. Then I either get a, “Oh wow, you can use chopsticks!” or just an applause. I’m getting used to it now, but I was so self-conscious at first, when all eyes were on my chopstick-abilities! On Friday night, I went out for happy hour with a couple of my coworkers, which was nice! We went at about 4:30 and stayed until around 10,

and when I got home, Paul had also just gotten back from his night out so we continued drinks and discussions in the living room. On Saturday, Gabi and I spent the day in Warragul, walking through the park and going to the supermarket. We then had a chill evening watching movies and eating chocolate pizza (see the video in my last blog if you haven’t already). On Sunday,

we went to a barbecue. One of my coworkers (Judy) ended up applying for a job in Newcastle (which is near Sydney) and was asked to move the following week, so we weren’t given much time to prepare ourselves for her leaving. Anyway, a whole bunch of people showed up to Civic Park, and we spent the afternoon

eating and visiting, which was fun!

The following weekend, we had a long weekend because of the Queen’s Birthday on the Monday. Gabi went to Sydney for the weekend so I planned quite a bit to keep myself busy, and it was an awesome weekend! On Friday, I had another going-away party to go to. One of the full-time people (who had been working at the tomato farm for five years) was going back to Ukraine

because she wasn’t able to get her visa extended. I was busy making cupcakes that evening, so I finished baking the cupcakes before going to the event. So many people from work were there, which was good since we don’t get much time to talk to each other at work. Even my supervisor was there! I spoke with one of the other workers from Ukraine, and he said that he was surprised to see my last name on Facebook, and he knew what region of Ukraine my family had come from just based on my last name. So crazy! Anyway, I stayed until about ten and then I went back home to make icing and finish my cupcakes (I’m determined like that…). Paul ended up coming home shortly after, so we had another drink and discussion session, which has been a nice Friday routine (except for this weekend cause I was sick 😞). On Saturday, I got up early-ish because I got a ride to Melbourne with Allen and Viola. They parked at the casino and then I made

my way to Chinatown because I was meeting up with my coworkers for dim sum. Judy would be leaving for Sydney the following day and I had constantly been saying how I wanted to go for dim sum (which they called yum cha - I still don’t know what the difference is..), so we finally got to go! We stayed for at least three hours and then we went to the Asian supermarket for awhile. Afterwards, I went for coffee with someone but before I get into that, I have to digress into a story…

Back when I was 17 (over ten years ago…), I must have been

doing a project in school about my family’s history. My family has a book that was put together in the 80’s, which includes the family tree of the Achtymichuks. After I finished my school project, I took it upon myself to upload the entire family tree onto a website online. That meant I had to type in every name, every birthdate, every birthplace, every death, every marriage, etc. However, since the information was from the 80’s, there was still a lot that needed to be updated (my sister and I weren’t even in the tree!). I THEN decided to search every single name in the tree on Facebook (which took a LOT of time, since I would have to look at their friends and make sure they were friends with at least one other person who was in the family tree) and send them a message about the family tree. I’m sure a lot of them thought I was spam - I mean, what would you do if you got a message saying, “Hi, I have a website of all of your family’s information and if you give me your email, I can send you an invitation so that you have access to it.”? However, quite a few wrote back to me and a lot have updated their information and added their kids and grandkids into the tree, and now we have over 950 names on the website! Anyway, on Facebook I’m part of a ‘Canadian Teachers in Melbourne’ group and about a month ago, I noticed that there was a post by someone with the last name ‘Andrychuk.’ She was planning to come to Melbourne for three months as a teacher, and

was looking for connections before she got there. I knew that I was related to Andrychuks, so I clicked on her profile and saw that she was from Saskatchewan. Huh… interesting. I then decided to write her a message to say that we were from the same province, and I saw that we had written each other before, regarding the family tree. I wrote her and said we were cousins (according to the family tree, we’re third cousins, to be exact), and said that I would love to meet up with her when she got to Melbourne. My dad has no idea who her parents are, and vice versa, but our great-grandparents are siblings and they were born in the 1890’s so that might be why. I also got an email from her parents because they’re planning to come visit her in August, and they want to meet me as well! Such a small world…

So back to my Saturday… At about 4, I walked towards Victoria Market and went to meet up for coffee with my third cousin (Breann) who I had never met before. It was actually really nice, and I think I was just excited to speak with someone who sounded like me and understood my lingo! We chatted for at least a couple of hours and then decided we should go for dinner because it was nearing 7pm. We took a tram back into central Melbourne and had hot soup outside under a heatlamp, and then went the complete opposite route and got cold gelato for dessert. I caught

the bus back to Warragul at around 9:30pm, which was a long trip because I had to stop halfway, wait 45 minutes for a train, and then take the train to Warragul so I didn’t get home until midnight. On Sunday, I decided to stay at home and work on all of my projects, so it was a very productive day. Then on Monday, I was planning to go to the supermarket and clean before going to Allen and Viola’s for dinner, but then I got a message from Allen at 12:15 saying he would be at my house at 2pm. I was still in bed, FaceTiming my parents and I had no idea he was coming so early! He then messaged and

said it won’t be 2 (and I breathed a sigh of relief), but then said it would be 1:30 instead! I jumped in the shower, used my heater to dry my hair since I didn’t have a hairdryer (problem-solving at its finest), so all I had to do was grab the cupcakes when Allen arrived. There were ten of us in total, and some were my old housemates from Ali’s house, while others were some of the pickers at the tomato farm (who I’ve met up with in Melbourne before). They were making a HUGE duck hot pot, so I got to see them put it all together. We ate at about 3:30 and it was so much

food - they just kept adding more and more into the pot, so it never looked like we ate any of it. It was so good though! They had noodles, and then in the hot pot, they had added squid, crab, pork, and lots of ginger along with the duck. Since I wasn’t expecting to eat so early, I had already had a late breakfast right before coming, so I was already so full after having one bowl. After eating, we played a game like Dance Dance Revolution for awhile, and then we watched the Marvel movie Black Panther, which was really good! By the time we finished the movie, it was just after 7pm. Then, everyone went back to the table for round 2! I figured I should probably go home instead since I still had to make lunch for work, so Allen drove me home. Gabi was already

back from Sydney, so we talked while I made dinner/lunch, and then we had a late dinner before going to bed.

This past week went by so fast since it was only a 4-day week, but I started to feel sick towards the end of it. I knew it was because I wasn’t getting enough sleep, since we've started going to bed later. I kept trying to go to bed earlier but it wouldn’t help. I decided that on Friday, I shouldn’t go out because it would only make me feel worse, so I rested in bed. Thank goodness I did because on Saturday, I woke up feeling great! Warragul was having its monthly Farmers Market on Saturday and when I looked at the Facebook page, it said that a lady would be doing a perogy-making workshop at 11:30. I went at that time, met up with Akane and Paul (not my landlord Paul - a different Paul), and then Gabi came shortly after. We sat by the campfire, checked out the market, and went to check out the

perogy-making workshop every once in awhile so we could see what she was up to. Eventually, we finally got a perogy at the end, and it was so good! I didn’t stay long enough to learn how to make them though :( Gabi and I went out for sushi afterwards, and then we stopped at the grocery store because I decided that I was going to make pumpkin cookies and pumpkin soup later in the weekend. Why all the pumpkin? Well, when I was making my pumpkin cupcakes, I realized that canned pumpkin doesn’t exist in Australia so I’d have to buy a pumpkin and puree it myself. Lucky for me, pumpkins were on sale one week so I bought one for four dollars. Then a whole bunch of thoughts went through my head… so if you’re ever wondering what kind of things go through my mind when I’m overthinking, you’re in luck because I’m about to share my train of thought (and you will probably think I’m crazy for it). I’m just really confused about the whole pumpkin thing. It’s autumn now, meaning they’re selling

pumpkins in the grocery stores. But does this mean that during Halloween, they don’t sell pumpkins anymore? So how am I supposed to carve a pumpkin on Halloween? And when do I get a pumpkin spiced latte at Starbucks?? Is it during autumn, or is it when the rest of the world’s Starbucks sell them in October? I actually spent about a half hour pondering this and had to Google it because I couldn’t let it go. If anyone’s wondering, they’re sold in September/October, like the rest of the world. So I’ll be having mine in Spring. SO WEIRD! I wrote my New Zealand ex-flatmate about the pumpkins during Halloween thing, and she wrote back asking why I was thinking about Halloween in June. Paul said that they still sell pumpkins to carve during Halloween, so thank goodness I can do that since I don’t like any other parts of Halloween. I’m still trying to get used to the fact that it’s cold in June. My life feels completely backwards. How is it getting cold and Christmas isn’t coming?! How do people live like this?!?! Like actually, what is there to look forward to in this cold weather?? I recently found out that during the past few years, they’ve started introducing ‘Christmas in July’ here, just so that people have something to look forward to. And I’m SO excited because when I got my suitcases back three weeks ago, I realized that I had packed two Christmas sweaters and I thought to myself, “Why did I pack Christmas sweaters when it’s going to be 30+ degrees at Christmas?” Well, now I know why… I always have to be prepared! Anyway, back to the pumpkin (see, I bet you’re all thinking I’m a bit crazy now)… I pureed the pumpkin, but I only needed one cup

for my cupcake recipe. However, I got 9 cups of pumpkin! I decided to double the cupcake recipe (as well as put in an extra cup than what the recipe suggested), so I made 51 cupcakes. And now I have 6 cups of pumpkin remaining, which is why cookies and soup are next on the menu. I don’t know why I just wrote half a page about pumpkins… this is why my blogs are too long. Maybe I should stop here :) Miss everyone so much!! Love always

Above the Clouds - SYDE, Olivia Reid

Lessons for Later

Okay, so lately I’ve been thinking about some of the most important lessons I’ve learned to live my life. Most of these sayings, people have already heard or seen on a cheesy Facebook meme, or on a fridge magnet, but these are all important to me, and I often have to remind myself of them if I find myself straying away. I have chosen five to share, so feel free to read them, adopt them, ignore them, or do whatever with them 😀 

First and foremost, always be excited about the little things in life, and don’t let anyone make you feel stupid for doing so. So many people get stuck in their daily routines and they forget to look at each day as a new day. I believe that it’s important to find something new to be excited about every day. There’s so much to be happy about and we often tend to take it for granted. Whether it’s something like your favourite brand of toilet paper going on sale, or the walklight suddenly turning on JUST as you get to the corner, it’s those little things that should make you think (or squeal out loud, like I do), “Oh yay! That’s awesome!” Today, one of my coworkers had made sushi and brought some for us to eat (so awesome!), yesterday I found out that a lady is going to do a perogy-making workshop at the farmers market this weekend (wtf?! SO awesome!), the day before I found out that some of my London flatmates will be coming to visit Melbourne in November (SO AWESOME!!). I’m sure people might get sick of me constantly getting excited over every little thing, but I think it’s important to genuinely appreciate all of those little things, and I’m happy that I’ve learned how to do that. (Included is a video of one of the things I was SUPERexcited about!!)

Second, don’t give time for excuses. Whether it’s you making the excuses or someone else, there’s no time for them. Maybe it’s because I work with teenagers every day and I’ve heard every excuse in the book, I just hate hearing them. And I hate giving them. Everyone is responsible for how they portray themselves - how they act, the way they treat people, what they choose to do, how they choose to do it, etc. Sure, things happen in life that you can’t control but you can still control how you handle those situations, as well as how you treat other people in those situations. When I hear excuses, I instantly think of my students and I start to realize that those people still have some growing up to do. If you can’t take responsibility for the way that you act or for something that happens, then you still have some learning to do. The one day that I was late for work because my housemates were running late was something I couldn’t control and yes, I could have used it as an excuse because technically it wasn’t my fault, but instead I owned up to it, apologised, and said it wouldn’t happen again (and it hasn’t!). Giving an excuse just makes it worse, so don’t let them happen!

Third, don’t make time for people who won’t make time for you. I often learn this the hard way, due to life lesson #5, and this is something that I’m still working on. When I was planning my going-away party before coming to Australia, it made me realize who wanted to see me, and who didn’t really care to. There were people who removed themselves from the event completely, declined the invitation with no explanation, or didn’t RSVP at all. Those were the people who sent clear signals that they didn’t really care to see me, even though I hadn’t seen most people in over two years. Then, there were people who declined and sent a message like, “Enjoy your time in Aus!” or “Maybe we can meet up when you come back,” which also was a pretty clear signal considering I’d be gone for another two years, and I was still in Saskatoon for a month after my going-away party so I still had lots of time to meet up before then. On the other side of the spectrum, there were the people who declined because they couldn’t come, but they sent me a message saying they’d still really like to see me before I left, and planned to meet up with me for coffee or for dinner. Then there were the people who actually came, whether it was for the entire time or even just for a quick 15-minute visit. There was someone who had been working outside of town and happened to have a layover in Saskatoon that evening so she stopped by to say hello!! It made me really appreciate all of those people who had set aside time for me, and I had such a great time that evening because of it! I notice those things, and even though it may seem like a small thing to show up to an event, it means a great deal to me! I may not always reach out and ask people to meet up but I have always made sure to spend time with someone if they ask. I remember being so busy in university and finding out that someone was celebrating their birthday on the weekend. I would work my butt off all week - making sure I did extra reading, took extra notes, finished my assignments on time, so that I could spend a few hours with my friends who wanted me to be there. They probably didn’t know how hard I worked in order to be there, and honestly they didn’t NEED to know, but I needed to make sure I would make the time for them because I knew that they would do the same for me. No one’s ever too busy. To meet up, to phone, to text. People carry their phones with them everywhere they go.. and if they honestly can’t find any time during their day to make time for you, then you don’t need to waste your time making time for them. This topic also got me thinking about people visiting Saskatoon. I meet people everywhere I go and if they’ve ever had a conversation with me, they will FOR SURE know about Saskatchewan (I’m loud and proud, plus I’m just sick of people thinking that because I’m from Canada, I MUST be from either Toronto or Vancouver). I have had so many people say, “Wow, Saskatchewan sounds really great. I actually really want to go now!” Do I ever believe them? Absolutely not. Why? Because how many visitors have I gotten from out-of-country people, or even out-of-province people? None. And honestly, I’ve never really expected anyone to come visit anyway. I’ve always been the one to immediately volunteer to go visit someone else because it’s given me the opportunity to see a new country, or explore a new place. Numerous trips to Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Toronto and flights across the world but now that I think about it, no one has done the same for me in Saskatchewan (who don’t already have ties in Saskatoon). Then again, I haven’t actually BEEN in Saskatchewan lately so what would even be the point of going? However, I HAVE had tons of visitors when I was living in France, London, and Australia, so I guess it just depends on where I live (aka my hopes for a visitor in Saskatchewan are forever low).

Fourth, believe the best in people until they give you a reason not to. I hate it when people do the opposite and constantly believe that the world is against them. These people seriously believe that other people are intentionally trying to make their lives difficult. Sure, maybe my way is a bit more naive, and yes, I end up getting hurt because I don’t expect it when someone turns their back on me. But I do think it’s important to trust people until they give you a reason not to. And for me, once that trust is gone, there’s absolutely no way you can get it back. You can try… you can wait for years to go by and wait for me to forget what actually happened to make me not trust you, but there’s always some type of feeling inside of me that changes and it can never go back to normal; I literally can’t help it. So yes, people tend to take advantage of me trusting in them, but once they do, it’ll never be the same. It’s like that saying, “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.” I know better - if people won’t respect me the first time, then it likely won’t change.

And my most favourite lesson that I ACTUALLY try to do as much as possible… I read this saying on facebook a few years ago, and it stuck with me so I live by it. Every stranger is a potential friend. I truly believe that everyone comes into my life for a reason - maybe I have to learn something from them, or they have to learn something from me. I don’t think that a coworker is just a coworker, or a flatmate is just a flatmate, or the person I said hi to at the hostel is just someone to say hi to. I think that every person has the potential to be a bigger part of my life. I’ll ask questions and get to know a person more, and try to find some common ground. If they’re receptive, then great! And if not, at least I tried. I think that maybe because of this way of living, I get attached to everyone in my life a lot easier than most people. And maybe I’ll care about people I just met more than they’ll care about me. But I’d rather live life appreciating all of the new people who come into it, rather than just look at them as someone who’s just there in the moment and who won’t be a part of my life in the future. I want to learn what these people are there to teach me! 

So there you have it. Five simple rules to live by. Maybe they’re just common sense, but I think more people need to put these lessons into action, because they actually make living so much more enjoyable! Hope everyone is doing well! Love always

Lessons for Later - Slow Hollows

The Heaviest Stars

Okay, so I have FINALLY fallen out of my slump, which is a relief! It’s weird because many times when I get in a slump, I think I’m okay and don’t even realize that I’m still in a slump until I finally start feeling like myself again and then I think, “Oh wow, I was even kidding MYSELF that I was happy.” I had that feeling when I arrived in Australia and I didn’t even realize that I was in a slump during the entire time that I was in Saskatoon. And now, it’s happened again and I finally feel like myself. My coworker made a comment that I was different today, like really happy. And Gabi made comments both today and yesterday that I seemed normal again. She said that when she first met me, I seemed a lot happier and she was starting to see that from me again. So I’m happy to say that I’m back! :) 

Anyway, today I felt extremely inspired to write a blog post. I wish someone would just invent something that would transfer all of my thoughts onto my “Notes” app on my laptop! So many thoughts go through my head at work and there have been multiple times when I’ve wished I could have my thoughts transferred over. Usually, I just have to make a list in my brain and then when I finally have a break, I run to my phone and I’ll jot all of my ideas down (at least, the ones I can remember). Gabi’s so awesome because as soon as she sees me frantically typing on my laptop at home, she knows that I have motivation (which doesn’t last long) and she’ll leave me alone, PLUS make me dinner haha I am EXTREMELY grateful to have such an understanding roommate! :) 

So as most of you know, I’m always thinking. My mind is on constant overdrive at all moments of the day. I do crossword puzzles for fun… And that’s why this job at the tomato farm is both good and bad. Every day, I get seven hours to think about anything I choose. Usually, I’m a productive and positive thinker, but occasionally I get caught up in my thoughts and end up dragging myself down (luckily, this doesn’t happen very often). Before I had this job and wasn’t given the luxury of  thinking all day, I would literally set my alarm a half hour earlier than necessary, JUST so I could have a cup of coffee, sit, stare into space, and think. Last week, my mom sent me a photo that described me so accurately. 

This has happened often, where I lose track of time and I get lost in my thoughts. When Sonia and I first came here, we decided to use our time in Warragul as I kind of retreat, where we work on ourselves - eating right, living right, budgeting right, planning right, etc. I’m pretty sure that’s why my thinking has increased exponentially. But I don’t think of it as a bad thing! As a matter of fact, I highly encourage everyone to do at least one job like this in their lifetime. A job that isn’t mentally stimulating and gives you the chance to reflect on life - on who you want to be, the people you want to attract, and on what you want to do. All the time, people tell me that I think too much. Trust me, I know this information. When I was a teenager, I bought a self-help book for Overthinkers. I don’t think I actually finished it… BUT I have learned how to think in a way that benefits me. I weigh out all of my options and once I decide that something’s worth it, I set my mind to it and I make it happen. And once I set my mind to something, there’s no point in trying to change it because the chances of actually changing my mind are very slim. Therefore, I tend to just get extremely annoyed when people actually try. Which is why often times if I want to do something, I don’t tell anyone until I have already gotten the ball rolling. Like when I moved to London and Australia, or bought my tickets to Asia. Which brings me to the next thing I discovered about myself… 

I HATE suggestions. I didn’t realize that they were such a big problem for me until I really started to think about it today. I have been pretty independent my entire life, and I have always made decisions that I thought would be best for me. I’ve been given plenty of time to reflect on myself and my life, and I’ve put myself in multiple situations that were waaaaaay outside of my comfort zone, in order to see what I would be capable of, as well as give myself the chance to grow as a person. I have expanded my points of view, listened to various opinions, and lived amongst many cultures. If I were to look back on myself and on my life, I’d like to think that I’ve done a pretty good job at shaping it. I’ve lived in four countries and travelled to 43 others, I’ve finished two university degrees, paid off my tuition and car, have zero debt, met tons of amazing people, and I’m still continuing to achieve my goals. One of my friends sent me a message last week, and it meant so much to me. 

Often times, I have moments where I wonder if I’m being too selfish and I feel guilty for leaving, or I wonder if I’m doing everything wrong because everyone back at home seems to be settling down while I’m still out doing my own thing. But then I realize that this is what I want, this is what I’ve worked hard to achieve, and this is what I need right now. Which is why I always find it so annoying when people ask me why I do things a certain way, or suggest that I do something different. I hear the comments all the time: “Why don’t you go back to Canada?” “Why are you working in a restaurant instead of teaching in Saskatoon?” “Why don’t you sell  your car?” “Why are you working at the farm for so long?” “Don’t you think it would be better if you worked somewhere else?” And my personal favourite: “Don’t you wish you were in a relationship?” Trust me, I’m sure I’ve spent hours asking myself those same questions, making pro and con lists, weighing out all of my options, and deciding what the best option would be. I live my life for me and while I appreciate other peoples’ input every once in awhile, I likely won’t change my mind. And I would never do that to someone else - “Why do you spend all of your money on clothes and makeup?” “Don’t you think it would be better if you didn’t go to the casino so much?” “Why do you spend all of your evenings watching television?” We all live in different ways and we all only have one life to live, so maybe my idea of life is different from your idea of life, but it doesn’t mean that someone is right and someone is wrong. We benefit from different things, different experiences, and we all have different mindsets. If people are curious and want to ask questions, that’s fine, but I strongly suggest (haha) not making any suggestions to me because I’ll just end up getting annoyed and defensive. However, if you seriously think I’m making a terrible life decision, then PLEASE let me know :) 

The other main thing that I was thinking about today was the quality of relationships that I attract and strive for in my life. By relationships, I mean any form of interaction with another person, be it a friend, a family member, or otherwise. My mom had asked me how my place was with the new landlord and I replied that it’s been really great. Paul has been extremely welcoming, friendly, and he makes us feel at home. I told her how I got home on Friday night and Paul offered me a beer, and we had a deep conversation about quantum physics, religion, and energy. Her response was, “Janelle, who talks about quantum physics?!” Well, I do. Actually, I’ve had quite a few conversations about quantum physics or energy with multiple people, most of whom are travellers. I love it when someone brings it up and has something new for me to learn! I guarantee that if anyone brings it up in a conversation, you will have me hooked. I know that I am way more fulfilled with having deep and meaningful conversations rather than the surface-level conversations that you can have with just about anyone. I much prefer one-on-one conversations rather than being in group settings where I can hardly get a word in edgeways. I truly think that the energy that you give off has a major impact on the people around you. I have also started to realize that the type of energy I give off has attracted people with the same type of energy to come into my life. Some people might just call it “good vibes” or someone they “vibe with,” but you all should understand what I mean to a degree. Living in the same city while growing up, I ended up staying around the same people and I didn’t really have many opportunities to find many people who I really vibe with. I used to find it SO rare to meet someone who I just clicked with - who had the same ideas about life and who just understood me. However, I’ve noticed that during the past two and a half years, there have been so many new people who have come into my life, who I’ve just instantly clicked with. It was bizarre to me at first, but now I’ve just been accepting it, and I love the idea that the universe wants us to meet because of the energies we’re giving off. Call me crazy, but there’s something to it! It’s those people who I could just end up spending one day with, and when I have to say goodbye to them, I feel empty inside, like I just lost a friend. I actually have to spend an entire day grieving because I don’t know when or if I’ll see them again, and the connection I felt was so strong. It’s weird to explain, but I think it’s important for everyone to find as many of these types of connections as possible, because it’s so fulfilling! 

Anyway, those are the main things that were going through my head today. Maybe next time I write a blog post, I’ll actually write what I’ve been up to… Hope everyone’s doing well! Love always

The Heaviest Stars - Ford Turrell