29 July 2016

Currently in July

29 July 2016

Currently in July


READING... Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard
PLAYING... with Miss. Penelope
WATCHING... Stranger Things on netflix
TRYING... to find the will to leave the house to run errand
COOKING... homemade macroni and cheese
EATING... oatmeal 
DRINKING... water
CALLING... Penelope to come back to me 
TEXTING...  the "Cousins" group
TWEETING... nothing... as usual...
GOING... to the grocery store 
LOVING... today's weather!
HATING... this pain I seem to have in my chest
DISCOVERING... I need to clean up... a lot around here... 
THINKING... about what I'm doing tonight
FEELING... tired
HOPING (for)... this headache to go away
LISTENING (to)... Into You -- Ariana Grande 
CELEBRATING... nothing
SMELLING... my vanilla scented candle 
ORDERING... nothing... but thinking about ordering some books online
THANKING... my mom
CONSIDERING... about whether or not I want to work this Sunday...
STARTING... to get really bad headaches altely
FINISHING... this episode, then off to get some errands done!

post signature
Follow
Read article
12 July 2016

Going On A Mini Hike

12 July 2016

Going On A Mini Hike

Remember when I mentioned that I was trying to be more active this month? Well, so far so good! 

It's summer - I want to be one with nature and see beautiful scenery and overall see pretty things. I also want to be more active and lose a bit of weight. So, I hit up google and I somehow ended looking at a few trails close-by. I picked one at random, and bam. Everything was a go. And, we decided to go on a mini hike.


We decided to hit the Hilton Falls trail, and it was absolutely beautiful. I personally did not mind paying an entrance fee, which goes towards the preservation of the conservation. So, I was all for it. The main problem, however, was map reading. I thought I was good at reading maps... turns out I am, I'm just terrible at sense of direction and figuring out wheres North. 

Anyways, my main goal was to see the Falls itself. So, following the yellow trail on the map seemed logical... right? 


Wrong. haha, I think we were following the orange trail because that was the only coloured marker we saw. But, we laughed it off and enjoyed the few and the very BEAUTIFUL breeze. 


This conservation park was absolutely beautiful. There was a lot of natural habitats for a few animals, and although we didn't see too many animals, we did see a few chipmunks who were a little too quick for a quick photo. 


What I loved about the conservation area was the amount of seating areas available. At another trail I went to last month, there was no resting or sitting areas to just sit for just a few moments rest. So, I loved that there was at least the option every few miles (or kilometres... not sure) to sit and take a breather if you needed to. 

I have to say, with the beautiful smell and breeze of the nature, it really did bring back a lot of cadet memories from back in the day. 


My sister was the one who suggested I come to this trail first before any others. She even showed me a few of the pictures she took when she came up here in April. So, I was really excited to go on this hike to the falls to see a beautiful view.

But, as we got closer, and closer... I noticed that the lakes (that were marked) were not filled with as much water like the photos my sister took.


Then it made sense... it has been really hot here in Canada... So, I guess it is possible that the heat evaporated a lot of the water? I'm not exactly sure, when I got to the falls, I was expecting more.


But, to be honest, sitting in the area was surprisingly relaxing. After a few minutes, I didn't mind too much. I was actually just loving the sound of the waterfall.. it was just so... peaceful. Peaceful to listen to, and peaceful to watch. I just wished I could have stayed longer. But, I definitely did not want to stay when it got darker. Some areas had a lot of rocks, and I didn't want to risk injury. 


The entire trail did not take too long to complete. I was worried I wouldn't pull through, but I guess I do have some endurance left in me. It took a total of 1 hour and a half from the car to the falls and back. And, I loved every minute of it. 


I really did. Especially, since hiking with someone is better than going at it alone. Sometimes, you just need that little bit of motivation and fun to get through it.

At the end, my running shoes were a bit dusty from the trail. But, like I said, I really didn't mind at all. I just loved this trail, and it was definitely a great trail to complete. I think I'm going to keep trying different trails in and around the area. Hopefully, this will make cardio a little more fun in my mind! 
post signature
Follow
Read article
07 July 2016

*Sigh of Relief* FINALLY

07 July 2016

*Sigh of Relief* FINALLY

I've been in a rut over the course of June. I didn't go out as much, I sat in my room either watching Netflix, or sleeping. I didn't know what was "wrong" with me. I just wanted to sleep, go to work, make money, pay off my credit card bills, and just find something good to watch on Netflix. This was pretty much all I did.

I didn't realize until now that I was probably feeling this way due to the fact that I was stressed. I was honestly stressed about my future and answering the question of "what's next?"

I've been saying over and over again here on the blog (for years) that my ultimate goal is to become a nurse. And, after finishing university, I decided to give it another try. I won't lie, coming out of high school, I got waitlisted, almost everywhere I applied to. So, you could already imagine what was going through my mind when I was applying to some of the same schools now... I was nervous the same results would happen. 

Most programs in Ontario can either start in September, January, or May. Of course, being done school and all, I thought it would be best to be applying for the September intake. Long story short, that didn't go as well as I wanted. I got into programs, like P.S.W., Autism and Behavioural Science,   and Concurrent Disorders, but I never back for nursing. 


I decided to take a breather and reapply for the January intake. This time, I took a different approach and decided to be more active in my applications. I called the administration department at the schools I really wanted to attend (they probably could recognize my phone number by now) and asked them many questions. 
 
I found out that most schools offer and/or require a skills assessment test (with the addition of high school marks) that includes math, chemistry, biology and english... All of which I had not practiced nor studied in over 4 years (since grade 12) with the exception of english. 

So, yeah. I was nervous. But, I studied my a*s off, and even got my younger sister to help me in chemistry because she not only understood it, but she also loved the subject back in high school. 

Long story short, I wrote the test almost 2 weeks ago at one school, and wrote it at another school less than a week ago. Normally the test results would be updated onto your school profile account and updated on the application by now. For the first school, 2 weeks was way too long to not have my results updated. 

I did good. I know I did, and last night I decided to call admissions. And, believe it or not, she changed the results manually and immediately (because I learnt that technology can sometimes be flawed). Then, she told me the best news I've heard in months - that I would be hearing back by Friday! I knew what that meant. 

All of last night, my eyes were stuck to my laptop and phone while constantly refreshing the page. I was eager. And then, while having a nice dinner for a cousins 21st bday, I received the best news. 

I GOT AN OFFER for practical nursing! Not for the one school, but for the TWO SCHOOLS I wrote tests for. And, I couldn't be any happier and excited! It has been a long time coming, and I know I've been wanting this since forever. 

So, you're girl will be going back to school in January to start a new journey! This should be a fun and interesting journey because not only was I pushing myself to study for these tests, but I was also pushing my cousin! Now, she will shortly be getting her offer as well, and that means our childhood dream of going to school together will actually be a reality! 

I guess sometimes, when you want something really badly, you'll do whatever it takes to get it. 
post signature
Follow
Read article
05 July 2016

July Goals!

05 July 2016

July Goals!


I feel like I constantly say this at the beginning of every month, but I'll say it again... I cannot believe how fast the last month flew! And, look... we are already entering into the 5th day of July, and I am already (kind of, sort of) late with my July goals. 

I feel like a broken record when I say that the past month has been hectic. Will I get to what I've been up to exactly... most likely. But, for now, bare with me. I'm honestly doing my best to get back into my regular blogging schedule. But, for now... let's get to the goals that sets up the rest of the month, shall we?

This Month's Goals

1. Read a book (or two).  
My eyes hurt from all my binge watching on Netflix. I need a change of pace, and I definitely need to give my eyes a rest. I recently found a few books that caught my eye at the library. It's just about choosing which one to read first. But, I will finish one, hopefully two this month! (Gotta keep up with my goal of reading 20 books this year!)

2. Online course. 
Believe it or not, I've been taking an online course after graduating. Why? Well, I want to update my resume. One of my main personal goals throughout the past few months was to leave my part-time job, and get another, preferably in a hospital/clinic setting.  I think gaining experience in the field I soon aspire to work in is important, I am willing to do what it takes. So, taking a medical terminology course and applying for a secretary position in the hospital is the big "what's next" for me. 

From what my mom tells me, once you're in (i.e., working in a union at the hospital), human resources will look internally first before looking for outside candidates when it comes to new job openings. Since the ultimate goal is to become a nurse, and work for a union, I think gaining that connection now will help me later on. 

3. Workout at least 3 times a week.
I've been slacking when it came to the gym last month. I'm not sure what happened exactly. But, I feel like my body is the heaviest it has ever been and I'm not exactly happy with the look of my body. I cannot just sit at home expecting a change. I need to make it happen. Oh, especially since my cousins' wedding is in August. Definitely want to look my best.

4. Bring food to work. 
Sometimes I bring my own food to work... but, then there are other days where I just had no time the night before to prepare anything. I usually end up buying from the same few places near by, and believe me... IT ADDS UP. I'm hoping this month to take it down a notch, and stick to my guns and stop purchasing food for lunch. 

5. Stay positive. 
A lot has been going on lately. And, lately not caring and assume the worst is what I've become good at. When I take a look back at June, I don't have as many amazing and fun memories as I did in the other months. Why? Because I wasn't being positive. This month, a positive outlook on everything (even the bad) is a must. I need to get my happy groove back on. I need to remind myself that there is always something good waiting.

6. Create a vlog. 
I've been pushing this off for months. I really don't have any excuses, especially since the sun is out shining brightly than ever, and the lighting in and outside of my room is on point. Definitely want to make at least one blog per month! 

What are your goals for July?

post signature
Follow
Read article