2019 at a Glance

Each year in my life honestly just keeps getting more and more exciting!

If I was to sum up 2019 in one word it would be "Growth." I grew a lot as a person, an athlete, and in knowledge. Although I didn't have as many near-death experiences as in 2018 (Thank God!!), I had a lot more emotional moments and moments where I pushed myself harder than I ever had before.

Growing is hard, and although I know it is necessary to go through as a human it didn't make it any easier of an experience. However, when I look back at the darker moments of this year and all the times that made me sick to my stomach, cry and feel depressed I wouldn't trade them. A good story is made up of conflict and character development and I want my life to be a story, as epic as anything one would see on the TV or read in a book.

So what happened this year?

I turned Twenty One years old! I was spoiled with cake and gifts from my Barn Family at Absolute Equestrian.

I got a co-op at the Toronto Zoo! Some of the animals I got to work with included Amur tigers, camels, red pandas, tur, and barbary sheep. It was so cool to get the zoo keeping experience and a behind the scenes access at one of the largest zoos in Canada.

I completed my Animal Care program at Durham College and graduated with a 4.2 GPA.

Then I took a giant leap of faith and went tree planting with Summit Reforestation in Northern Alberta. Turns out I really enjoyed it and it was a nice little mix of adventure, fitness, a fair share of challenges, and financial freedom!

Ticked another box off my bucket list and went surfing in Tofino!

Also climbed one of the peaks in Squamish B.C.

I made a very bold and spontaneous decision and moved to the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. This is where my Mom grew up and lots of her family still live here.



I got a job at Eatmore Sprouts

I got a fantastic barn job at the Comox Valley Therapeutic Riding Society!

It was quite the jiu-jitsu year for me! I competed twice. Got two golds and a silver.

Then before I left Team DNA I was given my blue belt from Coach Dainis which was definitely one of the biggest highlights of my year!

Then after about three months of training at Team Goblins BJJ in Courtney, I got my first stripe on my blue belt. It was a great moment because joining a new gym as a new blue belt and the only female there was quite a mental challenge for me, and the stripe was like a reassurance that I am doing okay!

2019 Goal Reflections:

Develop Spiritually: Oh yeah, spiritually this year I've been through a roller coaster! Going three months without church was hard. I was often too exhausted after the planting day to pray. There were moments in the silence while pounding away tree after tree that I could feel God's presence though, and helped me remember who I am as a Christian. I started off the year feeling about as far away from God as possible, and have ended it feeling closer than I have in a long time. 

Graduate Post Secondary with at least a 3.9 GPA: Graduated, and exceeded the goal with a GPA of 4.2

Get an Animal Related Job: Working with horses and pet sitting dogs!

Continue Sponsoring my Three Students in Uganda: All three of my girls are still sponsored and doing well! I am very proud of my girl Mercy who managed to maintain being the top student in her co-ed class all year. Christine also did very well considering the ups and downs with her sponsorship and health this year.

Get my G2: Okay, if I have a life goal failure, this is it! Failed to go for it three years in a row now! Good news though, I am booked for my N license this month (equal to a G2 in ON). So hopefully this is the last time I fail this goal.

Renew my Passport: Did not happen, will happen this year because I actually need it this year!

Travel at Least Once Outside of Canada: I didn't, but I did travel lots within Canada. I explored and got to know a lot of Northern Alberta. Enjoyed a week in Smither's B.C, road-tripped from Smithers to Vancouver through Whistler. Went to several different towns on the Island. In all, I am glad I got to know my own country better because it is quite vast!

Get Dental and Physio Work done: Does going to a dentist clinic once count?!

Show Denver Again: Sadly I was too busy with school to train with him properly and now I've left him at Absolute Equestrian in Ontario. Still feel bad about that a little bit.

Compete in Jiu-Jitsu: Yep! In House, got gold. At NextGen Niagra, I got gold in no giu, and silver in giu

Work towards publishing a Novel: Completing my memoir was my step this year towards that goal. My third successful year completing the NaNoWRiMo challenge which was a great feeling!

My Hopes in 2019 that came true:

-Write another novel(memoir)
- Travel to B.C
- Work on Setting up a Community Project (More updates on that later!)

My favorite song in 2019 was Black Smoke Rising by Greta Van Fleet. My favorite movie I saw was Blood Diamond. My favorite book was "The Power."

My favorite moment of 2019 is honestly tied between getting my BJJ blue belt and the day I planted 3000 trees. I think the day I planted 3000 trees was the most intense. It was a great feeling of accomplishment but also I really felt the support from everyone on my crew. I won't ever forget it! 

That was my 2019! Now my goals for 2020!

- Develop more spiritually
- Tree plant and get my Summit sweater
- Compete at least once in jiu-jitsu (hopefully more)
- Work on my Dreams Uganda Project
- Get my N license
- Complete two more drafts of my memoir
- Renew my Passport
- Get dental work done

My Hopes for 2020

- Travel 
- Get a truck and a camper for the back of the truck
- Write another Novel
- Get a better camera
- Take some course like sign language, fire fighting, or wilderness first aid

Thank you all so much for being a part of my journey this year! I could not do what I do without all your emotional, physical, and financial support. I have a feeling that 2020 is going to be a very exciting year for me! Looking forward to traversing it with all of you and looking forward to meeting new individuals on the journey!

So some quotes to end with!

"Tree planting develops character......I think I have too much character." - Tree Planting Friend

"Where there is a vision there is provision." - African Pastor said this to me



P.S: Here is a link to a video project I've been working on this year! I took a one-second video of every day this year and compiled it into this "Year at a Glance"! Enjoy and I challenge you to do this video too! I'd love to see your projects. 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGBZv9eMyxE&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR1RVcjYD_xsZ6leQjZJ7bvNer-UIFR_2iE7iVLXBbRFYuHYUASiK8ArNew

Christmas 2019

This year Christmas was different!

It was my first Christmas away from home. If I'm to quote myself from last year, 

"Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year!......I love being with my family, getting away from the business of my life, and being able to relax!"

It was a very different story this year. I worked on Christmas Day, and all the days leading up to it, and am still working till New Year's Eve! 

However, despite all that, it was still as magical as ever! Christmas Eve, I dressed up for probably the first time since Easter!

I was picked up by my Uncle and he drove my Grandma, my cousin Amber, and I to church. Amber and I grew up in Ontario together; We even went to the same high school. She now lives in Vancouver so I don't see her very much, but that made seeing her over Christmas all the better! The church was lovely and celebrating at my uncle's house was a fantastic time! 

Christmas day I got up bright and early. Put on the new worktop my Grandma got for me at Costco, and the new hat my Aunt got me. I sat down(Stood because I was running late) for a breakfast of granola bars( gifted to me from my Grandpa), festive egg nog, and gluten-free cookies.

This has basically been my diet the entire holiday season!

Awesome new worktop from Grandma!

In the morning I cared for the horses at CVTR, blasting my Christmas music throughout the stable. Fitting to spend Christmas morning in a stable right? A co-worker came to volunteer which made the morning go faster and not feel so lonely. 

Then, since I worked a split shift, I figured it would be good to fill the spare time by going to church. After all, its Jesus' Birthday, so it makes sense! After church, I made a spectacular lunch, which costed a fortune, but working over Christmas makes the numbers add up nicely! I called home and had a lovely chat with all my family in Ontario. It was hard not to feel sad because I kind of wanted to be there playing board games and eating my Mom's fantastic Lassana, but at the same time it was nice to have a place to myself and get in a little nap! Its kind of funny because ever since I left home at eighteen I always joked that I wanted to have "Sleep" for Christmas. I guess Jesus answered my prayer this year!

Evening shift ended and I went straight to my Grandma's in lovely dirt-stained work clothes! She never cares though, she is literally the best Grandma ever! I had an amazing Christmas dinner! I was so hungry from working that I had room in my stomach to eat lots which often isn't the case at Christmas. The rest of the evening I spent cuddling my Uncle's dog, sipping my Grandma's fantastic coffee(she makes the best coffee in the world) and enjoying the time with my Mother's family.

So overall I think despite work and being away from home I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas! If anything this Christmas really drove home that this celebration is about Christ and the sacrifice he made to come down to Earth for us. It is about giving of ourselves to others as Christ gave of himself! Even if Christmas time was completely void of lights, decorations, gifts, and family it would still mean something to me; And I'm very thankful for that!

Wishing you all the Merriest Christmas ever! Stay tuned for some exciting updates for the New Year coming up 2020!!!!!

Back in the Saddle

If there is one path that I always fall back on its the one that includes my four-legged friends, horses!

My current job at the Comox Therapeutic Riding Centre is amazing! I look after eight adorable horses with very unique personalities. Going from close to one hundred horses at Absolute Equestrian to eight is a big change, but I like it. I look very forward to my shifts here. Plus on top of typical barn chores, I get to drive around a golf cart to clean outdoor fields which is pretty fun!

I also ride a horse named Buttercup, a seventeen-year-old mare. Her owner was looking for someone to provide her with some exercise a few times a week, so I jumped on board for that. Buttercup is a great horse, with a big personality. She is nervous about a lot of things, but we have been working to overcome her fears!

Life in the Comox Valley is good! I live in Courtney with an amazing roommate, and some pretty adorable pets. 

I also work at Eatmore Greens and Sprouts Greenhouse with some pretty amazing co-workers and great management. Staff perks are free sprouts to eat!

Jiu-jitsu has been a little rough lately. I was pretty sick with several things for a while and then being a new blue belt at a new gym is a bit of a challenge too. I show up when I can because I know I won't get better till I make training more consistent. The guys at this gym are super nice and supporting though, and I am sure once I can train more regularly my game will definitely improve.

So yeah, I am back in full swing, but a little more static for now living in one place. There might not be much blogging from me this November because of NaNoWriMo. Check that out on the previous blog post. Hope you all have a fantastic November, keep rocking on! 

NaNoWriMo is Almost Here!

I'm doing it again! Dragging myself into the deep water of words, plots, adventure, sleep deprivation, craving for snacks, and hopefully at the end of it, a completed memoir! 

This is my third year participating in NaNo(National Novel Writing Month). Each year brings new surprises, a new adventure, and I meet other incredible writers. Have you ever wanted to write a  novel? I have found NaNo is the best way to keep motivated. The challenge is to write a 50,000-word novel within the month of November. That means writing roughly 1666 words a day. 

The great part about NaNo is that it really encourages you to just get the words on the page. Don't worry about the plot, or how the story sounds. The first part of writing any novel is getting the words down. I can not describe to you how good it feels to complete the novel at the end of the month! Those are your words, your story, and you did it within one month!

Even if you don't complete the challenge, you still have words on the page that were not there before!

I believe everyone has a story to tell but many don't know where to start. NaNo is a great way to get started. It is not about perfection, it's only about completing that first initial step in the process of penning a novel. I encourage anyone who has ever wanted to try writing a novel to join me this year in the 2019 NaNo challenge. We all have busy lives, and not a lot of time, but I have successfully completed this challenge while in school, training jiu-jitsu five days a week, and working at the same time. Here are some of my Nano tips for success. 

#1: Outline your Novel Beforehand: I like to draft my project before Nano begins. This helps me avoid writer's block because there really isn't time for that when you have only a month to write a novel. It doesn't have to be a super-detailed outline, just enough so you have an idea of what you are writing next. Here is an example,

-I sit in the back of my uncle’s motorcycle and remember the nights riding with Fred on the boda boda. I monologue why I broke up with Fred, how lost I felt from the experience. How it felt like a failure, but how I am made it a win.

#2: Set Aside an Hour or Two Half Hours to Write Each Day: This helps you keep organized, and makes writing a priority in your day. It can be different times each day, as long as you set aside some time. For Example on Fridays, I work 7am-2pm, then train BJJ from 7pm-8:30pm at night. I will set 3-5pm as my writing time. On Saturday I work 8-11am, buy groceries, ride a horse, then work 3-6pm. I then visit my Uncle and Aunt in the evening. I will take my extra hour on Friday to cover what I need to write on Saturday, and maybe only write for half an hour on Saturday instead. 

#3: Reward Yourself: It's so important. Is it a treat, a movie, a walk outside, alcohol?! Whatever you can use as incentive for you to complete your word count every day is a great way to keep motivated and get those words on the page. 

#4: Use the Website and Meet with other Writers: The NaNoWriMo website is a great tool for success in the NaNo challenge. Take a look at this link https://www.nanowrimo.org. The website also helps you connect to other writers in your area. Often there will be weekly meetups at a coffee shop or somewhere else near you. Other writers can be great encouragement and inspiration for you to continue on with your project. 

#5: Create a Playlist: A playlist of music related to your story can be a great inspiration, and fun to create. Also, a Pinterest page with images for inspiration is a fun activity too. These two activities can get you super excited about your project and be a great source of inspiration. For example, my memoir takes place in Africa so my playlist is made up of songs from African choirs, the Lion King, and the soundtrack from Tears of the Sun, and Blood Diamond. 

Those are my five tips for success and what get me through the month. I am positive you can come up with other great tricks to keep yourself going too! It's a long month, usually void of television, youtube,etc, but the experience is worth it! Some of the benefits include...

• Better time management skills
• Treating yourself every day
• Self Discovery
• New Friends
• A Novel!

So, who will join me this year?!!! If you are interested in joining this challenge send me a message and I am happy to help you all the way to a completed novel. I am super stoked for NaNo 2019, and I hope some of you will join me on this crazy adventure! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

I bike 25km a day to my jobs and yet every clear morning as I watch the sun rays cast the Comox glacier in its early morning light, I am so thankful for all the moments in my life that have led me here.

There is so much to be thankful for this year I'm not sure where to begin!

First of all, I am thankful for all of you my friends, family, and supporters. Without you, I would be up a creek without a paddle.

This year I attended and graduated from Durham College's Animal Care program. I learned so much, and was extremely grateful that I was able to go to school! When I first left highschool I didn't think post-secondary could be an option for me due to financial reasons. Thanks to the new government grants I was able to afford school, and I am extremely grateful to have had that opportunity. A big thank you to those who supported me through it!

 

I am thankful for the job I had at Absolute Equestrian. It was a home away from home, a source of income through school, and has opened up so many opportunities in the equine field for me.

I am so incredibly thankful for the opportunity I had to go tree planting and the doors it has opened for me. I made so many new friends, grew as a person, and have been able to live in relative financial comfort since I started. I was super nervous about taking on this job, and what it would do to me, but I've realized it was probably one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life.

Living on Vancouver Island has been amazing! Its been a dream of mine ever since I left B.C as a child. The Island vibe really suits me. I love my new jobs, the landscape, the climate, and nature all around me. I am so thankful that is experience has become a reality. 

I am thankful that I am able to train BJJ and that I was able to compete this year. I have learned so many lessons from BJJ and it has really developed my character and strength overall as a person. I am so thankful for my coaches and teammates who helped me become the fighter I am today. Its a little tricky getting back into it because it's a habit that I have to re-develop and my health hasn't be great lately. I'm hoping that once I move into my new home (Tomorrow!!!) I'll start to get back fully into the game!

For all these things I thank God because without him I would not be as fearless as I am. I am thankful for every experience he has given me, the good and the bad because together they make me strong.

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving! Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers!


“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” – Melody Beattie