support.

So so true.  Really liked this article I came across, talking about those times when you just feel like you're just given too much & you can't handle it. 

I've often felt that sometimes life can just feel overwhelming, and it can be difficult to understand why certain events in my life happen, or why I meet the people I do.  I know that I sometimes find it hard to have faith in the plans God has for me.  But I think for me, faith is partly shown through the people I meet, the situations we meet through, and how we influence & support one another.  I just don’t know if words can ever express how blessed I feel, to have some of the people in my life that I do... or even did.  It's all contributed.

fintry etc.

Spent a long weekend away at Fintry Provincial Park, just north of Kelowna.  One of the most randomly planned camping trips I've had haha - we stayed in a yurt, with our site just along Lake Okanagan :)  It was wonderful to get away with close friends - a trip of new camping experiences, "quick walks" before lunch, floating in the lake, good food, & lots of laughter :)

Been spending time this long weekend also with lovely with friends & family, whilst tearing apart my apartment.  Summer has been so busy, so I haven't had much "catch-up" time to take care of my own personal projects.  Cleaning/purging/organizing helps me feel much more in control of my life for some reason, so it feels good to take this weekend to chill & get these things taken care of before the school year gets going again.

This summer has been so good to me - more moments I'll remember.

squamish valley.

Spent the last few days at my first music festival, the Squamish Valley Music Festival.  Got to see many artists I love, including Dominique Fricot, Band of Horses, Yukon Blonde, Young the Giant, Said the Whale, Vampire Weekend, Fits & the Tantrums, & Macklemore, just to name a few!  There were a few bands I enjoyed watching, who I didn't previously know, so that's always nice too.

Was awesome to just spend time chilling with friends and listening to music. 

garibaldi.

Spent Saturday enjoying more of the absolutely beautiful summer we've been having, and knocked off another hike from my "to-do" list: Garibaldi Lake.

It was great to go early and beat some of the crowds - got to have a relaxing lunch & spend time just enjoying the environment & view.  And we actually pushed ourselves to not only swim in the lake, but swim to a mini-rock island haha.

Another great day spent with excellent company, enjoying beautiful British Columbia :)

saturdays.

Had a lovely summer evening with friends last night.  After fighting some transit delays, we made it to the Khatsalano Music & Arts Festival.  Saw a few shows, with our favourites being WillHorse (the hair!) & Good for Grapes (happiest accordion player I've ever seen in my life).  Then just enjoyed "owning the city" and walking down the middle of 4th Ave.  Oh, and trying a "screamer," which was a drink layered with soft-serve ice cream, lemonade slushee, and then more ice cream.  Surprisingly delicious!

Then due to more transit delays, we decided to walk across the Burrard Street bridge (my first time!) and enjoy this absolutely gorgeous view.  Good job, Vancouver.  Your evenings are the best :)

Finally, we capped off the night checking out the Comedy Mix, another first.  One of my friend's favourite comedians, Graham Clark, was headlining, and it ended up being a really fun experience.  Would definitely want to go back sometime.

We hadn't gotten to get together in a little while with our busy summer schedules, so this was a perfect way to catch-up & chill :)  Another beautiful Saturday, full of firsts. 

lovely weekend.

What an absolutely lovely weekend.

A wonderful day full of love & laughter celebrating the wedding of one of my best friends, for whom I truly couldn't be happier :)  Followed up with a chill & sunny Sunday.  Then an exploratory Canada Day, with Canadian Eh? pizza, berry picking, and BBQ battles with some of my favourite people.  And now we have a new indie band name - these are the moments I'll remember :)

another night.

A friend sent this along, saying it reminded her of me.  I wonder, and worry (perhaps too much), about how others see (or perceive) me.  I'm quite emotional, and I really need those special people in my life, but I also want to be seen as independent & strong.  It sometimes makes it very difficult to just be honest & open, especially those moments when I'm not doing so great, and I just feel sad & lonely.

I guess it just felt nice to know that I'm not seen as an unstable wreck (at least all the time).

star trek: into darkness.

"How do you choose not to feel?" -James Tiberius Kirk, Star Trek: Into Darkness

Went to watch Star Trek: Into Darkness last week.  I loved the first Star Trek movie, and this one was pretty good as well.  Some plot holes, but still a thoroughly enjoyable theatre movie.  With my mood lately, the climatic emotional scene, coupled with the theme of controlling one's feelings, got to me a little more than it may have normally.

I know we are human and it's what we're meant to be, but I wonder if sometimes it might be handy to be half-Vulcan.  I know this is usually a rough time of year for me, but it feels especially worse this time.  I am just really, really tired of feeling sad.  And sometimes I just really wish there was an off-switch.

cypress.

Photo: Mary C.

An absolutely gorgeous day on the mountain.  After being away for over 2 years, it felt good to be back on my board - it was also a pleasant surprise to find out that I hadn't drastically lost all my skills haha.

Looking forward to being surrounded by people I love this weekend.  Almost through February.

silver linings playbook.

Watched Silver Linings Playbook last night.  The way it approached mental illness was interesting & different.  It was very honest, real & raw, and I can see why its been getting nominations.  Also this week, Hockey Talks was launched by the seven Canadian hockey teams.  The month-long initiative stresses awareness, openness, and acceptance of mental illness: "...it's OK to talk about mental illness, its OK to ask questions and, most important, it's OK to get help."

There are so many "not-pretty" things in the world that people don't want to acknowledge or talk about.  And it's sad, and it's harsh, but it's the world we live in.  This past week has brought up some thoughts & feelings that have been a bit difficult & painful - I sometimes sure wish I just knew.

end of year.

Started watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy last night, my first time really sitting down to watch them since purchasing the extended edition DVD's many years ago.  I'd forgotten how much I love these movies, along with some things they represent.  This post I came across - Life Lessons Learned from Lord of the Rings & the Hobbit - touched on a few things that I try to keep in mind in my life, and want to continue into the new year. 

It's so easy to focus on relatively small negatives and be distracted from a world full of amazing and supportive positives.  I feel so blessed to have the family, friends & opportunities that I do, and want to try to always remember how much love there is in my life. 

2012 was a challenging year, full of many changes.  I wanted it to be a year of growth, and I think it has been, though unexpected in some respects.  2013 is shaping up to be another busy year, and I hope that I can be strong, and make the most of everything.

eggs.

Went out to Bitter Tasting Room last night & enjoyed eggs three ways - scotch, deviled, & pickled.  Not bad, but the scotch egg was definitely better at Pourhouse.  Enjoyed the evening of chatting about our holidays while snacking on tasters & drinking a delicious coffee porter.

A wrap-up at Jeanne's pool/hottub/sauna, followed by 90's music at the sketchy pub with $2.50 highballs, was the perfect closing to the night.

merry christmas.

Warmest wishes to all my friends & family this Christmas season <3

bel cafe.

Took advantage of another weekday, for brunch at Bel Cafe.  Wonderful company, lovely pastries & finished off the meal with a delicious PB&J macaron.  Simple things.

narnia.

Went to watch The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe at Pacific Theatre last night.  Was curious how they would do a stage production of this, and didn't realize until we arrived that it was a 2-man show!  It was an adaptation of the book, where Peter & Lucy reminisce to tell the story.  It was so amazing to see the actors use props & transition from role to role - you could really get into the story.

Taking advantage of the Christmas season!  Been a busy week full of my favourites - food, friends, & family :)

st. augustine's.

Had a wonderful catch-up with Karen at St. Augustine's last night, celebrating her return from 6 weeks away in Bali. 

It's a bit weird to think that she'll be around Vancouver for the near future, after years of just short visits.  She is one of my oldest friends, and I'm so happy that we'll get to spend more time together in the coming year :)

As I am fortunate to experience so often - a night of great food, great drink, & great company.

christmas market.

Took advantage of a weekday and went to the Vancouver Christmas Market last week.  Had a wonderful afternoon chatting, eating, drinking & shopping.  Highlights included a mug of apple-mulled wine, waffles on a stick, a ridiculous meatloaf sandwich, and the acquisition of a pickle ornament :)

I'm ready to be Christmas-y this year.

burgoo & mead.

Went to Burgoo last night with some of my good classmates to celebrate the survival of first term.  Finally got to try a glass of mead (warmed Middle Mountain Alpenglow) and it was absolutely lovely.  With beefy cheese grillers, a side of seafood potage, and some excellent conversation, it was a wonderful night off.

Some highlights from the term:
- free candy bowl
- writing an academic paper about my feelings
- dealing with sensitive cataloguing issues
- playing with lego
- not light beer, but beer-flavoured water
- incorporating Harry Potter into my final IT project
 
I swear this is grad school.

cray/crawfish.

Went to try Cray Kitchen & Bar on Main last week.  There aren't many places in Vancouver that serve southern food, so it was interesting to try - I always love seafood.  A nice night out.

Though I'm still not sure if I should call it crayfish or crawfish...

homies.

Hah - very true.  This made me think of a few people in my life.  Sometimes I wonder how I'm so fortunate to have such great homies, and really hope that I am one when they need it too.