dreaming over the ocean

so, a friend of mine wrote me perhaps one of the best "pre-race emails" that i have ever gotten. So, thank you CD (since I know that you read...), this is definitely inspirational. [for everyone else, this friend of mine is a super duper road racer, and Vancouver bike courier extraordinaire.] ----------------------------------------- Hey Amo, I will check out that site. I was going to wait until Wednesday but knowing me, I would forget- so I give you my race advice now for your first half Ironman: I'll break it down in to three parts, since you triathletes are all about multiple sports... 1. The Swim I suck at swimming and the water is always cold so hopefully you know what to do and how to stay warm. I hear that people often get kicked and punched- so stay away from anyone looking frantic. That said, if you yourself are frantic- hopefully everyone will stay away from you and then you can swim in the path of your choosing. 2. The Bike This is your forté. You are very str...

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so, life is good. life is very good :) amazing things that have happened recently, and are going to happen... I am a master of science in rehabilitation. I completed my M.Sc Thesis defense with great comments and positive feedback. the presentation was great, and i knew the answers to all the questions. I have gotten into McGill University for a direct-entry, 3 year, master of nursing program which will allow me to be a RN, and also focus on global/international healthcare. I am going to haiti over the summer. In a week and a half, I am racing my first 1/2 ironman, and while I am at it, I get to see two of the people that I love the most in the world. Life is good. And, it feels like I am walking 3 feet off the ground these days. and, in all honestly, it is a little overwhelming. but, you know. in a good way ;)

... i biked my first ever 100km ride. I went out to pitt meadows and beyond. Flat, farmland riding, in aero. it was amazing. I didn't know I was going to go that far, but alas. but, it was hard on the way back, cause a decent amount of climbing was involved. I also realized I didn't have enough nutrition/hydration. and, at one point, an aerobar fell off. ha ha! but, none-the-less, it was great during the times it felt great. everything else was just learning things for the race!!! ... i dropped my bike off for a tune up, and a box up. I am going to have my dad ship it down, when he goes back to the states after my thesis defense on tuesday. ... i walked into a wall, and cracked my head open. yup, that's right. I now have a harry potter sized injury, but it unfortunently does not make me have any magical powers. but, do not fret. I am not hurt (except for my pride... who walks into the corner of a wall in their friend's apartment!?!??!), but there was *a lo...

wooooo! this email arrived in my inbox today. LALALALALALA!!!! it seems to me that I am going to be going to live in montreal for a bit... Dear Amelia Patterson Payne: The Admissions Committee of the School of Nursing is pleased to inform you that it has completed its review of your application and is recommending to the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office that you be admitted into the Qualifying Year of our M.Sc.(A) program for Fall 2009, pending receipt of one academic reference letter by the date indicated below. Please email us within two weeks, by 4/2/2009 , to let us know whether or not you intend to enroll in the program this coming Fall so we can provisionally hold a place for you. We look forward to having you as a graduate student in nursing this fall!

so, in the last week and a half, I have had quite a few individuals congratulate me on handing my my thesis. To them, I say thanks. but it is so funny... it took me all of a day and a half to realize that the work is not quite done yet. with references, and appendices, my thesis is about 120 pages long. Try to fit 120 pages, into a 1/2 hour power point presentation, on which you may have up to 3 rounds of questions afterwards. it is hard work too. couple that with a medical anthropology paper that is going to examine health seeking behaviour and spirituality among HIV/AIDS patients in rural haiti, sprinkle in at least 10 hours of different types of transition training this week (oh my gosh!!! can i say 3 weeks!?!?) and finally top it off with organizing fund raising events for my TMI trip... i still feel busy busy busy. and, i can't wait for it to end. i am tired. but, I want to tell you about what i did on sunday. it was a miserable day here in Vancouver... sleety snow, rain,...

I have had a lot of individuals recently find my site by searching for my friend Jessie Vredevelt. Her younger brother, Nathan, was hit by some vehicles last week on an interstate in Portland. A story can be found here . The website that Jessie set up is set up here. May Nathan rest in peace, and may light perpetual shine upon him. Amen. ---------------------------------- So, this post is going to be a compilation of a few things. I still gotta keep it brief, because, apparently, the work isn't done yet. I have a paper outline for my medical anthropology course dues on friday, and I have to start preparing my powerpoint for my defense (2 weeks away! eep!!!) first, here is my first letter regarding my trip to haiti this summer... (i will put up some templates that can be zoomed in on, soon... so you can read them!) ------------ Lastly, I want to comment on triathlon stuff. I have a mere 4 weeks until I am down in New Orleans, racing my first 70.3 distance triathlon. I have no idea ...

of no contact or social life. since I got back from that trip up to elfin lakes, i have been in a black hole of statistical analysis, and thesis editing.... but... after a few nights of 5 ish hours sleep last week... today... i.... handed.... my..... M.Sc..... Thesis..... to my..... Committee! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! not totally done just yet, though. I have a thesis defense in 3 weeks, and then will probably have to do some editing again, but. phew. what a big sigh of relief. will update soon. i have had so much going through my head lately.