dreaming over the ocean

So, about once a year (or so), i am ambitious enough to write a newsletter. Here is the 2009 version! hope you enjoy!

I snuck the camera, and got a shot with the tree :) My Uncle (Mum's younger brother) and I. One of the centre pieces at our dinner table... my aunt sure knows how to make it beautiful! Apparently, there have been about 3 million of these pairs of Vancouver 2010 mittens sold. There were 4 that turned up in the Patterson household this Christmas. My cousin, Nicole, and I The Christmas tree, with all the presents gone.

Hi All... in the mode of the season, I thought that i would put a bit more effort into my post today. A little video for you. enjoy!

I think that is exactly what christmas is supposed to be about. I am currently in Mississauga, ON. which, is a every present western suburb of Toronto. If you are reading, and you are Canadian, you know that going to Toronto for christmas is not necessarily what everyone wants to do. I have even had a sympathetic "oh. i'm sorry." statement. THat is... unless, of course, you are *from* toronto. Then, it is the only place you want to be! ohhhh, the irony of being Canadian, and your opinion about Toronto. But, to me, right now, it is pretty much P.E.R.F.E.C.T. this is the first time in years that I have spent christmas with family. And, this is a family of which I have not maybe *Ever* spent christmas with. And, can they do christmas. I am sitting beside a wonderfully smelling, decorated tree, and, downstairs my cousin is wrapping presents in the kitchen (i am already done!), and my aunt is baking cookings, and cooking meals for tomorrow. It is such a relief to ...

so, I would just like to make a comment... remember how a few days ago, i was missing my Teen Missions Team kids? well, still kinda at that point. and, i just watched a video of two of them... here it is. it just shows you how awesome, and hilarious, they are. boys will be boys!

about so many things... about the things that have happened this past week. about poverty. about what i like about triathlon. about christmas events and the current advent season and the feeling in the air... Earlier this week, I had the unfortunate occurrence of having my wallet, apartment keys and cell phone stolen out of my pocket. Even more unfortunate, it was at a place where things are meant to be safe. A place where people should be able to relax, and not be worried about things going missing, or whatnot. and, this is the second time that something of mine has been stolen at church. and, it is quite ironic. but, i choose to go to churches that have outreaches to individuals who are of lower income, individuals who may be homeless, individuals who live in poverty. photo courtesy and, i have been dealing with poverty on a number of different levels recently, but, this incident got me thinking about a few things.... not as much of the *Causes* of poverty, but what effects pove...

believe you me. I am ready to split from this town for a few days. This week has been unbelievably unbeliveable. Let's just say that irony has shown its ugly head, and I was not happy about it. At any rate, I look forward to leaving on *friday* plan is: go to syracuse on friday. see my friend from college, Daniel Van Vliet, and his wife nicole, and their son who I have never met. hop a bus on saturday to Rochester. go see my coach! then: get my fat pinched, and my run video recorded, and my swim looked at, and my bike speed tested. and, a "meet the team" run on sunday morning. then: monday bus to toronto. and bask in family love! woo! all of that makes me excited just to think about! :) and.... i got my garmin back in the mail today. yesssssss! Heart rate monitoring, you and i are back in the game! so, things are okay today. but, just okay. and, i am okay with okay. because it is a lot better than really *hitty. which have been the way things have been in th...

went out last night with the nursing girls, and this was just as we were leaving. i thought it was the *only* good photo of me in the whole night.

So, I am working on something right now for the kids that I went to Haiti with. For some reason, I have been missing them a lot recently. Taking this saturday to relax, to work out, and to catch up on things that I have been putting off during exams. It is a beautiful sunny, snowy, and *cold* day out there. but, one of those days that you just feel happy to wake up too. It is amazing, because I remember when I had returned from my first trips with Teen Missions interational to Africa, and how long it took for me not to think of those trips from a day-to-day basis. How hard it was to adjust to life back in "the real world." And, so, I wonder how they are doing right now. When I look at the photos of these teenagers, I just know how some of them are going to really continue to excel in the future. I know that for some of them, it is going to be a struggle. I know that all of them are going to continue to face the challenges that arise in being a teenager these days. and...

so! it went wayyyyy better than thought it was going to be. and, i find that very ironic. but, GREAT! so.... it just started the day well. and, to end the day, i got to watch the olympic flame relay. but... since it is late, and i have to wake up early... i will post on it tomorrow. but, it was so neat! :)

so, my classmates decided to stay up late and study. I decided to sleep. I would rather be rested, and do poorly, than be tired and do poorly ;) it just makes dealing with the stress *that* much easier. I just had a reminder while i was getting dressed about what I am doing here, and how I am meant to be doing what I am doing. and, two quotes that i have posted by two inspiring pictures of female triathletes came into my head. Because my God is a big God, I will think big with confidence, knowing that MY THOUGHTS CAN NEVER BE BIGGER THAN MY GOD. God did not call me to a life of failure, but to a life of SUCCESS. this being so, I CANNOT FAIL as long as I do his will, allowing him to work in me and through me, motivating my very thought. i like to think that god has got.my.back. on this. so, i have a new outlook than i did last night. it is a wonder what a sleep and a workout can do. :) will post after the exam.

so, every once and a while, I post a "hilarity of life" tag. today is one of those days. it started snowing in the early morning today. probably at about 6 or 7am. I write my physiology exam this afternoon, at 2 pm, and my pharmacology exam tomorrow morning at 9am. So, after my 8hours sleep last night, and good breakfast (ps... i *gotta* ween myself off bowls of quinoa for breakfast. as delicious as it is, i think it needs to be a treat, not a habit. sigh....) of quinoa, a banana, yogurt and coffee, i made the trek to school. and, any reasonable person would have taken the public transit. but, not i. i decided to walk. and, i find it hilarious that i put on the same clothes that I would wear out on a weekend winter hiking trip on the west coast, in order to go to school. so, this is why they call canada "The great white north." at one point in my life, i remember the wonder that came with the snowfall. maybe i have become jaded with my living in somewhat temper...

I *love* post secrets. today on sunday secrets, frank posted a video. this is the link to it. it takes about 5 minutes, so take the time to watch! it is amazing. really interesting to see people, rather than just the postcards. very very touching. PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death and God from Frank Warren on Vimeo .

so, I have my finals on wednesday and thursday. Physiology on the afternoon of wednesday, and pharmacology on the morning of thursday. it seems so close, and so far away.. all i know, is that I will be burrowing my nose into my books, and into my notes for the next couple days. One of my classmates and i have come up with a good solution to "Studying" together. via skype. we just sit studying, and when a question comes up, we internet chat about it. pretty good solution, but, am tied to my computer right now, and that is annoying. I ran a santa shuffle this morning. My first 5-km "test." My tri (life?!?!) coach will use this as a marker for my progress. And, my shuffle was a bit quicker than a shuffle, which i was happy about. I was a little concerned that since all I have done in the last 4 weeks is bike and swim, that my running legs would be questionable. especially that ankle. but, needless to say... it was pretty darn good. The weather was nice (about ...

yesterday, I had my end of term review with my clinical instructor at school. And, it is amazing, because despite the fact that I have enjoyed clinical, I am r.e.a.l.l.y h.a.p.p.y. to be done with geriatrics. If you read a few days ago, you know that some of my experiences have been less than ideal. we learnt about what our placements for Ped's and Post-Natal will be next semester. And, let's say that "nothing is set in stone," but, with the declaration that this area is going to be the clinic that I am working in absolutely thrills me. i was able to ask the clinical coordinator after class: "so. well. a TB clinic. does that mean.... well, that it will involve a lot of immigrants and people in lower socio-economic groups....? since, well, you know, that is where TB exists?" [thinking....please say yes!] and, her response was, "yes. of course. you like that, eh? I thought you might." (and she said that the placements were random. ha ha...