dreaming over the ocean

Some folks have recently been asking me about how my chat went at Church a few weeks ago. I think it went really well, and I enjoyed the process of preparing for it. It was meaningful for me, and I think meaningful for the folks who heard me speak. At least I saw a few tears, which always mean something was relevant! First, I want to ask you to think about a time in your life that you have experienced a significant transition. What emotions did you experience? Was it excitement, anticipation, fear, grief, loneliness? For me, there have been a few notable times of transition. The summer of 2012, when I moved to Vancouver, started my career as a wife, unexpectedly lost my sister to her mental illness, and got married. When my father died, in 2017. When I was given the opportunity to be a mother, with the birth and arrival of Baby Haines. Those times were all filled with huge emotions. A sense of shifting responsibility, a relief because my loved ones were no longer suffering, a ...

If you are Canadian, this has been big week in Media.  Perhaps a HUGE week in media. First, we had the tragic events in the Capital.  Where a man, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, armed with a shot gun that held a maximum of 8 rounds, ran to the war memorial & gunned down an unarmed solider.  He then proceeded to walk into the parliament building, towards the conservative and NDP caucus meetings.  He was then shot down by Sargent-at-Arms, who emptied his semi-automatic side arm, into the chest of the man. Second, late last week, we have had (argueably) the most beloved radio-host in Canada, fired from the national broadcasting corporation, CBC .  He was fired, apparently, because of his fetishes and sexual acts.  As you know, there are reports that at least 3 women state that it was non-consensual acts of violence and domination. Let me be clear: I do not condone acts of violence.  Not towards individuals, groups, or nations.  I grieve with our ...

Warning: potentially controversial topic ahead… Today, on Facebook, a friend of mine posted a link to THIS ARTICLE .  Its about a year old, and there is much discourse on the internet about it.  So, i'm late to the bandwagon.   However, it really got me thinking today outside of my “west coast-Canadian world view” & I am thankful for that.  I actually was quite surprised as to how much my emotions reacted to reading the article & found it difficult not to reply; even though I know that Facebook is not the best forum for complicated conversations.  I am thankful that I have friends who are not within the same socio-cultural standpoint that I am, who have different convictions than I do.  ‘Cause I need to be reminded of other perspectives, sometimes.  I would also like to hear yours, in my comment space! (though, if it gets rude, i will moderate comments!) I think that modesty and purity is a topic that frequently comes up in Christian c...

When I was out for my long run yesterday, in the brisk winter evening, I was thinking a little bit about dedication and follow through.   I think that has been a bit of a theme recently, and it was at the front of my mind yesterday, following a bit of a "bust" with a yoga fundraiser. I have always believed that once you commit to something, you should follow through with it.  I was once having a conversation, mid-way through my first M.Sc Degree (which I loathed), and the person asked me why I was continuing doing something I was not enjoying.  To me, it was because I started.  I couldn't just stop... maybe it would mean defeat, maybe it would feel like I was pulling out of a commitment. I just knew I had to finish.  This may not be the same for everyone, but it is for me. In my life now, I see this theme repeating itself, over and over again.  It happens in Triathlon. for Malawi. for God. Yesterday, after a few weeks of trying to get some information...

Today I sent out two emails.  One to 3 people, the other to hundreds.  If you are reading this, you may have received one of them.  I sent out both emails, then I went out to a movie with my love.  On my way home, i was thinking about the butterflies of uncertainty that I was experiencing in my stomach.  So, we talked about it. (and ps:if you go a see Thor 2, stay until the end of the credits.  its worth it.) The first email included a request of people who may make for a professional and career mentor. The second was a email contact list clean up, but also a request for people to buy gift cards for Warm Heart Initiatives.   And, what I find curious, is that despite these two topics being super positive things, and two topics that I believe are important, it still makes me have a sense of nervousness in sending them.  Because, despite being things that lead to good outcomes, sometimes it feels that I can be a burden if I ask other people to...

It seems as if this is a little "out of date" now, since SO MANY things have happened in the past few weeks.  That being so, the trip was so epic, and I loved it so much, and haven't talked about about it yet.  And, I tend to suspect that there are a few people who would appreciate a post on it! --------------------- A couple months ago, when my friend Kevin Shon brought forward the idea of climbing Mt. Rainier, I was a little skeptical, and VERY excited.  Would there possibly be the chance that "fate" would work out that a number of my friends from West Virginia would have the same period of time off, that we could engage in an epic adventure?  I knew that there was a small chance.  but, small is better than no-chance.  And, to increase the chances, it would be for me to say "yes." I knew for sure it would be something I would love to do. and, it came together.  5 Friends: myself from vancouver, Sam and Gretchen from Alaska, Kevin from.... every...

I have been back in Montreal since Friday the 6th.   And, in many ways, it actually feels really good to be back.  Which, I know, might be shocking to you!  the first few days didn't feel good... I missed the boy I like love, it is fricken cold here, conversations that i was having were somewhat frustrating, and I was just wanting to be half way around the world again.  but, things have been going on an upward swing, which is a relief. In the past couple days, I have had great conversations that have just hit the spot.  You know those conversations... the ones that allow you to reflect on the past, and get prepared for the future. I am sub-letting a room for 4 months, with two beautiful girls, L and R.  And, to tell you the truth, it is a big risk (for both them and me) to sub-lease to someone they have never met... no matter how much you exchange via email and "social media" you truely cannot know someone until you meet them face to face.  The ot...

Lessons learnt Clinical 1)     Lack of human resources plays a major role in care provision a.      RNs are stretched between care and administration roles b.      Students are not adequately supervised c.      Care is brief, with basic skills sometimes being missed (i.e. vital signs), or others done without thinking about why (i.e. medications) d.      Nurses are being called back after long locums, and this results in lack of skills 2)     Role of a nurse a.      Possibly still viewed as a “physicians assistant?” b.      Advanced clinical nurses are rare, and severely needed. c.      Quality interdisciplinary dialogue is lacking. d.      Spiritual care is culturally appropriate, and given more readily. 3)     Death is dealt with differently than in Western c...

WOW...  1 month since I left Edmonton, too travel over the ocean to this strange and distant land.  To fufill something that frequently happens in my dreams. to do something that I have never done before. And, you might think... you might think that I would have the time to update my blog and tell you all about everything that is going on here and the sights i see and the food i eat and the people i talk to. and, honestly, I probably do.  but, sometimes, it is hard to decipher what I want to write.  What is meaningful, both for myself, and for my readers. (if there are still any out there!) so... where to start?  First off, to say, I guess, that I LOVE being here.  There is something that just settles so right inside of my being.  something that makes me have this deep rooted peace.  I don't know Malawi very well, and my time being here is SO different from every experience that I have had in any other African nation.  (on that note,...

One of the things that I said to the boy that I like love, when I first started dating him was "Listen up, buddy.  I am flexible with a lot of things, but, one of those things is NOT living in Edmonton for the rest of my life.  I just will not do it.  SO, if you plan on this being a long-term relationship, you need to realize that you will have to eventually move out of this city."   That was 3 weeks in. and, his response?  "Eh.  Ok.  I'm good with that.  I've just been looking for an excuse to move anyway." but, all that being said, It means that I have spent the last two summers in this city.  And, I don't mind, because I get to be with him.  However, what I do mind, is the mosquitos.  They are so bad, they are covered by our national news.    and, of course, the local newspaper .  Swarmed by blood thirsty mosquitos. i hate that. however, all that being said, the summer is not that bad in this city.

consistency and organization.  The first has seemed to be the recent trend in multisport.  And, by trend, i mean... it seems as if i am reading lots about it lately.  People seem to be talking about it a lot lately.  And, the second. well, it seems to go so nicely with the first. because if you lack organization, consistency is pretty difficult to have. I have been learning about consistency lately.  A friend of mine wrote a fantastic entry   (followed up by a blog entry about time... um... consistency and organization, AGAIN!)  about how it is not all that impressive to have a run in the morning, and a swim in the evening.  but, what is pretty impressive, is doing that same routine (or similar) day in and day out, for weeks. months. years. My coach   recently raced Gulf Coast Triathlon  and nailed her bike leg, which allowed her to have a great run.  Just look at this power file: a straight line, with a Hea...

so, it has been a while since I have had a decent post, and, there have been quite a few reasons as too why. I have had a great couple weeks.    things in life are going well .  They have been busy, I have had my first real race of the season, I am in the final steps of submitting my research proposal, and I started my final "Stage" (aka. clinical rotation) for the school year.  Grades for the semester are starting to roll in, so far, with very good results.  Over easter, i got to see the ever hot and wonderful boy i like. and, all of this means that I have all of 120 clinical hours remaining between me and the summer. it means that i don't really have much homework. just paying 800$ tuition for working 40hrs a week. 120 clinical hours between me and complete school freedom (or, so i hope) for the summer. 120 clinical hours between me and moving on from montreal for at least 8 months. 120 clinical hours between me and going to hawaii. 120 clinical hours ...

So, thanks for the comments on my holiday. It was indeed fun. It was indeed a priviledge to have the time to spend away, in the sun. However, much of my holiday was also spent (a few hours each day) doing school work. I left Montreal on Thursday the 17th (the day after my big exam), to Edmonton, to surprize the boy I like for the weekend. That next monday, I had a literature review due for my Malawi research project. Today, a day after I got back from the sun, I had a concept map on aboriginal health which was due. You can see it below. a concept map is pretty much, a visual representation of a research topic. it is a paper, but, with concepts, rather than paragraphs. We do three of them, and this is my second. Visually, it is better than the first. But, the presentation this morning was not great. Honestly, it felt so scattered (Despite having 9pages, single spaced of information), and like i knew nothing about the topics... The topic/senario was addressing suicide in an ...

So, it has been quite the week back to Montreal. In getting back, I thought that things were going to be fairly normal going into the new semester. But, it has been anything but that. this week taught me a lot in a little time, and they are lessons that we all need to learn, and need to learn repetitively. It has been a week of lows and highs. I have always been decent at school. I am not stupid, and yet it has never been SUPER hard to get good (not excellent) grades. I have always thought that "if i did not have as much going on" i would be a straight A student. Every once and a while, I think "eh, that is not true" but, it is about what you put into it, right? My CV is exceptionally full, with life experiences that I have been totally blessed to have. For at 27 year-old, i have life experience of someone way older. I do have the tendency, because of those two things, to set high standards for myself. And, i am happy when I achieve those standards. In s...