Back to the Grind.

What a few days! Being back at school and back into the thick of things is where I thrive and I feel like my life has gone from lazy days in bed to long hours and busy meetings. That is the great thing about this program, it moves us from full on, to break, and back so quickly, constant evolution and perpetually managing change in our lives.

Tonight we got to celebrate something amazing. As a west coast school, and perhaps as a result not quite as competitive by nature, we have never placed extremely well at the MBA Games. This year, through guts, heart, and a lot of exceptionally good times we placed 3rd. By the time the announcement came on the screen in Edmonton we had all had a few glasses of wine and watched our beloved school miss out on winning each of the individual events. In that instant we were astounded. No one would have ever guessed that we hadn't won the whole thing. In that instant I am confident that we had no idea there was such a thing as first or second place. Tonight, at the top of the Henry Angus building on campus we celebrated this victory and talked about what it meant to us as a school now and going forward. It is amazing and inspiring to think of the legacy we get to build for those following us and for those school that gives us such great opportunities.

Tonight was also a great opportunity to reconnect with classmates. It is funny to think that our class is only 106 people so many of who I am incredibly fond of and yet, with out busy schedules and hectic lives we miss each other in the halls and in classes. I got a chance to talk to one of the other few girls in the program tonight and in just a few moments realized that we have almost identical careers goals and the paths we are interested in pursuing going forward leaving the MBA are incredibly similar. It is remarkable the people that come together in this place and so many of whom are willing and excited to help each other out, with the easy stuff and with the hard. We are all in this together.

This is what excites me. This and that it is ten past ten on a wednesday night and my "work for the evening" has been reading articles on creativity and doing some writing and photography for my fellow students and our program office. Lovely. Doing what I love and loving what I do may sound cheesy but the truth is it is what I get to do every day and I couldn't be happier.

To follow up on my gratitude challenge I recently started following this blog. I ran into this inspiring lady at a networking event and realized I had met her briefly while working for the same company last year. For some reason she keeps showing up in my life and I have to say that I am loving following her writing and inspiring life. Her blog includes a gratitude list and a challenge to come up with a list of 100 things that you are grateful for. Though this undertaking was challenging without a doubt I am glad to say I completed it and I think that it made it very clear what an extraordinary life I am lucky to lead. I would challenge you to do the same. Thinking about what is going well in your life can really help put in perspective what isn't.

Gratitude: Day 16

First day back at school! Kind of a big deal.

Today I am grateful for:

1) Being back at the grind I love so much.

2) Being on committees I didn't know I was on and realizing the excitement of new projects!

3) Random playlists.

xoxo

Gratitude: Day 15

Over two weeks and I think writing down what I am grateful for is making it a little easier to appreciate the small things and to let the rest of it go. I am blessed and even with minor setbacks I realize that life is full of amazing moments and unbelievable opportunities to learn.

Today I am grateful for:

1) Sunny morning sleep ins

2) Living on Davie street, within walking distance of delicious food from all over the world

3) School starting tomorrow! Yes, I am that nerdy.

Gratitude Day: 13 and 14

A little escape from town does wonders!

Yesterday I was grateful for:

1) Semi-spontanious trips to Whistler with the crew

2) Being taken care of even when I think I don't need it

3) Really good ends to really good nights

Today I am grateful for:

1) Lunch Caesars

2) Snowy Whistler walks

3) Stunning sea to sky highway drives

This is a pretty great province!

Gratitude Day: 11 and 12

This break has felt more like a vacation than I feel even getting away would. SO much to be grateful for such as...

Day 11:

1) Hangovers with friends

2) Sunny Vancouver days

3) Phone calls from new friends that result in new clothes!

Day 12:

1) 2 sunny days in a row!

2) Exploring old haunts that are new to others

3) The persistent hunt for lobster

Love!

Gratitude: Day 10

Hello my blog reading friends!

Today was a random but good one. Aren't they all?

I am grateful for:

1) Lazy mornings in bed

2) Smiling giggling baby 'nephew'

3) Girls night at the comedy club (this one hasn't happened quite yet... but it's about to and I know it's going to be amazing!)

Love you all!

Gratitude: Day 9

Today was a delight. A really milestone in proving that I am better at going with the flow than I used to be. Today I also crossed something off my bucket list. Sounds pretty good to me!

Today I am grateful for:

1) Bucket list accomplishment - I would sleep in my new Fryes if I could

2) "killing time" that means an afternoon of doing exactly what I want - within a 2km radius of the Speedy Glass location fixing my windshield

3) Being protected from wolves on screen and in my nightmares - just imagine they're pugs

Hope all your gratitude is making your days as exciting as mine!

Gratitude: Day 8

It has been a long and mildly productive day... here is what I am thankful for now:

1) Great friends who are not afraid to be themselves... or pretend to be each other

2) The feeling of going to the gym, after not going to gym for a long time

3) Long walks home with time to think in the night sea air

Thanks Vancouver. 

Gratitude: Day 7

Today I am grateful for:

1) Rainy days that spark fun

2) Seals that sleep upside down at the aquarium

3) Long distance catch ups from China.

It was a good one folks.

Gratitude: Day 6

Today was rainy... and what felt like my first real day off. Though I think I may be coming down with something, a headache and mildly stuffy nose may just be my body's way of asking for this break, I had a truly remarkable day.

Things I am grateful for:

1) Chance encounters with long lost friends

2) Finding wonderful new haunts with equally wonderful bus buddies

3) Delicious potato soup, sun dresses, pistachios and books by funny girls

Love my rainy friday!

Gratitude: Days 3,4, and 5

Ahh! I am late with my Gratitude from yesterday, and the day before... here it is:

Feb 14th:
1) For the best Valentines day yet
2) For Gluten Free mac and cheese
3) For late night rec hockey games

Feb 15th:
1) For reuniting with old dreams
2) For $5 wings
3) For great conversations with new and old friends. Ahhh the unexpected.

Feb 16th:
1) For take out thai food from Davie St
2) For the magic of hockey and the smiles it creates
3) For my camera, picking it up really does make a difference

Well folks, it's been a busy few days.

Gratitude: Day 2

I am glad today is almost over. It has been one which I would prefer not to repeat again tomorrow. The nice thing about gratitude is that it makes it a little easier to look on the bright side, a little easier to see the grains of gold in the stream of stones.

Today I am grateful for:

1) A girl named Britt and the fact that though our friendship is relatively new it is exactly what I expected it to be from the time we met. And that is a very good thing
2) Half bottles of left over wine and gluten free beer in the closet
3) New hoodies that are too cozy to be anything but happy in
* An amazing ocean view out a side window when I was supposed to be focusing on what was in front of me

Gratitude: Day 1

Ok. Here we go.

One of the most inspiring people in my life is listing 3 things she is grateful for each day. For 21 days. I need a little gratitude in my life and in her words it's "helping me on my life long journey of being awesome". Sounds good enough for me, here is what I am grateful for today:

1) The handsome man in my life
2) Season 1 of how I met your mother
3) Catching up with my amazing Calgary girls

Can't wait to be grateful for ridiculous and inspiring things tomorrow!

When you are old and grey and full of sleep...

Sometimes there are things we hold onto. This poem has been one of my favourite since I was 16 years old. Its meaning, like the meaning of most poems, fades and changes over time. For some reason  it resonates with me these days more than others. It is the way the words ebb and flow. The sadness and beauty in lost youth (not that mine is any where close to being lost or over) provides contrast. The love of something pretty and fleeting. The idea of looking back. Of perspective. Perhaps it is because Yates was an Irish man and the Irish have a way of presenting introspection in a way that tugs a little harder at heart strings.

Enjoy.

When You Are Old and Grey

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

- WB Yates

Something to smile about.

A good friend reminded me the other day that we have so much to be happy about. These are the golden times of our lives and even our most daunting problems, finance exams to write, internships to procure, student loans to pay back, are not really problems in the grand scheme of things.

Introspection and solving life's little problems is something I clearly enjoy but, like my good friend said, sometimes I should really just write about what makes me happy.

It's exam week. A time where people are normally not the best versions of themselves and yet, I find myself incredibly content. As I tend to repeat ad nauseam, I love this program. I always knew that when I finally found what I was supposed to do the work would be enjoyable, the learning inspirational and the people surrounding me, remarkable. That is what I have stumbled across here. I am lucky to have made such exceptional friends in such a short period of time. Truly people who have seen me at my worst, and possibly some of my best, and still want to hang out with me at the end of the day.

Additionally I live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. These days feel like spring and it is only the beginning of February, a far cry from sub zero temperatures in Alberta (though I miss sunny days and sharp prairie air). The ocean is a stone's throw and delicious food from around the globe lines the streets. Though being a student has many draw backs one thing that isn't is attending classes at the UBC point grey campus. It is stunning, and strangely secluded from the city and re-invigorates me every time I set foot on it.

I am also happy and grateful that I've made it through another year. Looking back to where I was gives me a warm feeling of accomplishment and authenticity. Just over a year ago I did the thing that at the time scared me most. I stood up to someone, got out of a crapy relationship and finally got back to pursuing what I wanted. No, it was not an ex-boyfriend or even a close friend of plutonic nature. A year and 4 days ago I left a manager who I let make me feel completely insignificant, like a constant failure and who I let press me to live a life nothing like I wanted. I was someone I was not proud of and it showed in every area of my life. I am so happy to say that by breaking ties, by moving onto to what I really wanted to be doing, life is as perfect as I would want it to be. Yes, I could have a little more money, be a little more fit, live in a bigger apartment, in Kits. So my grades could be a little better and I could have a great internship lined up but at the end of the day my life is just so much fun it is hard to worry about all those things. I wake up every morning knowing I live in a beautiful city, surrounded by amazing people, doing something I am passionate about and that I believe will take me where I want to go. What more could a girl ask for?