I'm officially graduating university in two weeks. It's a scary thought.

At my last graduation, when I was 17 years old, I couldn't believe how old 21 sounded. Now that I'm here I don't feel that old at all.

But, the thing about these transitional moments is it facilitates a true moment of reflection. Looking back I'm glad I did it the way I did, my university experience. But, if I had a do over, I'd like to discuss the things I'd change.

1) Get more involved, meet more people.

I got discouraged early with how to present myself to others, and where to meet people. I had this misconstrued notion that the only way to meet people was to go out drinking. I just didn't know how to conduct myself in that manner. In truth I've met many people in my senior year and I'm glad. I wish I'd known where to look for them long ago.

2) Ask for help.

This is a big one. As I've struggled since my first year to dig my GPA out of the rut caused by a poor first year I keep thinking, if only I'd swallowed my pride and fear and approached one of the many resources available. In high school work came easy. In university, not so much. I failed french in first year and have far too many Cs on my transcript. Professors and TAs are there to teach, ask for help, attend office hours, if only for the social networking aspect. Show your educators respect, they deserve it.

3) Be smarter with my finances.

Though the financial debt of university is a big one, I see coming out of university many more big debts coming in my future. I wish I hadn't been so frivilous with my money. I thought, since I wasn't the typical university student, spending rediculous amounts on alcohol, that I'd just be fine. I was wrong, I spent money poorl. Just recently I've learned smarter alternatives.

FOOD: I need to stop eating out as often. It's not healthy, and it's expensive. I should reserve outings for special occasions. Buy the essential groceries and watch how long they last.

CLOTHES: The mall has such a strong appeal to me, I love the new. Recently I've learned to knack to thrift store shopping. So much cheaper, and hey- its cool and unique clothes. Previously loved, fabric with a story, my kind of thing.

ENTERTAINMENT: Let's face it, the movies have gotten expensive! Even rentals are fairly pricey. The local library has movies for free, this goes for books too. I spend too much on books, even if I'm spending it at my most favourite used book store- not as often.
I love being outside, why not spend a day in the park. Every time I go it's something different, I see something new, I go with a different friend, at a different time of day. Sometimes for a run, a quick walk, tanning, writing. There are so many activities and I'd say every city has some sort of a park.

These are things I've learned late in life, you could say. My university experience was one to cherish in every aspect. I can't help but think, this is just the beginning...

An important lesson to learn in life is how to laugh at ourselves and our misfortunes.

Yesterday was a big day for me, I made the hour and a half drive to my new school to look at a place to live and to tour the school, familiarize myself with it so that the first-day-getting-lost-without-pants-on dreams will be kept at a minimum. I found a place I loved and when we returned my dear friend and I decided to do something good for our bodies and go play tennis at a local highschool.

Turns out 2 of the 4 courts were being used, so that the two free ones were either in between two matches or beside one. Either way, she and I will both admit we are not overly skilled in the game of tennis and knew playing in either of the courts would disrupt the other games rather often.

So we decided to run the track.

Running the track is easy. Remember highschool? The 12 minute run? I believe 4 was a minimum in order to pass so obviously a lap or two would be easy. Well, I would admit I'm a little competitive, so as many laps as my close friend did, I also had to do. We ended up doing 4 total. At the time I felt like I was in highschool again.

And let me just preface this comment and say that in highschool I was not athletic. I was awkward, I had a body I hadn't learned how to maneuver quite yet. So I only did gym in grade 9 and the only people slower than me in running were the injured.

Since highschool I've learned to love my body, and treat it well. I've also taken up running, SO- I thought, I should be able to outdo my highschool self and love life at the same time. And I certainly did love it as I did it.

Today, my body is saying something different.

But that could also be because last night my legs decided to rebel and not take the steps as they should, catapulting my body in a rolling downward motion, limbs every which way. Once I reached the bottom and tried to unravel my twisted body I realized I could not stand, my ankles wouldn't allow it, so I dragged myself to my room and fell asleep on my floor.

This is why today my body is aching in pain, a combination of athletic feats I can't achieve anymore (not without practice anyway) and clumsy attempts at taking stairs.

But writing this blog I laughed pretty hard picturing last nights ordeal again and I hope you find humour in it as well. Laughter certainly is the best medicine.

Hey Mr. DJ keep playing that song for me

The following will be a rant; consider yourself now fairly warned.

Do you know what irks me? Summer hits. I'm talking those catchy tunes that are so popular that you hear them about 6 times an hour on every station and there is a techno version available before you can say beans. There always seems to be an abundance of them come summertime.

Now, I'll admit it. I probably like these songs the first time I hear them. It's probably because they have this catchy beat that makes me wanna shake my groove thang. I like to dance. Why not? Dancing puts our hearts in motion.

BUT, after the second or third time, or after listening to the lyrics and later having to see them lifeless and written in someone's facebook status or on someone's edited photo it becomes apparent how truly idotic and poorly written they are.

Sigh. Why must poorly written and easily forgotten songs be overplayed into the ground? There's so many good songs out there, so many good bands. Mind you, I almost don't want to share the music I love because I'm nearly certain if those artists were played 7 times a day and everyone and their mother posted the lyrics on their facebook I don't know if I'd feel the same amount of ownership or connection I have.

So I guess the (music) world is the way it is for a reason, and I shouldn't be so angry. But seriously people, think before you post the lyrics. It sounds stupid.

Momma said there'd be days like this.

I died a little inside this morning when I stepped out the door to see my car covered in snow. Last week I was wearing shorts and tanktops and playing baseball barefoot in the park. I'm hoping this is just going to be one of those weird weather moments and it will pass because I got a pedicure with my three best friends on friday and if these toes are covered by socks and shoes for much longer I'm seriously going to feel like I wasted my money. I'm a student, I just can't afford to waste my money you know!

But- today is a special day, Mother's Day. My mother is my very best friend and my other half. Most women fear becoming their mother most, I would be lucky to become her. The older my brother and I get the more difficult it is to spend a day together with the entire family so we are happy just to be together.

My mother and I were playing baseball in our backyard- or rather, we played catch and then she pitched to me and I was batting. She played baseball for many years and as we pass many local ball diamonds she tells us her stories from yesteryears. She often tells me she was playing while I was an infant and would nurse me between innings. Somewhere in there I must have gotten some sort of skill, I'm hoping. Well tonight I tried my hardest to hit her with two clean line drives, but she was too quick for me.

Maybe next year.

Blackberry Bandaid

There's something so beautiful about the simplicity of summer.

I get really irritated in the winter having to layer and layer and layer. You cant help but feel like you are hiding something under all that. So in the summer I love being able to slip on a pair of sandals and go.

But the other layering we engage in as a culture is all our stuff we need to bring with us everywhere. I find myself lugging around my slouchy bag- which of course I love because I can fit so much into it- but it gets so tiring.

Today a friend and I went for a walk through the park, something I've been doing regularly now, and all I did was slide my three keys off my oversized keychains and slipped them in my shorts.

It's so liberating to go somewhere without all that stuff. I do not need my blackberry in the park (though I did see a bride and groom getting wedding photos, and of course the budding spring trees as so beautiful) but I can take mental pictures, they age better anyway.

Also, three years of living in the same house is coming to an end and I'm slowly working on moving all my stuff from here to somewhere else and am slowly realizing I have way too much stuff. Way too much. I had a clothing purge not that long ago and moving out all of my things has exhausted me in so many ways- and I've just started!

All these thoughts of trying to strip down the layers and the stuff intersect into one decision. I want to live more simply. It's a nice thought in principle but I'm going to have to establish some simple ways to make it actually happen.

The first one I already know is in regards to my blackberry. At this point I have to have it within arms reach. I need to stop that. If someone needs to get ahold of me they don't need an immediate response. And I've realized how irritating it truly is when you are with someone face to face and they are preoccupied with their phone. Put it down and pay attention to me! Am I not worth that attention? I want to show you are worth my time and attention.

I'll let you know how it goes.