Happy Anniversary, British Columbia!

One year ago today, I slept in my first Vancouver apartment for the first time. We slept on mattresses from my landlords' spare beds, with a folding card table, two patio chairs and a space heater. For almost 3 weeks I lived with only what I had brought in my car.

I can't believe it's been a year.

Living here has been overwhelming, lonely and difficult.

BUT I have found some really REALLY great friends, and a huge number of people who are beyond supportive and excited about my dreams. I am so blessed.

Sometimes, I have to stop and remind myself that I am courageous.
I moved to another province alone, knowing that I would have to start from scratch.
I started a brand new job that was totally different than anything I have ever done.
My social life became Skype for a few months.
I had to untangle the transit system here, and get everywhere I needed to go with just my iPhone and a bus pass.
I learned to drive in Vancouver, with only one accident (which wasn't even my fault!)
I let my best friend cut off all of my dreads. She's not a hairdresser.

I left everything safe, comfortable, familiar. I accepted everything uncertain, uncomfortable, exciting.
I feel like I have no idea who I am anymore. I am not the girl who moved here. But I like this me better than who I was a year ago. The way people see me is TOTALLY different than I thought. And that is a very VERY good thing.

Here's a song you should listen to. It's an adventurous-move-to-Vancouver kind of song. It's a driving-through-the-mountains kind of song. It's a best-friends-road-trip kind of song.

One year later, I was back for the first real day of the work season. This year, there are familiar faces. I don't feel completely lost on the ships (except for the first one...) and people in the port know me, and are happy to see me.
The people I thought I would be friends with, I'm not. The people I didn't expect to be friends with, I am.

I still feel like I have no idea what my program at school is about, but I am still looking forward to next year somehow!

I should know better than to plan my own life by now.

I am moving into a dream of mine: A 100 year old house, and we can do ANYTHING we want to it! A yard, a workshop and a potential mouse problem. Perfect!

I am going to Haiti alone! Scary but exciting. It will be so different than having leaders orchestrate everything. I will appreciate the work they do even more after this trip.

School is TOO perfect. It's weird.

And there are a WHOLE BUNCH of other very exciting things happening, or in the works, but you will have to wait to hear about them until things are a bit more certain.

Anyways. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY BC!!! Thanks for making life so exciting and beautiful.

And thank you for loving me even when I am crazy, undecided, overwhelmed and discontent. You have no idea how much it means to have people who love, trust and support me even when you don't quite understand what is going on in my head and in my heart.