Hello my lovelies, my God do I ever miss you. First thing’s first though, it is my Two Year Anniversary with WordPress today! You guys this is insanity. That means two years ago today, I was sitting in my living room when I looked at my mom and said “I’m going to start a blog.” I spent most of that night making a page that I was proud of and within only a few days I had posted my first blog post! I have loved every single second I have been using this platform and can’t believe I have touched so many people all over the world with the words I write. To me, that is amazing and I love every single one of you that has read, liked, commented, shared, and supported me so far throughout my journey. My heart is so full!
Now to give y’all a real quick update on what I have been up to because I’m pretty much always MIA (I’m so sorry, I swear I love you). First of all, work has kept me pretty busy, considering in July and August I work 6 days a week: 5 days at my 9-4 desk job, and Saturdays housekeeping at my camp. Not that I am complaining though, I love my desk job, and the extra money from my camp work is super helpful in paying off the car I bought last summer, which is almost totally paid off now!
Also…on the off-chance you haven’t seen my most recent blog post…I am now officially unavailable (apologies to the non-existent line-up of people wanting to date me). Since my boyfriend and I are long distance, whenever we do get to see each other I spend pretty much every second I can with him – which I mean, keeps a girl pretty busy. Again, not that I mind, he really is lovely and we always come up with something fun to do. He actually has come out to camp with me a lot this summer which has been really nice. It’s nice to have company, even just to do nothing with.
As well, a few months ago I celebrated my 21st birthday with the best group of people. It was one of my best birthdays to date, I had the most amazing day thanks to everyone I love and care about making me feel exceptional. My coworkers made my work day so fun, my family made my birthday dinner special which made my heart so happy (ESPECIALLY MY CAKE…my God was my cake ever good), and my friends made my evening unforgettable. I truly am blessed with some amazing people in my life that I would never ever take for granted.
I also did another lil photo-shoot just this Sunday – so keep your eyeballs peeled for the photos from that coming v soon to a blog post near you…I think I’m funny.
Other than all of that I have been trying to relax in what little spare time I do have. Usually reading or laying out in the sun somewhere just existing. With school starting again in a little over a month (my last year of Uni, guys help) I am taking every second I can to enjoy not stressing about assignments and deadlines.
Anyways, I will leave you all with this closing thought: Thank you all SO much for your support, and I can’t wait for whatever adventures writing for you guys may bring me!
Hey lovelies! I feel like I haven’t talked to you guys in years! Which I mean is kind of true since I have just been MIA for like 4 months. Since it’s been practically forever I thought I would give you all an update on my life these past 4 months and why I haven’t been active on my blog.
January was really nothing out of the ordinary, I started my second semester of my third year and I was kind of busy, but not overly so. I actually started a few blog posts (which will be coming very soon I promise) that I ran out of time to finish. Overall though, January was pretty normal in terms of being busy, and I planned on putting up a few posts in February or on my reading week or something.
Me in January before I became entirely dysfunctional.
February was just a whole other barrel of monkeys though. I started to get sick probably the week before my reading week, around Valentine’s Day. I kind of just assumed it was the same cold that my whole family had, but they didn’t seem to have anything too serious so I figured I would be better in a week or so. Over my reading week (a few days later) I actually thought I was getting better and my whole family had gotten significantly worse. So I was like man, how uncharacteristic of my immune system to be on the ball and actually functioning like it’s supposed to. Boy was I ever wrong.
My mom and I had a concert on February 25th that I had bought the tickets to back in November, but that day I felt the worst I had since getting this dreadful sickness. However, like the true country music fan I am, I took a nap and rallied myself to go to this concert because I was not missing it. I even drank a beer, but I literally felt like I was dying. I mean, I’m sure waiting in line in the freezing cold outside did not help any, but when I woke up the next day I felt like I couldn’t breathe and I couldn’t even cough to try and get some relief. I had actually been to the doctors twice already, both times being told that I was fine and to go home. But I knew I was 100% not fine.
Brett KisselBuck Twenty Band and an extraordinarily sick me.
I then decided that even though I really didn’t want to go to the hospital, for fear of catching some new disease, that was really the best option. I ended up waiting for around 2, maybe 3 hours at which point the doctor at the hospital said it sounded like I had pneumonia in my right lung. I was like oh okay that’s nice, so he prescribed me an antibiotic which I picked up and then went home. When I got home I decided to take a shower to boil the hospital germs off me, then go to my room to lay down.
Something was weird though, I couldn’t stay awake and I felt really out of it. Eventually my mom came to check on me to see if I was just being dramatic, but as soon as she saw me she said I was scaring her. I guess (I didn’t know this) I was bright red and she checked my temperature and it was pretty high so she said I was going back to the hospital no questions asked. She tried to help me sit up in bed, but my body felt too heavy and as soon as she finally got me sitting I felt like I was going to throw up. Like there was no hope in Hell of me making it out to my dad’s truck. So my mom asked if I would rather have the paramedics come and take me to the hospital by ambulance (because I couldn’t breathe great either) so I said yes.
She called 911 and the paramedics pretty much said that I just had a really high fever and until it broke I was going to feel like trash, but that there was nothing they would be able to do for me at the hospital. Tylenol and Gatorade to stay hydrated was my best bet they said. Fast forward about two days and I had a follow-up appointment with my actual physician. At which point he told me it did sound like I had pneumonia and to keep taking the antibiotics. HOWEVER, the antibiotics were giving me horrible side effects (I’ll spare you the details), and literally the next day my doctor’s nurse called me back to tell me to stop taking the antibiotics because I might be having an allergic reaction to them – because I had bumps all over my hands, etc.
Anyways, all of that was a super long winded and probably entirely unnecessary detailed account of how I was sick for basically the entire month of February. Naturally, I missed a week of university because I was sick and dying and stuff, so then I was behind in all of my courses on top of everything else. It felt like I was never going to catch up and I really am not sure how I did, but it took me all of March and most of this month to get there.
Now, though, I am finally done my third year of university and the “semester from Hell,” as I so lovingly referred to it. Also, now you guys know why I have been MIA for what feels like forever. Luckily, now I have a lot more time to write blog posts and things like that, that I can’t wait to share with you guys!
PS thanks for still reading my blog posts and whatnot while I was busy, so much love for you guys.
Hey again lovelies! Last year I really enjoyed doing a post about My 2016 and loved being able to reflect on the year that I had, so I am going to do it again with my 2017 – which was definitely a roller coaster. Plus, what better way to start 2018 than reflecting on this past year.
January was relatively uneventful for me, the boy I had been dating at Christmas time was gone home (a foreign exchange student that I wrote about here) and all my friends went back to school so I was generally unpleasant to be around. However, my friend who lives in Britain came back for another semester so it was wonderful to spend more time with him. We are still friends actually, and talk regularly, he came back to visit in September which I will talk about more in a sec.
February was pretty awful, I was quite sick and was on antibiotics twice within a three week span (double ear and eye infection, and then strep). I hadn’t been on antibiotics since I was a kid so that was an experience. March was much better though, my baby brother turned two (!) and I had the pleasure of attending a gala for a girl I went to high school with to raise money for her various cancer treatments. My best friend came as my date and I was so glad that I was able to give my support even though me and the girl never talked much in high school. It didn’t matter that I didn’t know her that well, I still wanted to help out by buying my ticket and then buying raffle tickets etc. at the gala. It was nice to help out and it was a lovely evening.
In April I officially finished my second year of university and was accepted for an amazing position at my university. I had applied and interviewed for a job with one of the professors of the English department (which is my field of study) at my university and I got the position! It was such a good opportunity for me and it was a full time position that provided me with such incredible experience. If I recall correctly I celebrated by going out with my friend to get manicures.
May 1st I started my new job at the university, I was so super nervous but my two coworkers were incredible and so helpful and my boss was absolutely amazing. The position was 9-5 Monday to Friday until the end of August, but that was by my choosing because the hours were incredibly flexible. As long as I fulfilled a certain number of hours by the end of the summer I was free to make my own hours – which I definitely did. Also in May…I turned 20! I officially became 2 decades old and I celebrated by going out to a club with two of my bestest friends before my birthday, having cupcakes at work and leaving early on my birthday, and then going out to camp for the may long weekend after my birthday. I felt so so so loved.
In June my little sister, my friend and I all went to see Little Ray’s Reptiles like we did last summer and that is always a fun experience, my sister will hold/touch anything she is allowed, last year it was a scorpion! This year I convinced her to hold a tarantula which freaked me right out. Also in June my family and I went for a little day trip to a city 3 hours away from us to do some shopping, visit my dad who was working there at the time, and for me to visit a few of my friends. We only stayed for one night but we did a lot of shopping and we took my friend out for dinner like we always do when we are in town. I also went for a little Tim Hortons date with the boy I was talking to at the time (will talk about him more in a moment – he was the one who took me on my best date) and went out to a few bars with my friend that evening. It was such a fun little weekend away!
PS – that is my hand holding that tarantula.
July was probably the most eventful month out of my whole summer, which overall wasn’t too eventful anyways (my summer I mean) since I worked in an office and also acted as cleaning staff at my camp all summer. For Canada Day my family and I were out at camp, but for the Fourth of July I took my sister and two of her friends out for iced cream, the park, and then to sit and watch the fireworks. It was so cute to see how excited they were about the fireworks. It wasn’t very long after this outing (maybe a week or something like that) that I had my best date ever…like seriously, ever. I could probably go on for paragraphs about this, but instead I will just direct your attention to the link I gave you and hope you go take a look.
Also in July I got my first ever car!!! A little 2002 Toyota Echo, I named her Hildy and I was and still am over the moon. It is still so awesome to be able to go where I want, whenever I want without having to ask to borrow my moms car, or ask for a ride, or try and figure out transportation to and from places like work. That is definitely not something I take for granted. It is so good on gas too, but mostly I love it because its mine and it gives me more freedom which sometimes I so crave.
August was a lovely wind down to the summer: we were visited at camp by some family friends who we hadn’t seen since the previous summer, I attended a lovely white dress party hosted by a friend I went to high school with, and my best friend (whom I have known since I was 3) finally came home from her 10 month volunteer exchange in Thailand! It was so lovely to finally see her in real life and not just through our snapchat conversations while she was away. Also in August, I was offered the opportunity to keep my summer position at the university, part-time, for my entire third year of university on a contract! Obviously I was ecstatic and accepted because I love my job. I still do love my job and I probably will until I have to stop doing it.
In September I started my third year of university – which is absolutely crazy to me because that means next year (like 2019) I graduate. Not too much on that because that will just stress me out haha. So I started back to school which was nothing too eventful, until my friend from Britain who I mentioned earlier, came back to visit for a week! It was so fun, we went out for breakfast like we used to all the time when he was studying here, and we visited a corn maze at a little farm in my town. This was all during a massive heat wave so it didn’t feel very autumnal doing a corn maze in shorts whilst sweating, but whatever. My sissy also turned 12 in September! Seriously cannot believe she is that big already.
October was a very cozy month, I spent a lot of time with family at camp on Thanksgiving and also at home on my reading week. My nephew had his first birthday in October as well and it was such a blessing that I was able to be there for that, especially since I have known his momma since I was in elementary school. October was also Halloween, which meant numerous opportunities to dress up. I went as a butterfly for my brother’s trick or treating party and I went as a football player to my school pub. I also started dating again in October which has proved to be fruitful as I am still going on dates with the same person (who is very lovely by the way).
In November I started to feel super festive and began getting into the Christmas spirit, even though I had like 300 papers to write for school. Literally like 3 days after Remembrance day my shared office at work was decorated and not long after that we had both (that’s right we have two) Christmas trees set up in my home. This month there was also the Christmas tree festival and various other festive things going on in my city to kick off the Christmas season, and I tried to take part in as much of it as possible whilst still drowning in homework.
Finally, December – this month started with a freakin’ bang let me tell you, because December 2nd was the 12 barz pub crawl that my friend decided we had to be a part of. I will admit I was skeptical, but I did really enjoy myself it turned out. I finished classes and final projects really early because I had no exams this semester which was the best thing that possibly could have ever happened to me in my life, so I was able to really enjoy all the festive things that my family was doing all month. As well, my office and the rest of the staff in the library where my office is located got into the festive spirit too and we all went out for a lovely holiday lunch. The same day as the lunch, my office did a secret santa gift exchange – the whole day was such a nice last day of work before the new year.
December is always such a happy month for me because I finally get to take a break from school and spend time with my family and friends. I got to visit friends from out of town, and ones who go away for school which is always nice. Then on Christmas Eve my whole family gets together at my great-grandparents house for dinner and presents. We have been doing that ever since I can remember and I always feel so blessed and so grateful to have a family that loves me that I can make these memories with. I think it is because of this tradition that Christmas has always been so special to me.
Finally, it was time to say goodbye to 2017 and while usually I spend New Years Eve with friends, this year I felt like a homebody and really just wanted to spend time with my family. So instead of going out, I stayed in and watched a movie with my parents and my sister, and I said hello to 2018 hugging my little family.
So now, I just want to take a second to thank everyone who made my 2017 the crazy amazing year it was. I want to thank the friends that I made this year for choosing to be a part of my life, and also the friends that I lost this year, for reminding me that nothing in life is ever guaranteed and sometimes, I am better off on my own. Also to the friends that have stuck by for as long as I can remember, it does not go unnoticed and I have so much love in my heart for you all. Thank you also to my boss and coworkers for making me happy to go to work. Most importantly though, thank you to my family for your never-ending support and encouragement. If it weren’t for all of you I would never have made it to where I am today.
As I welcome in 2018, I also want to thank all of you for your continued support surrounding what I write. I can’t wait to see what 2018 has in store for me, but I hope it is filled with blessings – and I hope that yours is too.
Hailey 