So what have I been doing since May 21, 2012--well having one of the best summers in a while. Here are some of the highlights in no particular order.
1) Gardening for real:
So the garden project has turned out pretty nicely and I learned quite a bit about plants (and bugs). I've learned which ones go together and which ones kind of kill each other by being vine-y. I've also learned that leaving someone else to water your garden is risky. The pallet has turned out pretty good and has kept cycling through blooming phases. Something is always looking pretty. and I've grown peppers for real!! The hail storm on Thursday messed up my tomato plant but there are still a few tomatoes left to ripen.
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| A Pepper! For Real! |
2) NYC: Spending more than 1 day in the winter in NYC was a great idea. We were there for 5 days and saw so much and ate so much food. I have realized that holidays for me are all about the food. If I eat good food then I am pretty much good to go. It was also awesome to be there with girlfriends which was a completely different travel experience. David was there too and he probably loved shopping more than everyone else. We stayed at this really cool apartment in Hell's Kitchen (thanks Airbnb.com) which made it feel like we actually had a place to land between adventures. In fact we adventured so much during the day, that we rarely ever made it out past 10pm. Basically if there was something to see in lower Manhattan we saw it (thanks to a fantastic bike tour). I don't think I could live in Manhattan. But maybe Brooklyn heights
3) Related to the trip to NYC was Rachel's wedding: Watching your friends marry their new best friend is probably one of the most rewarding experiences out there. It is so great to see them so happy and I think there are few moments happier than a wedding day. Rachel's wedding was no exception as her and Taylor are probably one of the strongest couples out there. They've done the long distance, the complicated process of deciding what next and realizing that they can't live without each other. This was most obvious when Rachel was waiting for the actual marriage to start. She was all dressed in her beautiful dress and everything was so well planned that we had time to wait. But the waiting was killing her because it meant more moments that she wasn't with Taylor. They go through all the hard stuff together and for this moment, they had to be apart. I was the maid matron of honour (which it definitely was), so I gave a speech. It is so hard to sum up nearly 20 years of memories but I think it went well. Also during the reception a bunch of us together sang along to Bohemian Rhapsody and I think we may have scared some of the guests, but you can't let a song like that pass unsung. Also Sars got into photo bombing:
A brilliant end to a fantastic week
4) Having a fantastic job: Normally I try not talk about work on my blog (being in HR I know the hazard of this), but I love my job. I like the people I work with, I like the variety of work that I do and I love that so many of my "needs" are being met. I get recognition, I get autonomy, I get creativity. Since joining the firm in May I haven't looked back and I have no regrets about quitting the last place. I have truly drunk the Kool-Aid. I definitely miss some of the people at the old place and I've tried to keep in contact but where I am is super awesome. Plus I'm getting a promotion already! YAY!
5) I passed my NKE! This exam is the first of two that I write to get my CHRP (Certified Human Resources Professional). I didn't think that I had failed, but the exam was really hard so I was still a bit surprised that I did well. Now I write the next exam in October and I'm certified. Also through studying with other people I realized that I am an HR dork. I love talking about it, I love the different scenarios and HR is a bit lonely (having to be objective with your work) so it's good to have other HR people to talk to. Plus the stories we can tell
6) I travelled quite a bit during July to visit family. First David and I went to visit his parents in Calgary which was very nice and relaxing. I am starting to 'get' my in-laws and so I can be more myself around them. Then we went to the stampede! I lovelove the stampede and we were there with my Grandpa & Grandma Dahl. They were so kind to have us sit with them during the rodeo in the most fantastic seats. We could smell the animals and see all the neat things the cowboys do to get ready. I hadn't been to the rodeo in a year or two so it was great to be 'back in the saddle'. And I think David was impressed with my knowledge of the events. Thanks to Instagram I got some pretty awesome pictures (not telephoto lens required):
Then I went to Fort McMurray. This place is truly my home and I love how easily I feel like it's home. I know where everything is in my parent's house. I know what the rhythm is. I would ride my brother's bike over to Sars' or raid my parent's pantry. And I golfed--man I love that sport. It was great. The best moment was the night we were having a fire in Sarah's backyard. Her dad, brother and his gf and a bunch of other friends were there and they brought guitars. We sat around the fire singing songs we all new the words to. It seemed like time stood still and then we were gifted the best Aurora Borealis I had ever seen. I was there without David so it was like I went back in time but without the sad nostalgia of realizing that I have to go back to reality. It was just a perfect moment.
7) Visiting Kelly in Montreal: I didn't make a tonne of friends in university but I am so glad Kelly was one of them. We are fellow Psych grads and have stayed in touch ever since. She hosted me in Montreal for a week (that's a good friend) and we saw so many great things. She was a great host and was totally willing to do all the touristy things with me. It was so nice to have a familiar face (and fellow Albertan) in the new city. Plus her and Greg are super super cute. Also their cat was kind enough to let me sleep on his air mattress. Also I learned that I like poutine!
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| The Cross on the top of the "Mountain" |
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| Kelly at the first BMO |
8) Osheaga: While I was in Montreal I went to a music festival called Osheaga. I love music festivals. I cannot stress that enough. The music is always what gets me in the gates (and the lineup was stellar) but the community nature and the people is what I love most (there were nearly a billion people there). You can talk, dance or party with anyone. I went there with Lo but she knew so many people and I met a few others that it was just a constant stream of new people and experiences. The highlight was probably seeing M83 and dancing with strangers. But the whole three days were exhausting, exhilarating and enchanting. When I came home it was hard to leave because it meant that the moment was over (I admit I was pretty melancholy when I got home). I'm so glad it happened. I'm glad for the friends I made and I hope I can hold onto the memory for a bit longer.
Hype Machine: It plays music that appears on blogs. There is a tonne here and what I really like is all the remixes. I'm an electronica girl at heart so it definitely suits my needs. http://hypem.com. Here is my favourite track so far:
Constant Conversations - Passion Pit (St. Lucia Remix): http://soundcloud.com/st-lucia/passion-pit-constant
Songza: A bunch of pre-made playlists for whatever mood you're in. http://songza.com
Overall I've been really spoiled this summer with tonnes of travel, opportunities, friends and projects. Edmonton has been great too having lovely weather and tonnes of fun things for me to explore in Churchill square (I love working downtown!!). The fall is going to bring new things too: new apartment, new job description, new concerts and new friends. I'm pumped.
And now you know why I haven't posted since May. Too much fun has been happening
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